06. Interface Design: Bus Timetable Interface

BEFORE

The Original Bus Schedule interface

After
Bus Schedule interface is redesigned

Bus Schedule interface is redesigned for more intuitive visual communication. Notice the same amount of information is shown, yet the new arrangement and design make it easier to understand.

We also redesigned the bus schedule timetable so that it is clear and easy to comprehend even for the second-hand users who are not directly interacting with the signage.

In the Before make-over timetable, it is very hard to make sense of what is being displayed. For example, why is the time table divided into two columns? Are they opposites? Or are they pairs?

Also, why are the same buses repeating three times?  And why are some buses placed above all and some at the bottom?

Because we are dealing with a limited space (one screen) and ideally would like all the necessary information in one slide, careful arrangement is crucial and must be utilized with a definite meaning, or it would be a waste of space and users' time.

The following are some of the variations created.

Final Bus Schedule Interface Design

 

The darker background makes it easier on the eyes of the viewers.Although it shows the same quantity of information as before, it does not look crowded like before.

The table is divided into 2 rows, and they represent buses that run in the opposite direction. The number 4 buses, for example: the ones heading north "Rideau Centre" is placed on top and the opposite "Hurdman" is on the bottom as in Southern.

The "Table of Legends" has been eliminated as simple notification in letters is enough to hint the users what they stand for. For example, the time estimated by the GPS is kept in green with a "GPS" in the empty stop right next to the time so the users don't have to look around for the legend to find out what the green means. Same was done for notifying of the final buses with red.The rest times, the regular hours, are kept black and subtle with no other signs, because it is the "neutral" information.

Buses are framed in red since the public transit service is by the OC Transpo, so using red helps users to associate the information on this display with the public transit.