Time 4 weeks in 2021

Skill Service Design, Experience Prototyping, Universal Design

Partner Access for All Ireland

Team Glen Forde, Ashleen Nee

A disability awareness system for public transportation

Planning a journey on public transport can be a challenging, particularly for those with physical and learning disabilities, older people, as well as families. A service design solution shall help to facilitate dignified and equal travel for everyone on public busses. 

Challenge

Raising awareness for the priority of diverse passengers on public transport with additional space requirements  

Methods

· Bodystorming and Service Safari
· Interviews with non-abled people
· Ideation workshop
· Prototype testing 

Outcome

A service concept of a disability awareness system for Dublin Bus including service video and pilot plan 

Impressions of my immersion as a wheelchair user in public transportation

Phase 1 · Discover

Service Safari

To better emphasise with issues of an everyday journey on public transportation as a non-abled person, we were exposing ourselves to the situation.

Over the course of 5 hours, we used trains and buses on the local transport network as well as the associated services. It should be noted that the method can in no way reflect the real experiences of people with disabilities, but it can be seen as a helpful approach to the topic.

Immersive studies · Using bus services as a wheelchair user

Immersive studies · Using train ticket machines as a wheelchair user

Empathy interviews

To validate the identified problem areas, we listened to personal stories from non-disabled people about public transportation usage. To get a comprehensive picture, we also conducted interviews with people who work in public transportation, such as tram and bus drivers.

Remote interview with non-abled service users

Research synthesis

By using the method of Affinity mapping, our team has been able to synthesise collected data from 15 user interviews and service safari observations. 

Research synthesis · Affinity mapping 

Phase 2 · Develop

Ideation workshops

In our research synthesis, we identified nine different challenges in the area of barrier-free access to public transportation.

To cope with the amount of How-might-we questions, we sought support to sketch out initial ideas. Two workshop sessions with a total of 24 participants served to exchange ideas and discussions. 

Participants of ideation workshop

Ideas and outcomes of ideation workshop

How might we ...

inform bus passengers on the variety of user priorities to enable better decision-making regarding the appropriate use of space?

We have decided to focus on one of the problems identified, namely the different priorities for passengers with additional space requirements.

When traveling by bus as a wheelchair user, there may not be enough space on the bus to board. The interviewees reported from their experience that it often happens that baby carriage users or people with heavy luggage block the area intended for people with physical disabilities.

Concepting

To tackle that specific challenge of different user priorities in buses, we developed a concept storyboard. 

On the basis of several sketched ideas, we created a storyboard visualising the idea of using various elements for highlighting designated areas in buses for different passengers.

Concept map of service proposal

Experience prototyping

To help test participants to immerse themselves into the idea, we have created an experience prototype.

By assigning the roles ‘wheelchair user’, ‘buggy user’ or ‘non-disabled passenger’ to the participants, we were able to determine whether the designated areas on a bus were understood and used correctly.

The tests found that areas need to be more clearly marked and that the type of sound plays an important role in ensuring that passengers do not feel exposed and that they are told what to do in an understandable way. 

Participants of immersive experience prototype

Phase 3 · Deliver

Final service video

Video explaining service proposal · Video editing: Glen Forde

Elements of the service concept

‘Less Pace, More Space’ is a disability awareness system.

It uses textured patterns, light and audio to indicate designated bus areas for users with specific needs on an Irish public bus system. 

The awareness system is designed to accommodate bus users with disabilities both physical and invisible, as well as buggy users and to educate all passengers about the prioritisation of travel space.

Visual and auditory elements of the service proposal

Service blueprint

Service blueprint · Future state

Phase 4 · Deploy

Project partner feedback

‘It’s a wonderful concept and one we would love to see Dublin bus engage with.’

– Access for All Ireland

We have presented the concept to the leaders of ‘Access for All Ireland’, who are committed to barrier-free accessibility in public transport. They promoted our concept idea to Dublin Bus.
 

Final service presentation with project partner 'Access for All Ireland'

Pilot plan

The following visualises the recommended initial implementation phases of the disability awareness system. 
 

Pilot plan proposal for first 3 months of service implementation