Sabek and Nada – INTUITIVE DESIGN 2025

Description

Transport for Cairo (TfC) argues that transit maps and passenger information must be designed for everyday riders, not to impress designers. Drawing on over ten PIS projects in Cairo, the New Administrative Capital and Riyadh, TfC emphasizes three lessons: maps should aid navigation by preserving familiar spatial references and landmarks; design must bridge physical signage and digital tools (e.g., publishing GTFS feeds to enable real‑time directions in Google Maps); and users should guide design through participatory testing. Examples include a 2021 bilingual Metro Line 3 map that integrates Cairo’s Ring Road, Nile orientation and landmarks, expanded 1‑km station area maps for Cairo’s LRT, and neighborhood wayfinding at Riyadh’s Takhassusi showing local names, POIs, informal links and travel times. TfC’s field and social media testing—such as for 6th of October City, which included formal and informal modes—improved clarity and usability. They conclude that good design is essential infrastructure: it boosts accessibility, confidence, and ridership.