We did a brainstorming session with the key people at Meld Studios who’ve done transport projects over the years, to get some input for a proposal I was writing. It turns out we know quite a lot about how people move through public transport environments and what that means for the information you provide them. Here’s a non-exhaustive list of the highlights for your reading pleasure.

Different people need different things.

People process information differently; sometimes an individual may be different from one day to the next. It can change depending on whether they’re familiar or unfamiliar users, if they’re neuro-diverse, their familiarity with the language, whether they have fixed expectations, if they’re in a hurry or not, if they’re tired or frustrated, and a whole range of other reasons.

That means there’s almost certainly not a single communications solution that will be fit for purpose for everyone, but rather layers of information and ways of presenting it. For example we know that a combination of fixed and digital signage provides confidence, and that colour wayfinding helps everyone whether or not they notice it, and that some people pay more attention to audio cues than visual. Those things can exist together without being overwhelming.

Information on the spot doesn’t exist in isolation.

Many people — particularly those with accessible needs — plan in advance, and use the information en route to support what they already know. Others use their own devices on the journey, or their prior experience to inform their decisions. What you provide in situ is usually complementary information, and does not stand alone.

Provide progressive disclosure and reassurance on the way.

Ideally, information is provided in advance of the passenger reaching a decision point, so they’re able to move forward with confidence rather than slowing down to make a choice. And once they have made a choice, reinforcing that with reassurance along the way is critical: “you’re heading the right way, still good, you’ve got this”.

The importance of planning for an individual depends on the cost of getting it wrong.

For example, going to the wrong platform means more to someone who is mobility impaired; missing the train is more frustrating if the services are infrequent; a change to departure platform means a guide dog no longer knows the route; obstructions or blocked paths may put vision impaired people at risk if the tactiles are still there and misleading.

You have to capture attention before you can give information.

There’s a difference between capturing people’s attention and providing information. This is particularly important for disruptions, when you need to let someone know something they’re not expecting.

Colour is important to get people’s attention. Many people ignore static signs, however orange is a colour many associate with an alert, disruption or change, and would therefore be more inclined to pay attention. Some people ignore automated announcements but will listen if the driver speaks.

During disruption, everyone becomes a planner.

Some people are non-planners by nature and prefer to just go with the flow, but as soon as something goes wrong, that tends to change. Obviously everyone wants as much notice as possible for disruptions, but even then they’ll plan in different ways. For example unfamiliar users will need more instructional information — ”tell me what to do” — and familiar users want to know what’s going on so they can figure their next steps out for themselves.

Context is critical.

People are catching transport for a purpose, and are often thinking about their end destination when taking in information. So providing information about external landmarks can contextualise those decisions for them; things like talking about “best exit for the Science Museum” rather than just labelling it Spotswood Station, or adding links and information for connecting services on different modes.

Let the architecture do the heavy lifting.

If you’re lucky enough to be building a station or stop at a greenfields site, the design of the space itself can maximise how intuitively people move through it. For example curved walls can guide customers’ eyes and act as a visual cue that they need to turn; artwork can also help to do this. Gatelines or totem poles are a visual cue that support wayfinding. If you’re working within existing infrastructure, you still need to be aware of positioning information so you’re not encouraging people to stop in walkways, or out in the weather.

Don’t underestimate the importance of a large font and colour contrast.

One of the key findings from any wayfinding testing we’ve ever done, is that the font needs to be bigger and colour contrast is an issue. This is for everyone, not just those with declared vision impairments.