Monthly Archives: December 2013

Visualising perspectives with rich pictures

In dealing with a wicked problem like transport, it is sometimes difficult to have all parties involved seeing eye-to-eye and having a common understanding about the issues involved. The ‘Rich Picture’ methodology goes some way to attempting to make some of the perspectival differences clearer to those involved in the process. A ‘rich picture’ is… Read more

Innovation and smart technology in public transport

Though large-scale changes to infrastructure may be difficult, smaller modifications to the transport environment can improve customer flow, speeds, and leave people with a more pleasant experience as they commute. Below are examples of services and components of the transport system that help achieve this, drawn from Hong Kong and Seoul train stations. Above is… Read more

Into the loop

Historically, the interaction between person and machine was very simple – a person knew what they wanted to do and that they wanted to use the machine to do it, so they went and pressed a button and it happened. The interaction between these peers only went one way, from person to machine, with nothing… Read more

T-card electronic payment in Korea

T-money is a smart card which can be recharged and used to pay for transport in South Korea, in a similar style to Melbourne’s Myki or Sydney’s Opal card. But what’s different about T-money is that it’s not limited to paying for your train fare. It’s also a credit card that can be used in… Read more

Signage examples in Germany and UK

Different countries use signage in transport systems in a variety of ways. By analysing examples, common design principles become apparent – clean and uncluttered information presented in a simple way, with a mixture of static and dynamic signs. In Frankfurt, small amounts of information are placed on highly visible signs. Both the size of the… Read more

Wayfinding case study Hong Kong

Overseas, transport systems employ a range of different methodologies to assist people in navigating stations. These can include static signs, dynamic displays, and interactive information points. Hong Kong can be seen to use a mixture of these in helping customers wayfind around a typical station. As you enter the station and go down the escalator,… Read more