Roberts M – INFORMATION POLLUTION ON THE UNDERGROUND MAP 2008

Description

Humans have limited and variable cognitive capacity, so excessive or poorly presented information increases cognitive load and causes mistakes. Transport information providers must supply only what users need, staged for each decision, and presented clearly and consistently. The Underground map suffers from feature creep and “information pollution”: added elements like zonal shading, numerous dagger warnings, ad-hoc interchange symbols, service notes, and wheelchair blobs often distract or mislead. Problems include inconsistent, incomplete and incongruous symbols (e.g., daggers applied inconsistently; pecking and casing meanings changing), misleading step-free icons that omit crucial details, and non-essential future or corporate announcements. These issues impair novices and low-capacity users most. Remedies are straightforward: define the map’s core tasks (stations, lines, change opportunities), remove or relocate peripheral data, ensure consistency and high-quality explanations, design for novices, and integrate maps with signage and other information channels so users receive the right information at the right time.