Wang – VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM 2021

Description

Zheng Wang’s PhD reframes transit maps as information-design artifacts, using China’s high-speed rail map to evaluate how visual design affects legibility and user performance. Methods included literature review, eye-tracking, usability tests, interviews and questionnaires measuring reading speed, search accuracy and route-planning quality. Findings show clear legends and on-map instructions markedly improve legibility; colour systems critically distinguish services, and a new combined qualitative–sequential colour coding (tested with ColorBrewer) increased speed and comfort. Micro visual elements (icons, labels) must support the macro line layout. Challenging the Beck 45° octolinear norm, the thesis finds a 60° octolinear layout often superior for north–south mid-complex networks. The research produces empirically grounded design guidance and transferable methodologies. Core principles emphasize solving user problems by blending descriptive and prescriptive information, prioritizing simplicity, objectivity and balance of function and aesthetics. Practical rules cover schematic distortion, typography, label placement, interchange coding and careful hue/value/saturation choices, with user studies and eye tracking informing iterative redesigns.