SUBWAIT
Collaborative project with Nikki Bregman | 1 Month Oct.2021-Nov.2021
SubWait is a subway guidance system that integrates wait-and-see guidance which offers seating while you wait for your train and helps you understand where you are going on the subway
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Introduction
The SubWait helps you understand where you're going on the subway and offers seating while you wait for the train that will help you get there. With bright and clear digital graphics, the SubWait communicates the most essential information to travelers on and off trains. The SubWait pays homage to the iconic MTA signage systems while working to address the gaps that cause worrying, disorientation, and lost time. The SubWait is easy to clean, helping alleviate common cleanliness worries about platform seating. The SubWait's seat has a gentle slope, allowing passengers to relax while reminding them that this is just a temporary stop on their journey.
Challenge
How can we make using the New York Subway system less confusing?
We tried to classify the information that people need to ride the subway and confirm the line, and selected information that is difficult to learn easily from inside the station.
•Transfers
•Local vs Express
•Direction
What don’t people understand?
•What service changes mean for their travel
•Differences between trains on same line
The New York City subway has a history of over 100 years and is used frequently as an important mode of transportation that supports the New York City transit system. But for New Yorkers, the subway is a confusing existence to some extent.
We can usually see that (shown by the picture) the guidance system in the subway is often separate from the seat position, when people want to sit down and wait for the train, it is difficult for them to notice the change of the train line and the arrival time of the train.
thus, we want to create visual shorthand --“Cheat sheet”
Research
We carried out four research sessions of New Yorkers' experience in subway station.The research included emotional mapping using the keywords: “solid,” “trusted,” “clear,” “down to earth,” and “approachable”, as well as the field investigation. We also conducted interviews and compiled keywords to better understand different experiences in the NYC subway. Research also encompassed exploration of current and past MTA standards, field exploration, and human-scale testing, culminating in a full-scale mockup of a “slice of the bench.”
These are the keywords we have compiled from our interviews, showing what people thought about their experience taking NYC subway. Our design is supposed to​ have features of electric signs, which people familiar with. Trusted and clean enough so that welcome people to sit down.
Our Solution
The subway is always having issues, having service changes, rerouting lines. And signage that doesn’t reflect those changes is at best worthless and at worst actively misleading. So we concluded that the ability to quickly and easily update the information the bench communicates is essential. The best way to accomplish that is through digital screens.
We started with a hierarchy of information needed by passengers. The most important information in order is the name of the station, the next stop of this train, main direction, the status of the line( express or local), and the name of the subway line
As for the signage part , the left side is a big screen showing which lined are running on this track, as well as showing the trains direction and type of status. All those information are changeable, adjusting to different situation.
This bench-sign system updates to reflect the MTA’s many service changes and re-routes. The signage incorporates what research found to be five key pieces of information:
current location, next location of train, train name, train direction, and train type.
As for the bench part, it's formed based on the sign's shape, which allows people to sit in different direction. It also have special angles of the bench kick-plate which let people's feet have enough space to move. Easy to clean gentle slope allows passengers to relax while reminding them this is a temporary stop on their journey
User Sequence
Here are examples of how the bench can adapt to changing scenarios. When the train approaches the overall screen will glow to alert passengers that the train will be arriving soon.The bench can cycle through different trains continually if there’s only room for one bench. The bench can adapt to how the 4 goes local at night, giving up to date information. If, for example, the 23 street station was closed and the 6 was going straight to 28th, the bench can reflect that in real time. And if the F gets rerouted from 14th and 6th to union square, the bench can communicate that, helping alleviate confusion.
Technical Drawing
Physical Model
The 1:5 scale model was built using laser cut acrylic, paperboard, and electronic parts. It was programmed to cycle different light sequences using Arduino. (programmed by Nikki )
