An Innovative Navigation Device for Transportations
Minsu Jin
Advisor: Michael Glaser
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
Task Map
Below routes show travelers’ flow and conflicts.
Each color represents one scenario.
The task map creates different scenarios that explain
the flows of transferring aroung the 30th Street Station.
The sentences in red are conflicts poeple faced with
when finding their way.
People do get lost here.
Navigation is a fundamental human activity. Wayfinding system is a spatial problem solving system to help people know the location they are in a building or an
environment and get a correct direction to the place they are going to.
When we in travel, it’s commonly seen that travelers are confused by numerous
signages in the building and spend unexpected time walking around inside and
out. The directions are blurry because of the limitation of still boards. Moreover,
transportations are run by different companies. These companies don’t closely
cooperate with each other. The disconnections creates transferring gaps.
Airports and Train Stations are big transit hubs with multiple transportations and
maximum gaps.
PERSONAL JOURNAL
This journal recorded my trip from the Center City to Philadelphia International
Airport.
I shut down my smartphone and travelled with public transportations. The purpose of doing this is to totally rely on wayfindings in Philadelphia and to experience how the system actually works by myself.
Travelers Aid
Staff has been
working for 3
years
James
Normally at least one
person in line to ask.
Amtrak Conductor Manager with
15 years’ working experience
2
3
4
Made a re
servation o
nline
e the b
si d
ALAMO
Rental Car
The Interface
Not
hP
hi
Participants were asked
to grab the model in the
most comfortable way that
they would like to use this
device
User Experience
Beethere provides efficient tools for
travelers to navigate.
For example, users can scan the bar
codes to get the latest information
of their trains or flights.
3
2
4
TAXI
sk
Parking Lot
Maggie
Miles
ot
Jessica
?
THE PRODUCT
from
Michi
gan
UBER
Changing the sign color
from red to blue. Be easier to see the words.
1
1
sn’t have a map. Get lost in Station
nter. Doe
ira Ce
In C
Not sure it’s the stop, go to statio
n
Visit his
brothe
r from
People get lost quite often in 30th Station.
Com
e
Colin
early
Ten thousands people a
day.
AVIS
Car Rental
station
Provide free city maps for
everyone
bus
take Mage
Get to
- Unclear directions from the still signage boards
Benny
BOLTBUS
MEGABUS
g
Lu
axi.
Call T
Insights
di n
t
por
Air
Insights
ve n
rk
wa
Ne
- Limitation of travelers’ knowledge about the station
- Lack of cooperate among transportation companies
No ticket counter, only
MODELS
Caused by:
do
n
Seth
SEPTA
Bus
sp
In the other building. Hard to reach
Convient way for business people
Adam
Desire for improvement
a
to
Ge
o
t
f
wh ots
r
u
d
str
l
ate
aanrking
db
y
or p
t
h
e
igns f
signage
s there. No clear s ow
h
Satisfaction of the wayfinding
Chinese,come to see his son
p
-u
ick
is p
ere
wh
Hard to find vending machines
y with NJ Transit
tlantic Cit
Go to A
NJ Transit
in
Private Cars
t
w
no
Time spend in the station
it
po
ps
sto
Go to
k
’t
No signages in the station
ink
Th
for
ask
Cooperate with Septa. Cheaper than train
Transportations around the station
SEPTA
Trolley
building and
los
t
NJ TRANSIT
Calvin
k out
. Wal
wall
Low price. Popular in university students
The Knowledge of the station
Ask
and
tur
nb
a
Ca
n’t
rea
dE
ng
lis
h
to
ave
d. H
Signs are not obvious to see
The most popular transferring way
First-time Users
AMTRAK
Train
die
Occational Users
Normal Users
COACH BUS
RENTAL CAR
Systems are not well connected
Having multiple transportation systems
Will
On scale of 1 - 5, each type users describe their responses with the
station:
the
on
TAXI
The information system is old
Main transit way. Have the most sources
SEPTA
Subway
ck
SEPTA
User Survey
lots nearby previously
e
on
Ph
AMTRAK
Weakness
subway c
onductor to double check the location
Strength
Cathie
s
ign
es
Se
Company Analysis
Com
ef
rom
or
sk f
da
n
a
d
oun
ve ar
n, dri
i
t
e
g
o
where t
, Not sure
Comt to pick up friend
lly
Experts Interview
BACKGROUND
SEPTA
Driv
Regional Rail
e to s
tation.
Didn’t se
arch for par
king
Carly
THE GAP
BEEthere
Behavioral Map
g
The 30th Street Station is the main train station in Philadelphia.
The station connects with subway, railway, trolley, Taxi, rental
cars, bus. It’s a good example with general criteria that can be
applied to all transportation systems. I then do more quantitative researches around 30th street station.
ldin
30TH STREET STATION
Ask
The modern navigation is more diverse and fast than
ever before. However, multiple travel stages are complex. The gaps are caused based on travelers’ knowledge and the limited directions from the signages. Take
30th Street Station as an example, there are few signs
pointing out the subway inside the station. The gap is
created with the short of cooperation between Amtrak
and SEPTA. Each company is only willing to be responsible for their own parts.
After making research on the wayfinding system around
the 30th Street station and interviewing travelers and
transport experts, I looked for benefits to travelers and
what’s their needs and wants indeed in transferring.
When people are faced with the disconnections, they
are feared of the uncertainty. Even it is a short moment,
people want to get security and comfort.
Based on the synthesis of all insights, I found the opportunity to design a short-distance navigation device,
which is used in Airports and Train Stations to connect different transportations and eliminate connecting
gaps. The product is portable, directive, and informative. It ensures exhausted travelers to efficiently find
out their next steps.
User Research
ui
ABSTRACT
5