Friday, October 3, 2008

BC Transit Bus Assignment

Design Brief / Problem Statement
  • Goals & Objectives: Analyze the interior design of a BC transit bus. Determine aspects of the bus design that are failing the public in some way. Recommend solutions. Solutions can be of the "blue sky" variety; however, we will try not to make up technologies for the sake of technology.
  • Client: BC Transit
  • Audience: Bus users (solo, young families, elderly, couples/friends, drunk people, bikers, visitor and inexperienced, experienced)
  • Scope: We will only look at one particular BC transit bus. We will not involve the web, skytrain stations, or any other BC transit vehicles.

Analysis and Assumptions
  • formalization of strategies and direction, determine our shopping list
  • there are likely many improvements that can be made to a BC bus.
  • design flaws can likely be grouped in several ways: 1. anatomy of the bus (spatial), 2. signage and symbols, 3. environmental , 4. bus user demographics
  • our personal experiences on a BC bus is a microcosm of the problems that we will uncover
  • many design flaws existing in the BC bus might have been solved in other buses around the world
  • Informations needs will fall into the following catagories:
    • Route map
    • Schedule
    • Bus Identification
    • How much is it going to be
    • Where do I put my ticket
    • Specialty seat identification
    • How long
    • How to ring for my stop
    • How do I exit
    • Misc - Emergency exit

Research
  • summarize personal experience on the bus
  • observe passengers on a bus and map their information needs to aspects of the bus system. determine if there is an opportunity to redesign particular aspects.
  • look up examples of bus systems around the world (good and bad)
  • look up examples of general transportation systems (ie. airplane, car, train) and see if any cross pollination can occur
  • look up examples of information design that cater to similar demographic groups (good/bad)

Ideation and Brainstorming
  • analyze found information and generate new and creative ideas
  • create mood boards, positioning statements

Conceptualization
  • translation of ideas into viable directions & substantial forms

Visual Development
  • intangible -> tangible
  • personal task to develop

End Result
  • improve the ticketing system interface in the bus
  • improve the route map systems

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