Roberts M, Ng and Baruela – USING FORCED-JOURNEY CHOICE METHODOLOGY TO INVESTIGATE THE USABILITY OF OCTOLINEAR VERSUS CONCENTRIC CIRCLES TRANSIT MAPS 2025

Description

This two-page academic paper, co-authored by M.J. Roberts, D. Ng, and C. Baruela from the University of Essex for the Schematic Mapping Workshop 2025, offers a timely empirical investigation into transit map usability. It leverages a rigorous forced-journey choice methodology with 60 subjects to compare octolinear and concentric circles designs. The document provides robust, data-driven insights, replicating previous findings of adverse user ratings for concentric maps while adding novel analysis of decision times. It suggests usability challenges may arise from difficulties in generating plausible journeys on these visually distinct maps. Enhanced by two key figures—one showcasing a viral social media post highlighting public engagement, and another detailing the Berlin transit maps used in the study—this paper reinforces its real-world relevance and the trustworthiness of its empirical approach, offering valuable considerations for designers and researchers.