Mew Research – MAPS & TIMETABLES RESEARCH 1998

Description

A 1998 London Transport study (eight qualitative groups; 112 visitor interviews) tested customised timetables and maps to find designs that are easier to use and encourage bus travel. Current timetables were seen as complex, small-print and unreliable. Respondents preferred a stop-specific timetable (BI): prominent “You are here,” full route/direction, separate hourly columns, 12/24-hour formats, frequency in headings, and clear first/last service emphasis. Users wanted journey-time cues, visible interchanges, fare-zone clarity, plain-language footnotes, and bold black-on-white fare info. For posters/maps, people favored simple coloured, diagrammatic (tube-style) maps with a linked inset showing where to board, clear keys/headings, grid references, north orientation, larger type, and integrated frequency/destination tables. Common problems: small type, cluttered backgrounds, unclear symbols and interchange markers; many users ignored parts of posters (only 20% used the whole poster; 86% struggled with at least one task). Recommendations: add “how to use” guidance, combine key/instructions, enlarge text and boarding map, improve colour contrast, simplify layout, and include tourist/language information.