David – PUBLIC TRANSIT ROUTE MAPS 1983

Description

This 1983 research prospectus by Robert E. David proposes a systematic evaluation of alternate graphic motifs for public transit route maps to produce research-based design guidelines and advance evaluation methods for graphic design. A survey of 287 transit systems identified three dominant map motifs—scalar (69%), diagrammatic (29%), pictorial (2%)—and a scalar variation with or without a street-grid base, yielding four map types to test. The project will commission four representative map designs for Golden Gate Transit and field-test them with about 500 participants sampled across transit usage, familiarity with the area, and occupational background. Participants will solve route-finding tasks using each map in random order; scores will combine correctness, response time, and familiarity. Data will be analyzed with repeated-measures ANOVA. The 18-month project budget is $107,170 (map development $45,000; survey $40,000; $22,170 staff costs). Expected outcomes include identification of the most effective motifs for different user groups and transit services, practical design guidelines, and improved methods for evaluating graphic communication.