Burch and Woods – MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF EVALUATING PUBLIC TRANSPORT MAPS- 2026-1

Description

This document summarizes a decade-plus program evaluating and designing public transport maps using eye tracking, in close collaboration between academia and industry. Eye tracking captures visual attention during route-finding tasks, revealing problematic areas and informing evidence-based improvements to readability and usability. Core design principles identified include clear layout, symmetry management, clutter reduction, and balancing geographic accuracy with aesthetic clarity. Collaboration with industry improved practical map production, reduced costs, supported student training, and generated numerous scientific publications and ongoing studies. Key research questions include whether grayscale maps perform comparably to color-coded ones, with eye-tracking data used to measure perceptual challenges. Challenges encountered involve recruiting participants and students, analyzing complex eye-tracking datasets, navigating peer review, and handling travel and equipment costs. The project’s open-ended, industry-driven approach has yielded broader applications—such as signage and global user-behavior studies—and continues to refine public-transport map usability through combined technological and design expertise.