Reducing Uneven Crowd Distribution in the Stockholm Metro System Using Data Driven Design

DEGREE PROJECT IN DESIGN AND PRODUCT REALISATION, SECOND CYCLE, 30 CREDITS STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 2019

Reducing uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm metro system using data driven design

CHRISTOFFER INGEVALDSSON

MARCUS LARSSON

KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Reducing uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm metro system using data driven design

Christoffer Ingevaldsson Marcus Larsson

Master of Science Thesis TRITA-ITM-EX 2019:477 KTH Industrial Engineering and Management Machine Design SE-100 44 STOCKHOLM

Abstract

Master of Science Thesis TRITA-ITM-EX 2019:477

Reducing uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm metro system using data driven design

Christoffer Ingevaldsson Marcus Larsson Approved Examiner Supervisor 2019-06-24 Claes Tisell Liridona Sopjani Commissioner Contact person Tyréns AB Jan Eklund

The purpose of this project was to develop several information system concepts with the goal of reducing uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm subway system, using a data driven, user centred, and iterative design approach. These systems were designed to be implemented on-site in the subway. The project also sought to evaluate the efficacy of different types of information systems.

The project was initiated with a background study, involving a study of available literature from previously conducted studies, as well as a state-of-the-art analysis of systems currently available on the market. The background study was followed by an analysis of train load data in order to find patterns in traveller behaviour, as well as stations of particular interest for user studies. Initial user studies were conducted through contextual and in-depth interviews, an online survey, and passive observations on- site in the subway.

Findings from the load data and user study analyses were then utilised in the concept development phase, during which several concepts were created. Concepts were evaluated in an iterative manner, using continuous user feedback to drive development. In total, nine different concepts were developed and tested at some stage.

Ultimately, one concept was chosen for field tests with a prototype implemented at Tekniska Högskolan subway station, which further drove development while also generating objective data through the load measuring systems built into the train. The test involved delivering real-time crowding information to travellers using a system of signs, and RGB-LED modules mounted in the ceiling of the platform.

The findings generated throughout the project were condensed as a set of design considerations to be used when designing information systems for use in the subway. Such considerations include factors such as information detail and abstraction, information placement, and visual design principles.

The field tests indicated that the delivery of real-time crowding information is highly valued by travellers and has the potential to both increase user satisfaction and reduce uneven crowd distribution.

Sammanfattning

Examensarbete TRITA-ITM-EX 2019:477

Reducering av snedbeläggning i Stockholms tunnelbanesystem genom datadriven design

Christoffer Ingevaldsson Marcus Larsson

Godkänt Examinator Handledare 2019-06-24 Claes Tisell Liridona Sopjani Uppdragsgivare Kontaktperson Tyréns AB Jan Eklund

Syftet med detta projekt var att utveckla ett antal informationssystem med målet att minska snedbeläggning i Stockholms tunnelbanesystem, genom att använda en datadriven, användarcentrerad, och iterativ designprocess. Systemen utvecklades för att implementeras på plats i tunnelbanan. Projektet avsåg också att utvärdera effekten av olika typer av informationssystem.

Projektet inleddes med en bakgrundsstudie, vilken involverade litteratur från tidigare genomförda studier, samt en state-of-the-art-analys av system som för närvarande finns på marknaden. Bakgrundsstudien följdes av en analys av lastdata från tunnelbanevagnarna, med målet att hitta mönster i resenärernas beteende samt lämpliga stationer för användarstudier. Användarstudierna bestod av kontextuella intervjuer, djupintervjuer, en onlineenkät, samt passiva observationer på plats i tunnelbanan. Datan från dessa studier analyserades sedan för att hitta gemensamma beteenden och åsikter, samt korrelationer mellan dessa.

Insikterna från lastdataanalysen och användarstudieanalysen användes sedan i konceptutvecklingsfasen, där flera koncept utvecklades. Koncepten utvärderades iterativt med kontinuerlig återkoppling från användare. Totalt sett nio koncept utvecklades och testades.

Slutligen valdes ett koncept att implementeras som en prototyp i fältstudier vid Tekniska Högskolans tunnelbanestation, vilket ledde till vidareutveckling samt objektiv data from lastmätningssystemen i tågen. Testet involverade att skicka realtidsdata om trängsel på tåget genom ett system av skyltar, samt RGB-LED-moduler monterade i perrongens tak.

Insikterna som genererades under projektet samlades som ett antal designprinciper som bör följas när ett informationssystem för tunnelbanan ska designas. Dessa principer täcker faktorer som detaljrikedom och abstraktion, positionering, och grafisk design.

Fältstudierna indikerade att realtidsinformation om trängselnivåer värderas högt av resenärer och att det har potentialen att både öka kundnöjdheten och minska snedbeläggning.

Acknowledgements

Firstly, we would like to thank our supervisor Liridona Sopjani for being an inspiration and for guiding us throughout this project.

Furthermore, we would like to thank Jan Eklund and Tyréns for accommodating us and providing industry contact. We would also like to thank John Carlander, Jan Magnusson, and Johan Karlqvist at MTR, as well as Henrik Brusewitz at SL, for being instrumental in allowing us to conduct field tests. We would also like to thank Björn Thuresson and the VIC Studio at KTH for lending us prototyping equipment.

Finally, we would like to thank the more than 1100 Stockholmers who participated in our studies.

Table of contents

1 Introduction ...... 1 2 Background research and state of the art...... 3 2.1 Systems in Stockholm public transport ...... 3 2.2 Systems in other cities ...... 4 2.3 Conceptual systems ...... 5 2.4 Software interfaces ...... 7 3 Design Approach ...... 8 3.1 Data driven design ...... 8 3.2 Iterative design ...... 8 3.3 Nudging...... 8 4 Methodology ...... 10 4.1 Load data analysis method ...... 10 4.2 User research methods ...... 10 4.3 Field tests and prototyping ...... 12 5 User research results ...... 13 5.1 Load data analysis results ...... 13 5.2 Contextual interview insights...... 17 5.3 In-depth interviews ...... 19 5.4 Survey insights ...... 20 5.5 Observation insights ...... 22 6 Initial ideation ...... 24 6.1 App for showing crowding levels on the train ...... 24 6.2 Concepts for showing crowding information on-site ...... 25 6.3 Static directions using floor decals ...... 26 6.4 Implied denial of entry for doors with high crowding levels ...... 26 6.5 Floor decals to guide passengers towards the platform walls ...... 27 6.6 Monetary rewards for choosing less crowded doors ...... 27 7 Concept design portfolio ...... 28 7.1 Concept 1: On-site crowding information using ceiling signs and coloured lights ...... 28 7.2 Concept 2: Implied denial of entry for doors with high crowding levels ...... 36 7.3 Concept 3: Static directions using floor decals ...... 40 7.4 Concept 4: Decals on the floor indicating where the doors will be ...... 42 7.5 Concept 5: Personalised trip and crowding information at turnstiles ...... 44 7.6 Concept 6: Timer showing countdown until doors close ...... 45 7.7 Concept 7: Signs showing art and trivia ...... 46 7.8 Concept 8: Floor decals to guide passengers towards the platform walls ...... 48 7.9 Concept 9: Information screen along entire length of platform ...... 49 8 Field tests ...... 51 8.1 Purpose ...... 51 8.2 Design and procedure ...... 51 8.3 Field test insights ...... 58 9 Final design considerations ...... 60 9.1 Information detail and abstraction ...... 60 9.2 Information position ...... 60 9.3 Information design ...... 61 10 Discussion ...... 62 10.1 Methodology discussion ...... 62 10.2 Design proposal discussion ...... 62 11 Conclusions ...... 64 11.1 Future work ...... 64 References ...... 66 Appendix A: Contextual interview guide ...... 1 Appendix B: Online survey ...... 1 Appendix C: Field test survey ...... 1

1 Introduction Uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm subway system is a well-known issue that can have significant implications on the user experience of using public transport (Rubensson, 2015). The crowding situation in the subway system is the issue that had the lowest score of all quality factors in all means of public transport in Stockholm, according to yearly report about customer satisfaction (Trafikförvaltningen, 2017). The level of satisfaction regarding crowding in the subway was 46% in 2017, showing no improvement since 2007. It has also been shown that uneven crowd distribution leads to increased crowding levels on some cars on the subway trains (Rubensson, 2015). However, there has not been many concrete actions to mitigate this issue. Consequently, the goal of this project is to develop concepts to reduce uneven crowd distribution with the ultimate purpose of reducing crowding levels and discomfort for travellers in the Stockholm subway. There are several examples of cases across the world where systems have been implemented to improve crowd distribution, to varying degrees of success (MTO Säkerhet, 2015), but there is currently no such system in place for the Stockholm subway system. The Stockholm subway system currently uses the speaker system and platform displays to remind passengers to move towards the middle of the platform.

Until 2016, the commuter train system in Stockholm was operated by Stockholmståg (owned by SJ AB). During this time there were tests conducted where displays were used to show real-time crowding information at several stations on the commuter train lines. In 2016, the contract for the Stockholm commuter trains was transferred to MTR Pendeltåg (subsidiary of MTR Nordic and MTR Corporation), and these projects have since been discontinued. These projects did not run for long enough to draw any reliable conclusions about their efficacy, but they were still highly appreciated among travellers and have been a requested feature for station displays and travel planning apps since their removal (Holmqvist, J., personal communication, January 25, 2019). MTR Nordic also operate the Stockholm subway system since 2009 through subsidiary MTR Tunnelbanan.

The aim of reducing crowding is also in line with the guide document “Regionalt trafikförsörjningsprogram för Stockholms län” (Stockholms Läns Landsting, 2017) provided by the Public Transport Administration. This document states that the organisation wants to make more people travel by public transport and at the same time improve the sense of safety and satisfaction among travellers. High crowding levels has been linked to several negative effects on the wellbeing of travellers, such as increased anxiety, stress and feeling of exhaustion, perceptions of risk to personal safety and security, feelings of invasion of privacy (Tirachini et al., 2013). The reduction of crowding levels, and by extension uneven crowd distribution should therefore be of high priority for the Public Transport Administration and MTR. This thesis can be seen as a continuation of previous work done by Tyréns at the Public Transport Administration, where they investigated the causes, and possible solutions for uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm subway system. This project will complement Tyréns’ work by providing insight into the efficacy of different concepts for improving crowd distribution.

The main purpose of this project is to reduce the level of crowding experienced by travellers in the Stockholm subway system, which will be achieved by developing concepts meant to reduce load unevenness across the train. Besides being harmful to the user experience, uneven crowd distribution is also a hindrance to the full utilisation of train capacity (Trafikförvaltningen, 2019), which will become a more relevant issue as Stockholm continues to expand. The population in the Stockholm region is growing rapidly and will go from 2.2 to 2.9 million people, a 32% increase, by the year 2030 (Stockholms Läns Landsting, 2017). Improvements are needed to allow more people to travel in the

Stockholm subway and at the same time manage, and hopefully improve, the crowding situation. Using a data driven design approach combining data from multiple sources for, including interviews, train load data analysis, user observations and field tests, this report presents 9 different concepts for reducing uneven crowd distribution in the Stockholm subway system.

2 Background research and state of the art. For the background research, previous research in the field was analysed to gather information about passenger behaviour in subway systems as well as the relevant psychological concepts when aiming to change the behaviour of large groups of people. The keywords used during this research process were as follows: “Subway/Metro/Public transport, People flow, Transportation, Congestion, Crowding, Nudging, Real Time Crowding Information, Research through Design, Digital art”

User-centred research on the behaviour of travellers in subway systems is currently sparse with only a few studies available on the subject. A study conducted by MTO Säkerhet (2015) for the Public Transport Administration evaluated the behaviour of travellers in the Stockholm subway with regards to both planning and positioning on the platform. This study found that 67% of travellers choose their position with the goal of minimising walking distance at their destination and 15% try to minimise crowding levels. A similar study performed in the Seoul subway system (Kim, Kwon and Sohn, 2014) found that 76.6% of travellers choose their position intentionally and that, in this group, 69.7% try to minimise walking distance at their destination and 13.5% try to minimize crowding. Considering all passengers, this means that 53.3% try to minimize walking distance and 10.3% try to minimize crowding. The study by MTO Säkerhet (2015) also found that people mostly consider extra travel information, for example from travel apps, when going to unfamiliar destinations. These findings are supported by a qualitative study performed by Nyblom (2014), who also found that travellers are more likely to seek out extra information when arrival time is of critical importance. MTO Säkerhet also concluded that travellers are significantly more likely to partake in information that is available on the platform signs, although many passengers stated that they do not consciously seek out any extra information at all, due to their own perceived level of knowledge about the subway as well as the frequency of departure. Research into congestion in subway systems has also shown that travellers have a tendency to cluster around platform entrances (Winkel and Hayward, 1971).

The state-of-the-art analysis looked at different projects and systems in different cities meant to reduce uneven crowd distribution in the subway system, as well as potentially providing the passengers with extra auxiliary information.

2.1 Systems in Stockholm public transport There is currently no explicit system in place in the Stockholm metro for improving uneven crowd distribution. Information is sent to the passengers using the platform displays and by the train conductor using the speaker system. Through these forms of communication passengers are encouraged to move towards the middle of the platform, as the middle train car is often the one with the least crowding.

Tests have been conducted on the effectiveness of platform barriers in the subway system. The barriers were generally well accepted by travellers, and it has been suggested that barriers may be used to reduce crowding on both the platforms and trains. Platform barriers help travellers navigate the platform by showing beforehand where the doors of the train will be which could improve queueing. Well- constructed barriers could also make travellers more comfortable in using the entire width of the platform when waiting for the train which could reduce crowding on the platform (MTO Säkerhet, 2015).

In the past there was also a mobile application called “Pendelkollen” which provided travellers with real-time crowding information for commuter trains. The app, and the service it provided, has since been discontinued as MTR Nordic took over the contract for the commuter trains. Likewise, there has

3 previously been signs at Älvsjö and Stockholm Central Station which showed crowding information for arriving trains. As with Pendelkollen, these signs were removed as MTR took over the contract for the commuter trains. A new service called Pendelkoll is planned to provide similar information as Pendelkollen, but it is not, as of writing, in active development (Brandel, D., personal communication, January 28, 2019).

2.2 Systems in other cities

There are examples of subway systems in other cities where systems have been put in place to reduce crowding. London and Singapore use markings on the floor to direct travellers away from the doors to give room to alighting passengers. These markings take different forms, from paintings and decals, to LED strips that vary in colour over time. Figure 1 shows an example of floor decals that aim to direct people away from the train doors before boarding.

Figure 1. Example of floor decals in Singapore subway (Nookmag, 2017).

These systems focus on reducing dwelling time and crowding on the platform. More sophisticated systems use indicators and screens that are integrated into the platform barriers which can be used to show door status and other information. Barriers with screens (media walls) are used in Seoul and are commonly used to show advertisement while standard platform displays are used to show travel information, although there is nothing to say that these media walls could not be used to show any type of information.

A system was installed on trial on a train platform in the Netherlands. The system was composed of a set of 180-meter platform-wide LCD screens that showed situational information. The system showed where on the platform the train’s doors would be as well as crowding information, see Figure 2. The system was also accompanied by an app showing the same information. However, this app was not as well received by the travellers as the platform screen as they found it difficult to navigate the platform using the information on the phone screen (Ferro, 2014).

Figure 2. System used in Netherlands to show information on the train platform (Fast Company, 2014).

There are examples of cities that have implemented monetary incentives for travellers to change their behaviour, for example in Melbourne (Webb, Gaymer and Stuchbery, 2010) and Singapore (LTA, 2013). These cities give travellers discounts on their fare if they travel early in the morning, incentivising people to make their trips earlier, therefore reducing congestion at peak hours. The program in Melbourne caused 23% of commuters to change their time of travel by an average of 42 minutes, at a cost of $6 million AUD per year, although the program ultimately saves money due to decreased congestion (Currie, 2010).

2.3 Conceptual systems

Besides the systems that have actually been implemented, there are many conceptual designs for providing information to travellers in the metro system. These concepts range from the more familiar, such as apps and enhanced platform displays, to the more extreme. One such extreme idea comes from design studio Variant Studio, which proposed to construct a metro station from porous ceramic tiles that not only absorb sound but could also be arranged in such a way that it guides travellers throughout the station, see Figure 3.

Figure 3. Concept design for sound isolated subway station (CFile, 2015).

Another example involves an art piece installed at a subway station in Hamburg, consisting of several metal boxes equipped with RGB LED lights, see Figure 4. These LED boxes can be controlled individually and can be used for practical purposes, such as to signal for incoming trains, or simply for aesthetic reasons.

Figure 4. Lighting installation at Hamburg subway station (Tollhopf, 2012).

2.4 Software interfaces

There are also many examples of software-based information services that provide travellers with crowding information and other train information, through their phones. One such example is Pendelkollen. Pendelkollen was a software platform and application that could provide travellers with real-time information about any commuter train departure using an open API provided by Stockholmståg. This application could show info such as departure times and GPS data, as well as real- time crowding information, see Figure 5. As mentioned previously, this service has since been discontinued, but was highly appreciated among travellers during its lifetime.

Figure 5. The Pendelkollan travel app (Mobil, 2014).

A similar system is used in Japan through the app JR-EAST Train Info. This app contains detailed information about each subway station and route, as well as real-time information about each departure, including delays, crowding and train temperature, see Figure 6.

Figure 6. The JR-EAST Train Info travel app (NGauw, 2018).

3 Design Approach The design approach was decided based on multiple factors, including the target demographic, the relative novelty of the design topic, as well as the available project resources. The project was ultimately conducted using a data driven and iterative design process where data from multiple sources was combined to propose several different concepts – one of which was implemented as a working prototype in the field.

3.1 Data driven design In order to accommodate the broad user base targeted by this project, a data driven design approach was employed. The data driven design approach allows the design process to account for the considerable heterogeneity of the users that is likely to appear in large user groups (Massanari, 2010). Data was collected in large amounts and in a varied number of ways through several user studies, and through a data set made available by Tyréns. This qualitative and quantitative data was analysed and synthesised in order to find correlations between users and common traits in the behaviour of travellers in the subway. These traits were then leveraged in the concept design phase in order to improve concepts.

The data driven design approach implies that the data explicitly guides the design of concepts (King, et al., 2017). This methodology was chosen as it allows for evidence-based design (Wishnow, 2018), leading to concepts that are suitable for the largest possible part of the target demographic.

3.2 Iterative design A user-centred iterative design process was used to implement user feedback at the earliest stage possible, and to allow that feedback to be leveraged in the further development of concepts. Information design as a field is a mature subject, although the specific application of systems to reduce uneven crowd distribution is a relatively novel, reducing the number of available reference points. This further increases the need of early and consistent user feedback. Since the project mainly focuses on the presentation of information to broad audience of users, it was also of high importance that usability issues were discovered and amended in a timely manner – a process which is accommodated by the iterative design approach (Nielsen, 1993).

The project was structured to allow for initial user studies after the background research phase, which was then used during the initial ideation. After the initial ideation phase, user feedback was alternated with concept development in an increasingly narrow design scope. This ultimately led to the prototyping phase during which a selection of concepts saw field testing, and further iterative development based on user feedback.

3.3 Nudging In this project, nudging was also used when ideating and coming up with concepts as well as when making new iterations of existing ones. Nudging provides a set of policy tools that are both suitable for the subway environment and its stakeholders. Nudging theory provided a design approach of how to affect people's behaviour in a non-intrusive way and was used extensively to develop and evaluate design concepts.

In essence, nudging is the idea of making it easy for people to make the “right” decision. More formally, it is seen as a choice to “alter people’s behaviour in a predictable way without forbidding options or

8 significantly changing their economic incentive” (Thaler and Sunstein, 2008). To not forbid an action but rather encourage an action (or inaction) in different ways is one of the key elements of nudging.

There are many different policy tools that can be classified as a nudge. During the project mainly four nudging tools were used in the application of this design approach. Framing of information was one of the tools used. The way information is framed can greatly affect the outcome of people choices (Tversky and Kahneman, 1981). This nudge-tool is often tightly connected to using biases of different sorts, for example loss aversion and anchoring. Using the mechanisms of social norms in trying to affect people behaviour was also a tool that was applied. Humans are social beings and the forces of social norms can have strong influence on the way people behave. The use of default choices was another type of nudge that was used, where a default choice is preselected that represents an action that is preferable. This often has the consequence that more people chose what was preselected compared to if no option was preselected. One of the nudge-tools that was used most in the project was reminders. Special consideration was made for the fact that reminders are most effective if presented so that it is possible for the receiver to take immediate action (Sunstein, 2014).

4 Methodology The design approach was supported by a number of different methods for data analysis, user research, user evaluations, and concept evaluations through field tests.

4.1 Load data analysis method The first step in the data collection and analysis process was to structure and analyse a dataset provided by Tyréns through the Public Transport Administration. The dataset consisted of 168 479 data points containing the number of passengers in each train car at departure for trains running in the Stockholm subway system during weekdays October 2016 between 6:30 AM and 9:00 AM. The number of passengers in the dataset comes from the weight of each car divided by an estimated average passenger weight of 75 kg with 3 kg luggage (78 kg in total). However, the older C6 trains do not have the capability of measuring the weight and are thus unable to count the number of passengers, which meant the data was only analysed for the newer C20 trains. For unknown reasons some stretches with the newer trains were also missing recorded data of passenger numbers. All data points that were missing load data were deleted from the set since they provided no value, resulting in 86 504 total data points left for analysis. The dataset is three years old at the time of writing, although this was decided to be a non-issue. The only major changes made since this time is the opening of the “Citybanan”, a rerouting of the commuter train underground (previously above ground) at Central Station and the addition of a new stop at Odenplan Station connecting to the subway.

4.2 User research methods User studies were a significant part of the entire process of the project. Initial user studies were performed to provide an understanding of the issue at hand, as well as to aid in the ideation process. User studies were also an integral part of the iterative design process, used to gather insight from users about design concepts and solutions. User studies were conducted in several different ways.

4.2.1 Short contextual interviews Short contextual interviews (Holtzblatt and Jones, 1995) were conducted for two different reasons during the project: for initial user research and during the iterative design process. The interview guide used for the initial user research can be found in appendix A.

Firstly, contextual interviews were conducted as part of the initial user research phase. This was done in order to create a broad understanding of not only the where, but also the why and the how people position themselves in the subway. These short contextual interviews were developed to be performed quickly and in the field, in order to capture information about passengers based on what they are actually doing, rather than what they would like to do. The data collected in these interviews was also quantified in order to provide quantitative data with the benefit of context. The contextual interviews were concerned with the respondent’s views on crowding, their positioning methods, their trip planning methods, among other things.

Interviews were conducted in the field at different metro stations around Stockholm. Interviewees were picked at random from the crowd and their position on the platform as well as relevant demographic information was noted. Interviewees were preferably approached with such timing that the entire interview template could be filled out before the arrival of the next train. However, due to the frequency of departures there were cases where interviews had to be cut short. This is mostly evident in the

10 quantitative representation of the interview responses and was considered to be a viable trade-off for conducting interviews in the field and increasing the number of responses.

The interviews conducted during initial user studies were digitised for convenience and longevity and were also converted into a quantitative format in order to facilitate quantitative analysis. This conversion process consisted of mapping the non-quantitative responses to their quantitative equivalents and recording it in an Excel sheet. For example, responses to the question “Why are you standing at this position?” were mapped to 8 categories:

● Minimise walking distance at destination ● Minimise walking distance at departure ● Minimise crowding ● To sit on a bench ● Multiple reasons ● Looking at art ● No particular reason ● Other reasons/Anomalous reasons

Secondly, contextual interviews were used in combination with trigger material during the iterative design process. During this process, design concepts were illustrated as images which were in turn used as artefacts during contextual interviews, with the goal of gathering user feedback on different design solutions. These interviews, while still containing qualitative elements, were more quantitative in nature and were recorded digitally in a Google Forms survey.

4.2.2 In-depth interviews Several in-depth interviews were conducted to gather fully qualitative data. The interviews were conducted in a semi-structured manner, with the template being mainly inspired by the short interview template. The questions were expanded upon to capture more detail, and the semi-structured interview style allowed the interviewee to express personal opinions and experiences. Each interview lasted for 45 to 90 minutes. The interviews were documented in paraphrased text as well as audio recordings.

4.2.3 Online survey An online survey was conducted following the short interviews as a fully quantitative data set. The survey structure was inspired by the interview template with modifications to fit the format. Demographic information including age, gender, and how often each subway line was used. The full survey is available in appendix B. The survey was sent out to various Facebook groups intended for people living in certain locations. Groups were picked to include a wide variety of locations, including inner city groups, as well as suburbs such as Fruängen. This was done in order to get a variety of perspectives on the subway system and to evaluate if travel distance had an impact on the responses. The survey data was then evaluated in a similar way to the quantified interview data.

4.2.4 Passive observations Passive observations were used to gain a better understanding of the flow and movement of passengers and crowds. The observations were used not only to find new crowding mechanisms and issues but also to link these observed insights to information gathered from the interviews and survey, in order to better understand how this information was represented in reality.

The passive observations were conducted in several different stations. Most observations were conducted on the platforms, but some were performed in the subway train. In order to intervene as little as possible with the actions of passengers it was important to stand in a way that did not obstruct the movement of the other people on the platform, and to blend in without people realising observations were conducted.

4.3 Field tests and prototyping

Field tests were used to create complementary data to be used alongside the data created by the iterative design process. By conducting field tests with a working prototype, insight could be gathered from users in a more natural setting without interference, which avoids the observer effect (James and Hoa, 2012) while also considering more variables than trigger material-based user evaluations.

The field tests were conducted by constructing a prototype at Tekniska Högskolan, a station on the northern part of the red subway line at KTH Campus and evaluated through a short survey. The prototype also created quantitative data using the load measuring systems in the trains, that can be analysed to draw objective conclusions about the efficacy of the field tests. However, this load data will not be made available until after the end of this project, meaning that no analysis of such data will be included in this report. The time and date of these field test are available in chapter 8.

5 User research results

The data recorded during the user studies was analysed to find insight and patterns that could inform ideation and concept evaluation.

5.1 Load data analysis results The dataset analysis was primarily based on four questions:

● Which stations were of interest to work with for user studies and observations?

● How does the crowding levels vary over time?

● How does the crowd distribution vary based on load?

● How does the crowding and distribution vary over different stations?

5.1.1 Distribution of passengers based on load In order to find a measure of “unevenness” a formula was created as a means to express the individual variations of the train cars in relation to each other.

The formula used was

√(퐿 − 퐿 )2 + (퐿 − 퐿 )2 + (퐿 − 퐿 )2 1 2 1 3 2 3 = 푈푛푒푣푒푛푒푠푠 푣푎푙푢푒 퐿푡 where 퐿푖 is passenger load in train car 푖, and 퐿푡 is total load on the train. The unevenness-value varies between 0 when the train cars are loaded equally, and √2 when only one of the train cars has any passengers.

A scatter plot using all available data points was created where the x-axis shows the total load and the y-axis shows the unevenness-value. The result can be seen in Figure 7 below.

Figure 7. Load unevenness over total load.

The plot clearly shows a pattern indicating that the crowd distribution between the individual train cars becomes more even when the total load in the train increases. In practise this suggests that during peak hours passengers spread out more evenly in the train, which is also supported by Peftitsi, Jenelius and Cats (2018). However, uneven crowd distribution is only a non-issue at the highest and lowest levels of crowding and still requires improvement for most rush hour departures.

5.1.2 Crowd variations over time The dataset spans the time of the morning rush, one of the most crowded times of the day. But even during this relatively short period of time, strong variations can be seen.

Plotting total load over time for two stations on the green line reveals a pattern of increasing load during the morning rush, with a peak somewhere between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM, see Figure 8 for an example.

Odenplan Fridhemsplan

400 400 350 350 300 300 250 250 200 200 150 150 100 100 50 50

0 0

07:10:30 07:54:30 08:43:30 06:59:00 06:27:00 06:56:00 07:04:00 07:19:00 07:36:30 07:47:00 08:02:00 08:09:15 08:37:30 08:51:30 08:59:30 06:15:00 06:30:00 06:45:00 07:07:00 07:13:30 07:22:00 07:39:30 07:50:00 08:05:00 08:12:15 08:32:30 08:40:30 08:54:30 06:12:00

Figure 8. Total train load over time at Odenplan (left) and Fridhemsplan (right).

Plotting the same data for Tekniska Högskolan, on the red line, again shows increasing load over the course of the morning rush, with one interesting anomaly, see Figure 9.

Tekniska Högskolan 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100

06:14:30 06:29:30 06:34:30 06:49:30 06:59:30 07:09:30 07:14:30 07:19:30 07:24:30 07:29:00 07:34:00 07:39:00 07:49:00 07:54:00 08:09:00 08:19:00 08:29:00 08:34:00 08:39:00 08:44:00 08:49:00 08:54:00 09:00:00 06:04:30

Figure 9. Total train load over time at Tekniska Högskolan.

The sudden drop at 7:54 AM coincides with the start of the morning lectures at KTH, causing more people to alight the train than enter it.

Analysing this data further shows that not only does total load vary over time, but also the load distribution. Data from Odenplan and Tekniska Högskolan show a decreasing load imbalance over the course of the morning rush, correlating negatively with total load, see Figure 10.

Odenplan Tekniska Högskolan 400 0.6 0.5 800 0.6 300 0.5 0.4 600 0.4 200 0.3 400 0.3 0.2 0.2 100 200 0.1 0.1

0 0 0 0

06:04:30 06:29:30 06:49:30 07:09:30 07:19:30 07:29:00 07:39:00 07:54:00 08:19:00 08:34:00 08:44:00 08:54:00

06:12:00 06:27:00 06:56:00 07:04:00 07:10:30 07:19:00 07:36:30 07:47:00 07:54:30 08:02:00 08:09:15 08:37:30 08:43:30 08:51:30 08:59:30

Imbalance Total load Total load Imbalance

Figure 10. Total and load imbalance over time at Odenplan (left) and Tekniska Högskolan (right).

This correlation falls in line with findings from previous load data analysis as well as Peftitsi, Jenelius, and Cats (2018).

A similar pattern could not be identified at Fridhemsplan, see Figure 11 indicating that the overall trend may not hold true in all cases.

Fridhemsplan 400 0.7 350 0.6 300 0.5 250 0.4 200 0.3 150 100 0.2 50 0.1 0 0

Total load Imbalance

Figure 11. Total load and load imbalance over time at Fridhemsplan.

5.1.3 Crowd distribution over different stations Both the number of passengers and their distribution along the train cars vary greatly from station to station. It was of interest to compare different stations and to see how the crowding levels and distribution vary when a train goes from end station to end station. An existing report by Rubensson (2015), analysing a very similar dataset and discussing the stations most exposed for crowding and uneven distribution of passengers, was used as a guide to which parts of the newer dataset to analyse more closely. Since the raw data for this report is not publicly available it was unsuitable to be used for

15 any concrete conclusions. Rather, the graphs presented in Rubensson’s report were used to highlight a number of interesting stations to be studied further. Based on this, a selection of departures were chosen to be analysed for stations of interest, mainly for the purpose of finding locations for user studies by confirming the data from Rubensson’s report. The selected departures were plotted over time and analysed graphically and numerically.

The main findings of this analysis were that Tekniska Högskolan and Fridhemsplan are two stations of great interest for user studies as they exhibit highly uneven load distribution, while also being close to the city centre. The stations are also some of the busiest on their respective lines, mitigating the issue of finding interviewees for user feedback.

Figure 12 shows graphs of the load distribution per station for two departures on the green and red line respectively.

Red Line Green Line 200 80

150 60

100 40

50 20

0 0

LIH

ZID

TFP SKY

SKT

SEP

TCE SLU

SKB

TCE SLU

STD

SAB TAK

FAR

MIK TEH

VÄT KRB

FHP

BLU

DAS

HSÅ

THP

BEH GAS

GAS

UNT HOT

HÖT

ODP

GUP

GUÄ

MRT

HÖÄ

MBP

ÖMT

MÖR RMG

Car 1 Car 2 Car 3 Car 1 Car 2 Car 3

Figure 12. Passenger load in each car for two departures on the red line (left) and green line (right).

The relevance of a station can be judged mainly by looking at the difference in unevenness and load per train car from the previous station. For example, between Universitetet (UNT) to Tekniska Högskolan (TEH) on the red line in Figure 12, there is a sharp increase in load on train car 3 whereas in car 1 and 2 the load remains constant. This can also be seen in the unevenness value, which increases between the two stations. Similar uneven load increases can be seen at Fridhemsplan and Medborgarplatsen on the green line.

This analysis also showed that while there are clear patterns to be found there are still outliers that need to be considered, as shown in Figure 13.

Red Line 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MÖR DAS BEH UNT TEH STD ÖMT TCE GAS SLU MRT

Car 1 Car 2 Car 3

Figure 13. Passenger load for each car on another departure on the red line.

For this particular departure on the red line, while the load difference is still the largest for train car 3, the unevenness has actually been reduced at Tekniska Högskolan.

One limitation of this dataset is that it only shows load data for each station after departure, and therefore has provides no insight into how many people have entered and exited the train respectively. This issue could be alleviated somewhat by complementing the data set with ticket gate data, as done by Peftitsi, Jenelius and Cats (2018), although this still presents the issue of knowing where on the train each passenger has entered.

5.2 Contextual interview insights Conducting short contextual interviews allowed for several unique opportunities to draw insights from the real-world behaviour of actual travellers in the subway, and to analyse users based on their actual decisions rather than their intentions. In total, 100 interviews were conducted.

5.2.1 Method of positioning One of the major points of interest during user studies was to evaluate the methodology that people employ when choosing their position on the platform. Across all contextual interviews, 52% of respondents stated that they had chosen their current position in order to minimise walking distance at their destination, which is consistent with survey results and findings from Kim, Kwon, and Sohn (2014). It is, however, also 15 percentage points lower than what was observed by MTO Säkerhet (2015) using a similar methodology. It is unclear what caused this difference.

The remaining 48% were distributed over 7 different positioning methodologies. The second most common method was to minimise crowding, at 12% of all respondents. This is significantly lower than what was found by the survey (23.3%), indicating some discrepancy between intention and action in this group, or a sampling error.

Of all respondents, 13% stated that they had chosen their position for no particular reason, or for anomalous reasons. This is significantly higher than the 3.9% found by the survey, indicating a difference in intention and action among travellers. Namely, even if a person has a standard method for

17 choosing their position on the platform, there is a chance that they will deviate from this plan for unforeseen reasons. Survey and interview data also showed that this group of travellers care less about their position, implying that their behaviour is easier to change.

The remaining respondents were spread out over several, less common, methodologies. Out of all respondents, 8% had minimized their walking distance on the platform, 7% had chosen their position due to an available bench, 2% had stopped to look at an art installation, and 2% had stopped for multiple reasons. Notably, none of these methodologies show up in the survey in any significant capacity (1.3% or less), suggesting that they are not the default method for many travellers, but rather they arise from circumstantial decisions on the platform. This point is further reinforced by the fact that 71.9% of respondents in these minor groups stated that they were not standing in their usual position. It is also notable that no respondents stated that they had chosen their position due to crowding on the platform itself, despite this group making up 9.9% of respondents in the survey.

Analysing the actual position of respondents also reveals patterns. Respondents who stated that they position themselves to minimise crowding on the train are more likely to be at the middle of the platform. This correlates with the most commonly seen crowd distribution, in which the middle car of the train has the lowest level of crowding. This group also has a high level of self-perceived knowledge about crowding, implying that they are aware that at most stations the middle car will be the least crowded. However, specifically at Tekniska Högskolan, the lowest level of crowding is found at the northernmost part of the platform, indicating either a lower level of knowledge about station-specific crowding levels, or a willingness to settle for higher crowding levels in order to reduce walking distance. Respondents who try to minimise walking distance at their destination were more evenly spread across the platform, and respondents who try to minimise walking distance at the station of departure were found at the edges of the platform.

In the group that aims to minimise walking distance at their destination, 49% stated that higher levels of crowding had made them choose another position than the one they actually preferred. It was also common in this group to not stand at the very end of the platform, even if this was closest to their destination. The reason for this was commonly that although shortest walking distance at the destination was of highest importance, crowding and seating space on the train was also in the conscious or unconscious process when deciding position.

5.2.2 Position Importance Similar patterns could be found regarding position importance in the contextual interviews as in the survey data. A high level of importance was observed in the groups that minimise crowding on the train and walking distance at their destination, with both stating an average level of 4.1 on a 7-point scale. The group that minimises walking distance at the station of departure generally expressed a lower level of importance, at 2.4 out of 7. As in the survey data, those that have no particular method care very little about their position, with an average level of importance of 1.6. These travellers have previously been grouped with those that chose their position for anomalous reasons, but it should be noted that there is a large difference between their average level of position importance, with the latter group having an average of 4.7. However, this average is unreliable as the sample size is very small, making a qualitative approach more valuable. From the interviews it could be gathered that the users in this group that chose a higher level of importance were referencing either to their normal position, or to the importance of the decision itself. For example, one respondent chose her position as she was waiting for her friend, making her choice of position highly important even though they technically could have met anywhere on the platform.

5.2.3 Highest accepted crowding level Highest accepted crowding level generally skews higher during contextual interviews than in survey data. Of all interview respondents 2.2% chose the lowest level of crowding as their maximum, as opposed to 9.5% in the survey. Likewise, 57.6% of interview respondents chose the highest level of crowding as their maximum, compared to 41% in the survey. Figure 14 shows the share of respondents from the interviews and survey for different maximum crowding levels.

Figure 14. Share of respondents that chose each of the 5 maximum level crowding levels.

As can be seen in this graph, respondents in the interviews reported being more likely to enter the train at high crowding level than respondents in the survey.

5.3 In-depth interviews When asked about what the least pleasant everyday experience was in the subway the interviewees almost unanimously felt that crowding was the biggest factor of discomfort and inconvenience. The factors that contributed most to negative feelings of crowding was the fact that it meant limited personal space and freedom. Some respondents associated crowding with uncomfortably high temperatures within the cars as well as unpleasant smells and people coughing closely nearby. Several respondents also mentioned that they highly disliked people wearing backpacks in the trains (rather than taking them off upon entry) since they felt that the bag took up unnecessary space and also had experienced getting hit by backpacks as a result of rapid movements from the people wearing them.

During rush hour some interviewees felt that people often positioned themselves poorly on the platform. They mentioned people placing themselves close to the entrance and also standing scattered on the platform making it hard to move forward on the platform. When exiting the train in crowded conditions, the opinions were split between the interviewees; 4 of 9 felt no issues regarding alighting the train while the other five respondents viewed alighting in a crowded subway as a problem. Those who regarded it as a problem had the experience that people did not always wait to enter before everyone inside the train had alighted, which otherwise can be seen as a norm in the Stockholm metro. They also felt people did not make room for alighting passengers, making a smaller gap for exiting than necessary.

5.4 Survey insights The survey received 463 responses and the data was analysed in a quantitative manner by sorting and categorising data in Excel, examining how different answers correlate. By using this methodology correlations could be found between different demographics and their behaviours, which in turn can be used to motivate and guide decisions about concept designs.

Ten different correlations were chosen to be of interest.

5.4.1 Correlation between positioning and most common travel distance The majority of all surveyed metro travellers, at 56.6%, chose to position themselves based on the exit positions at their destination which is in line with the findings of the contextual interviews as well as Kim, Kwon and Sohn (2014). The tendency to choose certain positions on the train correlates with the distance of the travellers most common trip. Among people who usually travel for less than 5 minutes, only about 16% said that they choose position based on crowding, while 66% choose position to minimise walking distance at their destination.

The share of people who position themselves based on crowding increases up to 26% at a travel distance of 11-20 minutes, after which it goes back down slightly for those who travel for 21-30 minutes and 30+ minutes.

The group of people that does not position themselves based on train crowding or walking distance position themselves mainly based on platform crowding.

One theory for why the crowding group decreases in size as travel distance increases above 20 minutes is that people who travel that far usually travel from stations at the edge of the subway lines, where crowding is not as much of an issue as in the city centre. This allows them to prioritise other factors than crowding when choosing their position. This group is also more likely to have a seat when reaching the often highly crowded city centre, thus reducing their sensitivity to crowding.

This information is useful when choosing the stations at which to implement certain measures by, for example, considering distance to popular destinations and how that correlates to load imbalance.

5.4.2 Correlation between positioning and age The majority of all passengers in all age groups position themselves based on crowding or walking distance at their destination, with 76% to 90% of all passengers, per group, using either of these methods. Age groups 16-55 are fairly similar in the distribution between the two major positioning methods, with 20-25% of all passengers placing themselves based on crowding. Age group 56-65 cares more about crowding than the other groups, with 35% of all passengers placing themselves based on this method. Likewise, age group 65+ cares more about minimising walking distance at their destination, with 75% of all passengers positioning themselves based on this method, and only 15% positioning themselves based on crowding.

5.4.3 Correlation between positioning and position importance Among the three biggest positioning method groups, average position importance ranges from 4.2 to 4.4, on a 7-point scale. The crowding group has the highest average level of importance with more people choosing the highest level, but also slightly more people choosing the lower levels. In the group of people choosing position based on walking distance at the destination, the responses conformed more

20 to a normal distribution with many people choosing an importance level of 3 or 4. The group of people who place themselves randomly with no particular plan in mind care very little about their position.

5.4.4 Correlation between positioning and self-perceived knowledge about crowding There is a correlation between positioning method and the traveller’s self-perceived level of knowledge about crowding. People who position themselves based on crowding have the highest level of perceived knowledge about crowding, at an average of 5.16 on a 7-point scale. The other two large groups, platform crowding and walking distance at destination care somewhat less, at an average of 4.8 and 4.4 respectively.

5.4.5 Correlation between positioning and desire for different types of traffic info Four different types of information are the most desired among all respondents: more detailed delay information, crowding information for each train car, information about where the train doors will be, and a countdown timer for when the doors close. Crowding and delay information are the two most common ones, with roughly 48% of all respondents saying they would be interested in that type of information. Interest in more crowding information is higher in the group of people who place themselves based on that information at 56%, although interest is still high in the other large groups at 46%. Similarly, interest in more detailed delay information is higher in people who place themselves to minimise walking distance at their destination, at 49%, although the crowding and platform crowding groups still express significant interest at 42% and 44% respectively.

The large interest in crowding information highlights two important insights. Firstly, it shows that people are interested in extra information despite not explicitly using it. Secondly, it shows that people are interested in extra information even if they are still confident in their current level of knowledge.

5.4.6 Correlation between positioning and maximum accepted crowding level People who place themselves to minimise walking distance at their destination have the highest level of tolerance for crowding, on average. Roughly 55% of respondents in this group said that they would either only change position at the highest possible level of crowding or that they would never move, regardless of the crowding level. 24% of this group would move at low levels of crowding, indicating that this group could partly be affected by crowding reduction measures.

People that position themselves based on train crowding exhibit a slightly lower level of tolerance to crowding, with 44% of respondents saying that they would only move at the highest level of crowding or not move at all. Similarly, 32% of respondents would move at low levels of crowding.

Respondents who position themselves based on platform crowding levels exhibit the lowest level of accepted maximum crowding.

5.4.7 Correlation between positioning and perceived level of stress during normal commute Average level of stress is similar between the group that minimises walking at their destination and train crowding, at 4.24 and 4.12 respectively, with responses following a bell curve. People who place themselves randomly have a similar average value on stress at 3.9, but the responses are significantly less distributed with 45% of respondents choosing a stress level of 4.

5.4.8 Correlation between age and perceived level of stress during normal commute Average level of stress among all age groups ranges from 2.95 to 4.52 on a 7-point scale, with age group 65+ at the lower end and 36-45 at the upper end. The distribution of answers varies somewhat between the different age groups, but there does not seem to be any particular pattern.

5.4.9 Correlation between most common travel distance and highest accepted crowding level The average level of highest accepted crowding is very similar between all travel distances, ranging from 3.17 to 3.35. At a travel distance of 21-30 minutes the amount of people choosing the highest level of crowding as their highest accepter crowding level goes down somewhat, while the two lowest levels go up.

5.4.10 Correlation between positioning and perceived inability to choose desired position due to platform crowding In the groups of people who place themselves based on crowding or minimising walking distance at their destination, 8.1% and 10.1% say that they are unable to choose their desired position as a result of platform crowding many times per week, compared to the average of 8.6% across the entire surveyed group. For the group that positions itself based on platform crowding 15.5% are unable to choose their desired position many times per week, which is significantly above average.

The group that positions itself randomly is significantly less likely to be unable to choose their desired position as a result of crowding with 52.9% saying that they never feel unable to do so, and 0% saying that it happens many times per week.

5.5 Observation insights From observing people passively at different stations, several observations of people's behaviour could be made. One phenomenon that could be observed was that on many departures there were a number of passengers that arrived at the platform when the train had already opened its doors. Those people almost exclusively chose to enter the first available entrance. When several people arrive last-minute and during peak hours, this regularly led to a build-up of people wanting to enter the first set of train doors. This sometimes had the implication that the train driver had to wait for everyone to enter, possibly delaying the departure. Increased dwelling times was a common in peak hours and was frequently a result of the uneven passenger spread on the platform which sometimes was exacerbated by people arriving late to the platform as described.

Another observed mechanism that is also, in part, an effect of uneven crowd distribution is when people standing near the entrance of the platform blocks the stream of people entering the platform. The crowd standing near the entrance often stands dispersed, forcing the people wanting to walk further to zigzag through the crowd. At certain densities this slows down the flow of people entering the platform, noticeably leading to a more uneven distribution of people on the platform. At high enough densities this also seems to make some travellers avoid going through the crowd, instead choosing to become a part of it, thus adding to the problem. This observation was also supported by the user studies. This crowding phenomenon sometimes also lead to people walking near outer edge of the platform possibly risking their safety. Similar observations were made by MTO Säkerhet (2015).

When entering the train, two lines generally form on either side of the entrance. These lines sometimes form parallel to the train and sometimes they form perpendicular to the train, creating a corridor for the alighting passengers. The latter way of line formation together with the flow of people alighting creates

22 a barrier that can slow down and sometimes even stop people wanting walk along the platform, especially on the narrow parts of certain platforms. This has the potential implication of people not being able to walk further to less crowded parts of the train and platform. Another issue regarding the line formation that was observed on multiple occasions was that the two lines often were closer together than the width of the door opening. This meant that only one person could alight at a time rather than two at a time, side by side, which is possible when the lines are sufficiently spaced.

Most passengers enter the train not far from where they stand and wait on the platform. However, it is not uncommon for passengers to walk to another entry than the one that is closest. The most common reason for choosing entries further away seems to be to avoid crowding inside the train. Usually an entry that was one to two doors away was chosen, but occasionally even entries that were three or four doors away from the original position was chosen.

Since the train load dataset that was analysed only provided data on a per-car basis, observations regarding the individual variations within each car was also of interest. Generally, changes in the crowding levels was gradual within a specific car, with the highest densities normally seen towards one end of the car. On some trains however, irregularities occurred where the crowding levels along the car fluctuated, having high densities in between entries that was considerably less dense.

The observations from many departures also supported the conclusion that people generally distribute themselves more evenly as total train load increased, as was seen in the load data analysis.

6 Initial ideation Initial ideation was performed in the later stages of the user study phase, based mainly on in-depth and contextual interviews, as well as the information gathered during the background research phase.

Concept development was the main focus of the initial ideation phase. Concepts would be evaluated based on background research and user studies as well as their evaluability rather than user feedback in this initial stage.

6.1 App for showing crowding levels on the train The first concept developed was an app inspired by services previously available in Stockholm and currently available in other cities. The app was developed as a low-resolution wireframe. The functionality illustrated in the wireframe could act either as a standalone app, or as an addition to the current SL app. The app simply showed crowding information per train car for each departure on any selected trip and would also be able to send push notifications for upcoming departures on selected trips, similarly to how MyHeadsApp sends delay information. The viability of this concept was based on data gathered from interviews, which showed that a significant number of passengers use an app to plan their trips, as well as the fact that similar information has previously been available for the commuter trains to good reception. This evaluation was later supported by survey data, which showed that 34.8% of passengers plan all of their trips using an app, and 26.1% plan at least half of their trips. Only 3.5% never use an app.

This concept was not chosen for further evaluation in order to limit the scope of user tests and due to its non-viability for field tests. Nudging theory also suggests that this concept would have reduced effectiveness due the user's inability to immediately act on the presented information. Figure 15 shows the wireframe for the app and its push notifications.

Figure 15. Basic wireframe showing app and push notification concept.

6.2 Concepts for showing crowding information on-site Another concept was to show crowding information on the platform, which was an idea that manifested itself in many different ways.

One idea was to simply install screens at the ends of the platforms which would show crowding levels on each train car, see Figure 16.

Figure 16. Basic illustration of how crowding information could be shown at end of platform.

Another idea was to show crowding levels using coloured lights along the entire platform. One colour would correspond to each level of crowding, and the system could be used in conjunction with the system described above. Figure 17 shows the initial sketch of the concept.

Figure 17. Basic illustration of how to show crowding levels with coloured lights.

Information could also be provided continuously along the entire platform using a system similar to the one in the Netherlands. This concept could show crowding and departure information, as well as distances to less crowded parts of the train, see Figure 18.

Figure 18. Basic illustration showing how information could be shown along the entire length of a platform.

These concepts were based largely on systems previously available in Stockholm and systems currently available in other cities. Interview data showed that crowding levels is a major factor for many passengers when choosing their position on the train, and survey data supported that this type of information is highly desirable among passengers in the Stockholm subway system.

6.3 Static directions using floor decals Static information was also considered as a cheaper option that would be easier to test and implement. This concept consisted on placing decals on the floor with arrows and messages, encouraging passengers to move towards the middle of the platform. Today passengers are encouraged to move towards the middle of the platform using messages on the departure screens and using audio messages. This concept argues, based on a background of nudging theory, that less explicit but more leading information could be more efficient in moving passengers across the platform. This concept saw further development as it was considered cheap and easy to implement in field tests, if given proper permissions, and was also seen as an interesting contrast to the more complex concepts.

6.4 Implied denial of entry for doors with high crowding levels This concept took inspiration from two major sources. Firstly, it was seen through passive observations that the alighting process is inefficient when crowding levels are high, as the passengers entering the train block those that are alighting. Secondly, inspiration was taken from the people flow observed in busses, where the front door is dedicated completely to entering the train, with the rest being used only for alighting. Achieving this one-way flow in the subway could effectively reduce both crowding levels and dwelling times, and the concept was therefore chosen for further development.

6.5 Floor decals to guide passengers towards the platform walls It was seen through passive observations, interviews, and survey data, that a significant amount of people experience difficulties navigating the platform due to crowding on a regular basis. This concept would alleviate this issue by guiding waiting passengers to the back of the platform, clearing up space to walk further towards the middle. This would be done using floor decals to divide the platform into a walking area and a waiting area.

Further development of this concept was deprioritised during the first few design iterations as it was not deemed to require much more development before being tested in the field, while also being essentially impossible to implement in a field test due to the difficulties associated with mounting decals on the floor of the platform.

The initial sketch of the concept is shown in Figure 19.

Figure 19. Basic illustration of how travellers can be guided towards the back of the platform.

6.6 Monetary rewards for choosing less crowded doors This concept was inspired by the previously described system implemented in Melbourne, Australia, where “early birds” were allowed to travel for free early in the morning, in order to reduce crowding during peak hours. This concept would implement the idea of monetary rewards to distribute people spatially rather than temporally.

The concept would likely use a scanner inside the train at each door, similar to the ones used at the turnstiles. Passengers would be able to scan their cards after entering the train, and if at a door with low crowding levels, they would receive a small monetary reward such as a discount for their next ticket purchase.

This concept was not developed further, due to being practically impossible to test in the field, and the limited insight that could be gathered from user feedback.

7 Concept design portfolio Based the total accumulated information gathered from background research, user studies, and the initial ideation phase, the concept design phase was initiated. This phase resulted in 9 total concepts that were developed over a number of iterations. The exact number of iterations varied between the different concepts. Each iteration cycle consisted of a development phase and an evaluation phase during which user feedback was gathered to facilitate further development. Concepts were developed in parallel over the entire design phase. For example, iteration 1 for each concept was developed and evaluated concurrently, followed by iteration 2, and so on. Deviations from this pattern are noted where relevant.

7.1 Concept 1: On-site crowding information using ceiling signs and coloured lights This concept was developed from concepts shown during the initial ideation phase and was based on the idea of showing real-time crowding information in the platform, using signs mounted in the ceiling and coloured lights mounted along the entire platform. These two information carriers were combined into a singular concept, as they essentially showed the same information, and preliminary testing indicated that the lights were difficult to interpret without any auxiliary information.

7.1.1 Iteration 1 Iteration 1 focused on developing the information design of the ceiling sign, as well as developing multiple alternatives for the coloured lights to be used in user testing.

The concept was developed from the initial ideation to more discreetly fit into the current information design of the subway system.

For the first iteration, the information density of the sign was reduced to only show colour coded crowding levels, the number of free seats, and the direction of the train. As in the initial concept, crowding levels were shown per car. The main point of interest for the user feedback was regarding the information design, mainly information detail and information density. Information gathered during the background research phase made it clear that the information shown on the screens must be immediately understandable or there is a risk of crowd build up at the sign, as people struggle to decipher the information (Zhang, 2015). Figure 20 shows the first iteration of the ceiling sign.

Figure 20. First visual material for the ceiling sign.

In the initial ideation phase the coloured lights were shown using either projectors to show colours on the floor, or spotlights to show them on the walls. The main point of development here was to explore the different ways that this information could be shown, and to have material for user feedback.

This first iteration produced five different positions for the coloured lights. Two concepts were developed that used coloured projectors to project colours either on the floor or on the back wall behind the train, see Figure 21.

Figure 21. Illustrations showing how the coloured lights could be implemented with projectors.

The concept using spotlights was also illustrated in higher detail to use for user feedback, see Figure 22.

Figure 22. Illustrations showing how the coloured lights could be implemented with spotlights.

Lastly, two concepts were developed using LED strips mounted along the floor and ceiling of the platform. The benefit of using LED strips is that there is no risk of people blocking the light beam, as with projectors and spotlights. They are also less dependent on the environment and can function even if there is no nearby surface to use as a canvas. See Figure 23 for an illustration of these concepts.

Figure 23. Illustrations showing how the coloured lights could be implemented with LED strips.

The main point of interest for user feedback regarding these concepts were which position and type of light is the most efficient, and why.

For the purpose of this first round of concept evaluations, the ceiling sign and coloured lights concepts were tested in two different combinations. It was deemed impractical to test all different light positions at once, partly because there were too many of them, and partly because the information required at this early stage could be extracted from testing only a selection of light positions. Therefore, the ceiling sign was combined with two different positions of the coloured lights, one with lights on the floor, and one with lights on the wall. See Figure 24.

Figure 24. The two illustrations used for the first round of user feedback.

These two positions were chosen as they represented a large variation on light position; one with the lights close to the train, and one with the lights far away from the train

For the floor lights, 9 out of 9 respondents understood the information, with many mentioning the convenience of having lights along the platform. Some respondents believed that the ceiling sign was not necessary, and that the lights alone could provide enough information. One respondent believed that the lights were unnecessary.

For the wall lights, 8 out of 10 respondents understood the information on the sign. Of the two that didn’t understand, one felt that the number of train cars on the sign didn’t match up with real life, and the other was a non-Swedish speaker and struggled to read the text on the sign. Despite the high level of understanding for the sign, no respondent in this test made any particular mention of the lights on the wall, indicating a weaker connection to the crowding levels on the train. Overall, there seemed to be a stronger connection between the lights and crowding levels when the lights were closer to the train. This was sometimes implied by the reaction of the respondents, and sometimes mentioned explicitly.

This test also raised the issue of accessibility and language barriers. It is beneficial if a concept can be understood by anyone, regardless of their language skills.

7.1.2 Iteration 2 User feedback indicated that the information design of the sign had a high level of legibility. Because of this, the design of the ceiling sign did not change during this iteration. Instead, it was decided that changes should be made to how the ceiling sign was evaluated in combination with the coloured lights.

Regarding the coloured lights, user feedback indicated that proximity to the train is an important factor in increasing the legibility of this concept, meaning that this iteration included only the floor concept from iteration 1.

User feedback also indicated that a significant number of users found the coloured lights to be a more effective indicator of crowding information than the ceiling sign, which is why this iteration intended to test the coloured lights both in combination with the ceiling sign, but also with no other dynamic information. However, preliminary testing and in-depth interviews during iteration 1 showed that the coloured lights were hard to interpret without any auxiliary information at all. In order to make the coloured lights easier to interpret, a static information sign was designed to explain the different colours, see Figure 25.

Figure 25. Illustration of static information poster. From top to bottom: "No seats", "Few seats", "Many seats".

In a real-world implementation of this concept, the static information sign would be placed around the station as an information campaign in order to increase awareness and understanding of the information delivered by the lights.

For this round of testing, users were first shown the concept using only the coloured lights and a static information sign in order to ensure that a user’s understanding of the concept was not affected by them seeing the ceiling signs first.

Out of 22 respondents 20 understood the concept immediately, with 2 users understanding it after some time. After seeing only this concept the general reaction was positive with all users stating that the information was clearly delivered, and many stating that it would affect their behaviour. Two users mentioned the effect of having colours on the floor as a strong driving force to change their behaviour, saying that they were apprehensive to walking on the red parts of the platform. Two users also initially thought the information was static and painted on the floor, although they quickly understood that this was not the case.

After having seen the concept using coloured lights, users were also shown the concept using ceiling signs.

As in iteration 1, this concept had a high level of legibility with all respondents understanding the information immediately. The main point of interest for this iteration of testing was the difference in legibility between this concept and the concept with no ceiling sign. Statistically, legibility is somewhat higher for the concept with ceiling signs, with 100% (18 of 18) of respondents understanding the information, compared to 91% (20 of 22) without ceiling sign. When asked which of the two concepts they preferred, 5 out of 9 respondents preferred the concept with the ceiling sign. This, combined with the higher rate of legibility, shows a slight indication that while the coloured lights alone can be highly functional, a combination would still be better.

7.1.3 Iteration 3 During iteration 3, the ceiling sign was expanded upon with multiple design alternatives using different levels of information detail and abstraction. Similar developments were made to the coloured lights based on user feedback.

Since iteration 1 the ceiling sign had maintained a high level of legibility among users, although only one variant of the concept had been tested. For the third iteration multiple variants of the sign was developed, in order to test different levels of information detail and abstraction.

The initial concept was based on showing the exact number of seats available in each train car, which was considered as a high detail, low abstraction information design, Figure 26. This design also makes use of text, which relies on the user being able to read Swedish.

Figure 26. Ceiling sign graphic with high detail and low abstraction.

A second design was developed which made use of no text or numbers, but rather iconography to convey different levels of crowding, see Figure 27. This concept was considered as medium detail, high abstraction.

Figure 27. Ceiling sign graphic with medium detail and high abstraction.

This concept faces the issue of designing novel icons that need to be interpretable in a manner of seconds, although it also carries the benefit of not requiring the user to understand Swedish.

A third concept was developed which expressed the number of seats available as a percentage. The intention of this concept was to provide users with a more intuitive understanding of seat availability without expecting them to know the total number of seats in a train car, see Figure 28. This concept was considered as high detail, medium abstraction.

Figure 28. Ceiling sign graphic with high detail and medium abstraction.

A fourth concept was developed that showed the crowding levels as a form of bar chart in the already existing train graphic, see Figure 29. This concept was intended to test the reception of very low detail, high abstraction information. As with the iconography concept, this concept requires no particular language skills from the user.

Figure 29. Ceiling sign graphic with very low detail, and very high abstraction.

User feedback from previous iterations indicated lights positioned close to the train are more effective at conveying information. Based on this feedback one more version of the coloured lights was developed, in which a LED strip was mounted in the ceiling very close to the train, see Figure 30.

Figure 30. Coloured lights concept with lights mounted in the ceiling, close to the tracks.

For the evaluation phase this concept was tested alongside two other versions from iteration 1, see Figure 31.

Figure 31. Two other concepts tested during this iteration.

The main point of interest for the test of these concepts was to evaluate the different mounting positions and where they would have the most impact.

Out of all the different ceiling sign concepts, the design using iconography had the highest level of general legibility, with 10 out of 11 users understanding it as intended. 8 out of 11 users understood the concept showing the number of available seats, 9 out if 11 understood the concept showing the percentage of available seats, and 5 out of 7 understood the concept using bar charts.

The most legible concept, however, was not the most preferred one. 8 out of 10 users preferred seeing either the number or the percentage of available seats. The disparity between these two metrics can be explained by the fact that the users who preferred the iconography concept were also the ones who struggled to understand the number of seats and percentage concepts. These users also tended to be of older age, which is consistent with research indicating that the elderly prefer information design based on familiar cues and with lower complexity (Farage, et al., 2012). One surveyed user also didn’t have Swedish as his first language, causing him to struggle with the concepts involving text.

The insights gathered from this user feedback indicates that the majority of users are able to interpret high complexity information and also prefer that type of information design, although catering to this group will inevitably exclude certain parts of the potential user base.

In the test of the coloured lights, the respondents were encouraged to imagine the lights as if they were mounted on the platform they were at. The two top mounted positions proved to be hard to tell the apart when looking at the pictures. Even after explaining the difference in positioning and pointing to where that corresponded to in the station environment, the subjects still seemed to clump the two top mounted concepts together. This led to that the focus was moved to evaluating top mounted positioning against floor mounted positioning of the lights. 5 out of 7 respondents favoured the positioning of the floor mounted lights while 2 preferred the ceiling mounted lighting.

7.1.4 Iteration 4 This concept saw no further development during iteration 4, although it was included during user evaluations.

A small sample of 6 users were queried in order to increase to total number of data points for the different ceiling sign designs. 6 out of 6 users understood the concept showing the number of available seats and the percentage of available seats, and 5 out of 6 users understood the concepts using iconography and bar charts. This shows a higher level of legibility than iteration 3, which can likely be attributed to the lower age of the queried users.

This brings the number of data points for the ceiling sign concept up to 17, with the distribution of answers looking as follows:

● 14 out of 17 users understood the concept showing the number of available seats

● 15 out of 17 users understood the concept showing the percentage of available seats

● 15 out of 17 users understood the concept showing crowding levels with iconography

● 10 out of 13 users understood the concept showing crowding levels with bar charts

This shows that legibility is similar for all concepts except the one using bar charts, for which it is slightly lower. This notion is further highlighted when analysing user preference:

● 9 out of 16 users prefer seeing the number of available seats

● 4 out of 16 users prefer seeing the percentage of available seats

● 3 out of 16 users prefer seeing crowding levels using iconography

● 0 users prefer seeing the crowding levels using bar charts

Since there were only 7 answers to what was the preferred positioning of the coloured lights in iteration 3, it was decided to interview 11 more people in order to increase the number of data points.

In total, there was almost equal preference for top mounted and floor mounted light positions with 9 out of 17 respondents preferring the floor mounted light position. The respondents who preferred the floor mounted positions believed that it would be more visible to them as their vision was naturally drawn to the floor, even without the lights. Of those who preferred the top mounted positioning, some felt that as they entered the platform, for example when getting off the escalator, they looked up to look at the screen above the platform and therefore believed this position would be more visible. Some also stated that in the case when the platform is crowded the floor mounted option would be difficult to see, especially further ahead.

7.2 Concept 2: Implied denial of entry for doors with high crowding levels This concept was inspired partly by observations made in the Stockholm bus traffic and the subway, as well as nudging theory. On busses in the Stockholm public transport system the doors are one-way, with the front door being used exclusively for entry and the back doors being used exclusively for alighting. By extending this system to the subway system, a scenario could possibly be created where the entry and alighting process is improved, as passengers entering and alighting passengers no longer have to compete for the same door. Unlike in the busses, this system would be dynamic and which doors are available for entry would be decided based on crowding levels.

The concept also uses nudging theory through the creation of default choices and social norms. By implying that a certain door is unavailable for entry, the default choice of where to go in the platform has already been made. If the message that doors with high crowding levels should be avoided is presented consistently enough, there is also a possibility that social norms are created that effectively improve crowd distribution.

7.2.1 Iteration 1 The first iteration focused on developing the concept from the foundation that was presented during the initial ideation. The concept was refined into a concrete design proposal with trigger material to be used in user tests.

The concept was developed as a series of signs mounted in the ceiling of the station over each door of the train. The signs would show information in three different levels, similarly to the concept that shows crowding information. Unlike that concept, however, this concept would not show the actual crowding levels, but rather a recommended course of action for the passenger. If a door has a high level of crowding the signs would show red stop symbols, implying that entry is forbidden or highly discouraged. If a door has medium crowding the sign would show yellow arrows pointing to the nearest door with less crowding, which would have a green sign with arrows point to the train.

The concept was illustrated in an image to be used for user feedback, with the main point of interest being if users would understand the information, and if they would accept the idea of having exit-only doors on the train. See Figure 32 for the first version of the concept.

Figure 32. Illustration of denial of entry concept. The signs in the ceiling indicate whether a door is available for entry and match up with the position of the train doors.

This concept showed to be very prone to misunderstanding, with 12 out of 19 respondents understanding the information as intended.

The most common misunderstanding was that the red signs represented a strict requirement of no entry, most commonly because the doors were broken or would remain closed for some other reason. Two people also made the connection to short trains, suggesting that the yellow signs in combination with the red indicated the arrival of a short train.

Despite of lower level of understanding, and a wide variety of issues, the concept was still well received among those that understood it as intended. Most respondents were open to the idea of having “exit- only”- doors, feeling that it would be an efficient way to reduce crowding and issues with entering and alighting the train.

7.2.2 Iteration 2 The previous iteration of this concept had a high rate of misunderstandings during user feedback. Many users saw the red signs as a strict requirement, and many correlated the yellow signs in combination with the red signs to short trains incoming.

For this iteration, two major changes were made. Firstly, it was decided to move away from iconography and use text instead. Designing novel icons that were both legible and easy to understand from a distance was deemed impractical and unlikely to pay off. Instead, text was used to convey short messages to passengers on the platform as this was expected to increase the level of understanding among users.

Secondly, the yellow sign was removed. User tests showed that the yellow signs were a source of confusion and based on the express purpose of the concept they provided no extra value. The purpose of this concept was to guide passengers towards less crowded doors in an explicit way, by providing them not with crowding information, but rather by providing a pre-made, binary choice on where to enter. The yellow sign did not fit into this binary decision, and caused confusion among users

The new design uses two signs with information conveyed through text and colour; a red sign which reads “Endast avstigning1”, and a green sign which reads “Påstigning2”, see Figure 33.

Figure 33. Version 2 of the denial of entry concept, using text instead of symbols.

During iteration 1 this concept was evaluated alongside concept 1, which likely had an effect on its legibility among users. In order to avoid this issue during iteration 2, the denial of entry concept was shown separately from concept 1.

Out of 12 respondents 6 understood the concept as intended. The lower level of legibility is likely attributable to people not seeing concept 1 before seeing this concept.

A common complaint was that the green and red signs offered conflicting information, meaning that it was not clear that the signs provided information per door. One respondent also expressed confusion over seeing new, unfamiliar information.

There was clear correlation between a user’s age and their ability to understand this concept as intended. Younger people were more likely to both understand the concept and to have a positive attitude towards it. Older people often struggled to see the signs in the image that was shown. This could possibly be attributed to the small size of the screen, which was used to testing, which is a potential flaw in the testing methodology, although this is not conclusive.

7.2.3 Iteration 3 This concept saw minor changes during this iteration and was further evaluated using user feedback.

One major issue during iteration 2 was the perceived conflicting information provided by the signs, with the red signs implying that the entire train was out of service, and the green signs implying the

1 Eng. Alighting only 2 Eng. Entry

38 opposite. To alleviate this issue, the red signs were changed from reading “Ej påstigning3” to “Välj annat dörrpar4”, see Figure 34.

Figure 34. Version 3 of the denial of entry concept, using a new phrasing for the red sign.

The intention behind this change was to show that while a certain train door may not be available for entry, the rest of the train is still in service.

The new phrasing of the signs was comparatively well received, with 5 out of 7 users understanding it as intended. Unlike in the previous iteration, no users felt that there was conflicting information and no users thought the signs implied that the train was out of service. Two users stated that they thought the doors under red signs would not open at all, although they expressed no concern over this fact.

7.2.4 Iteration 4 This concept saw minor changes and additions in an attempt to reduce the risk for misunderstandings. A new phrasing was added to be tested in addition to the old one, reading “Hög trängselnivå, välj annan dörr5”. This phrasing was chosen to convey the reason why the door is not available for entry, while still maintaining that the choice whether the user can enter or not has already been made. A set of orange signs were also added to test if the red colour played a part in making the users think the doors were broken, or for some other reason would not open at all. Both new concepts can be seen in Figure 35.

Figure 35. Version 4 of the denial of entry concept, using orange signs and a third phrasing.

3 Eng. No entry 4 Eng. Choose another door 5 Eng. High crowding levels, choose another door

In iteration 4 a small sample of 6 respondents were queried in order to evaluate the newly designed concepts alongside the old one.

After this round of testing the total distribution of answers looked as follows:

● 8 out of 13 respondents understood the red sign ● 3 out of 6 respondents understood the recoloured orange sign ● 6 out of 6 respondents understood the sign stating that there are high crowding levels

During this round of testing the sign explicitly stating the reason to choose another door was shown first, in order to minimise the chance that respondents would understand it simply because they had seen the other two signs first. Despite this, 100% of respondents understood the sign without issue, indicating that the increase in information content makes the sign more legible. Additionally, despite being shown a sign they understood first, 50% of all respondents still misunderstood the red and recoloured signs. Therefore, this round of testing indicated that an explicit explanation of why a door is not available for entry has a great effect on legibility.

For future research, it could be valuable to explore whether the explicit explanation has any effect on the agency of the sign, reducing its ability to effectively guide travellers towards other doors.

7.3 Concept 3: Static directions using floor decals This concept emerged from nudging theory and uses a few core principles to potentially affect the behaviour of travellers. The concept primarily works as a reminder that users should move towards the middle of the platform that is delivered before the train arrives. By delivering the information immediately users are able to conveniently act on the reminder, and by hinting at the potential benefits of following the directions further incentive can be created to consider the information that is being presented.

7.3.1 Iteration 1 The first iteration focused on developing the concept from the foundation that was presented during the initial ideation. The concept was refined into a concrete design proposal with trigger material to be used in user tests.

Three versions of this concept were developed from the concept presented during the initial ideation phase.

The three versions differ somewhat in graphical design. Two of the concepts use relatively high density of information with arrows being complemented by text. One of these two concepts use a more “sterile” design, and the other uses a design with SLs “pendlisar” figures that were used for marketing on the commuter trains. See Figure 36 for an illustration of these two designs.

Figure 36. Two version of the static decals.

The third sign uses a lower amount of information, having only a simple message and the entire sign being shaped like an arrow, see Figure 37.

Figure 37. The third version of the floor decal.

The main point of interest for user studies regarding this concept was if users understood the information, how they would value it and if they would notice it. Due to the nudging nature of this concept it was deemed difficult to judge its effects through user studies alone, and the hope was that there would be possibilities to test this concept in the field.

This concept was well understood by all respondents, but its immediate value was put into question. All respondents understood the information on the decals, but the majority also stated that they wouldn’t care personally or that it wouldn’t make a significant difference on their behaviour. Only 2 out of 16 respondents said that there might be some value in having this extra information. There was no discernible difference between the two designs.

Despite the negative reception, this concept was still considered to have some value. It was predicted that users would not consider the information explicitly, but rather implicitly through nudging mechanisms. Since all respondents understood the information design without issue, it was decided that no more refinement was necessary, and that the concept could be placed in hibernation until the possibility that field tests could be conducted.

This evaluation did not include the arrow decal since its simple and implicit design meant that there was little value in getting trigger material-based user feedback.

7.4 Concept 4: Decals on the floor indicating where the doors will be This concept came up during this first iteration phase and consists of decals placed on the floor of the platform that show where the doors will be while also indicating where passengers should stand so that they do not block alighting passengers. The idea for the concept came up during passive observations as well as in the in-depth interviews. Frequently lines were formed perpendicular to the train sometimes obstructing the flow on the platform. It was also observed that although most passengers were standing to the sides when waiting for alighting passengers to exit the train, it was still common that the lines were formed closer together than the gap between the train doors. This was also often brought up during the in-depth interviews. This could create a scenario where only one person could exit the door at a time, rather than two passengers at a time, side by side. The concept was also inspired from the state- of-the-art analysis which showed similar systems used in many cities across the world. The hope was that such a system would allow people to better place themselves on the platform, allowing people for better flow on the platform as well as out from the train.

7.4.1 Iteration 1 The first iteration of this concept focused on creating trigger material to be used in user testing.

This concept consists of three visual components. The arrow pointing from the door intends to indicate where the passengers will be exiting, while the dotted arrows parallel to the train indicates where entering passengers should wait. The curves perpendicular to the train acts as a barrier, preventing entering passengers from blocked those alighting the train. See Figure 38 for an illustration of the first iteration of this concept.

Figure 38. First version of the floor decal concept.

The main point of interest regarding this concept was if users would understand the information, and if they would consider it when placing themselves on the platform.

Out of 15 total respondents to this concept, 9 understood it as intended, 3 understood only parts of the concept, and 3 did not understand the intention of the signs. One major issue with the design in this iteration was that the arrows to the sides of the doors were not immediately clear to the users. Many stated that the concept only showed where the train doors would be and did not realise that the decals

42 also indicated where to wait for alighting passengers. Some respondents also expressed confusion about where on the decal to stand.

7.4.2 Iteration 2 User feedback for this concept identified that many users did not fully understand the intention of the decals. Many users saw it only as an indication of where the train doors would be on the platform, failing to notice that the decal also instructs users on where to wait for alighting passengers. Development in iteration 2 focused on solving these issues.

To alleviate the issues presented during user feedback in iteration 1, the contrasts in the design were increased by using different colours for the different components of the decal. Previously, the entire decal had been using the same shade of red for the entire design, making it difficult to distinguish the different parts from each other. With the new design, different colours are used for each of the parts. The arrows indicating where to wait for alighting passengers are now orange, distinguishing it from the lines, which maintain the same shade of red. The arrow indicating the flow of alighting passengers is now green and the arrows showing the position of the waiting line is in orange, insinuating a hierarchy of who precedes to walk. See Figure 39 for an image of the new design.

Figure 39. Version 2 of the floor decal concept.

During iteration 2, 8 out of 10 understood the concept as intended, and 2 understood it partially, indicating that the use of multiple colours offered significant improvements to legibility. However, 2 respondents believed that the sign could be confused with art because of the colours and the soft curve of the dividing line. Several respondents expressed the desire for an arrangement such as the concept and believed it would improve the flow entering and exiting the train.

7.5 Concept 5: Personalised trip and crowding information at turnstiles This concept came up during the first iteration phase as a result of interview and survey data. The data gathered from those user studies showed, as mentioned, that many people plan their trips ahead of time. However, many people said during interviews that they plan their trips before they leave, and that they do not check the app again during their trip. The idea with this concept was to provide relevant and timely information as a complement to the planning that they do at home.

7.5.1 Iteration 1 The first iteration of this concept focused developing a concrete design proposal, and visual material to be used in user testing.

With this concept, users would confirm their trip in the app at home, and the signs at the turnstiles would provide personalised information about the trip. Information included time until next departure, time for connecting departures, arrival time, and crowding information for each leg of the trip. See Figure 40 for an illustration of this concept.

Figure 40. Illustration of how personalised information could be delivered at the turnstiles.

User tests of this concept would evaluate if users understood the information presented on the screens, and if they would consider it when placing themselves on the platform. What was also of interest was the time it took to evaluate and understand the information since the time at the turnstiles are severely limited and should not be a source of congestion.

This concept proved to be very difficult to understand. Some respondents understood and focused on the crowding information, but most either didn’t understand it at all, or took very long to understand it. Even after having the information explained to them, many respondents stated that they would not make use of the functionality offered by the concept.

One major issue with this concept was how long it took to grasp all the presented information. The turnstiles are a critical point in a passenger’s journey to board the train, and a point where slowdowns can cause significant build-up. Since passing the turnstiles is an event that must be completed quickly,

44 it was decided that it was an unsuitable place for extra information, and the concept was not included in future iterations.

7.6 Concept 6: Timer showing countdown until doors close This concept came up during the first iteration phase as a result of data gathered during interviews as well as from passive observations. Many interviewees described their experience rushing to the train doors in order to not miss a departure. When this happened, interviewees, and those observed during passive observations, tended to enter the first door, even though there might have been time to walk further down the platform. This concept would place a countdown timer over each door, making it easier to make a decision about whether to move down the platform, enter the first door, or to simply wait for the next departure. Additionally, in the situation when standing on the platform and the nearest door is far more crowded than the ones on the side, the timer could make it easier to decide how many door away there is time to walk in order to minimise crowding on the train.

7.6.1 Iteration 1 Iteration 1 of this concept focused on developing a concrete design proposal, as well as visual trigger material to be used for user evaluation.

Development for the first iteration of this concept was relatively simple. Visual material was developed as a simple .gif animation that was superimposed on an image of a train. The graphic shows a row of blue bars turning orange in sequence, indicating the time remaining until the doors close. See Figure 41 for a non-animated illustration of this concept.

Figure 41. Illustration of timer above the train doors. During user evaluation a .gif animation was used.

User tests would evaluate if users understand the information shown by the timer, and if they thought it would be useful.

Out of 9 respondents, 8 understood the information shown by the timer. Based on the reactions from users the utility of the concept is questionable, and few said that they thought that it would be useful. When given a scenario of coming in late to the platform or encountering that the door closest would be considerably more crowded than doors a few steps away, the respondents were more positive towards

45 the value of the information. Some respondents said that the timer would make them stressed while fewer said that they would be less stressed given the timer information.

7.7 Concept 7: Signs showing art and trivia This idea came up during the first iteration phase and involves mounting signs, similar to the Clear Channel advertising signs, across the entire platform. The signs would then be populated with art, with the intention of creating a flow of images that lead to the least crowded point on the platform. The art shown on the signs would be changed often to avoid stagnation which would hypothetically maintain interest among travellers.

7.7.1 Iteration 1 Visual material for the concept was developed by superimposing an image of a painting over an image of a subway platform. Figure 42 shows an illustration of how the signs would be mounted.

Figure 42. Illustration of how art signs could be mounted.

User feedback was used for this concept to evaluate whether users understood the information that was shown to them, and whether they would consider it when positioning themselves on the platform.

Only 3 out of 19 respondents were shown this concept due to time limitations, as it was shown last of all concepts during iteration 1. All 3 respondents understood the information but questioned its immediate value. During in-depth interviews being conducted in parallel with the first iteration, the idea had come up to show trivia, or even comic book pages on the signs instead of art. These ideas were evaluated verbally as an alternative to art and received more enthusiastic feedback. These concepts were addressed in future iterations.

7.7.2 Iteration 2 Based on user feedback from iteration 1 as well as in-depth interviews, this concept was developed to show pieces of trivia on the signs rather than art. The art concept was still kept for user evaluations, as there were not enough answers to draw any concrete conclusions about the concept.

The trivia would be divided into multiple parts, creating a flow of information that moves towards the middle of the platform. Any type of factoid could be used for these signs, but for the purpose of conducting user tests, whale facts were used. See Figure 43 for the illustrations used during user tests.

Figure 43. Example factoids used during user evaluations.

Users in iteration 1 expressed more interest in seeing trivia rather than art, and continuity between the different signs can be created by hinting at further information if the user were to move towards the middle of the platform.

First the picture of art was shown. Out of the 10 respondents most reacted positively to having more art on the station. Only one respondent would not consider looking at the art. However only two respondents stated that they would definitely look further. Most of the other respondents felt that they might look further if they had time and if the art that was presented was interesting to them. Some respondents felt that the information could be confused with ads which was also the case in two of the in-depth interviews. During one in-depth interview it was suggested to make the frame look more like a picture frame a regular frame of a screen. One respondent from the contextual interviews suggested that a more interactive and moving art piece would create more interest.

Later an example of trivia was shown in the shape of three frames containing trivia about blue whales. This concept was received with very similar interest as the art concept. If the facts shown awoke interest and if arriving a few minutes before departure all but two respondents would consider walking further to look at the other screens. One respondent raised the point that if the answers to rhetorical questions aimed at getting the viewer's interest would to be shown on the upcoming screen instead of being answered on the same screen, as in the example, the concept could have more impact.

There was no further testing of these concepts since it proved difficult estimate the effect that such measures would have in a live environment. A second reason was that several other concepts were deemed more promising in evening out the distribution of passengers.

7.8 Concept 8: Floor decals to guide passengers towards the platform walls This concept was initially developed during the initial ideation phase. At this point the concept was deprioritised in favour of other concepts that were deemed to require more investigation and development. Later in the project process it was decided that there was time to evaluate this concept as the completed survey and interview findings still suggested that this was a concept with potential. Due to the late addition of this concept in the project process it was not iterated on and was only tested once.

From the survey, in-depth interviews as well as contextual interviews it was found that many felt that they were blocked from moving along the platform when it was crowded. From the survey 19.4% reported that they were either unwilling or unable to walk along the platform as a result of crowding. For 8.6% of respondents this occurred several times a week and for 10.8% a few times per week. From contextual and in-depth interviews, it was clear that some who felt blocked by a crowd simply do not pass the crowd in these situations and become a part of the crowd themselves. Some others pass the crowd but feel either annoyed at having to manoeuvre through the crowd or scared since this often means having to pass near the edge of the platform. This information was in line with what had been observed during the passive observations. The concept was thought to have the potential to alleviate some of these issues which in turn could help and encourage people to walk further along the platform, thus distributing the passengers more evenly. Also, since the space for standing is limited this means that some areas might get full quicker than if the entire platform was used for standing, resulting in people having to walk further to find somewhere to stand.

Visual material was developed for use in user evaluations, see Figure 44.

Figure 44. Illustration of how waiting travellers can be guided towards the back wall of the platform.

The arrows pointing further toward the middle of the platform are both to indicate where the allocated walking area is, but also to subtly nudge people to walk further towards less crowded parts of the platform. The line intended to divide the walking area and the waiting area uses triangles hinting at

48 which side of the line to stand. Additionally, there is a text inside the waiting area reading: “Stå bakom linjen6”

The main point of interest for user feedback regarding this concept, was whether users would understand the intention of the decals, and their general attitude towards it.

19 out of 24 respondents understood the concept as intended. Of the 5 that did not understand as intended 2 did not know Swedish, which meant they could not understand the text written on the floor and was solely depending on the shapes of the floor decals to understand its meaning. Among those who understood the concept it was generally easy to understand. When asking the respondents if they would consider moving and standing according to the concepts intentions, 2 people would not care about it, 7 said that they would follow it, while the rest said that they would follow the decals if doing so was already established as a norm.

7.9 Concept 9: Information screen along entire length of platform This concept was added in the later parts of the concept development phase and was a result of many of the findings from previous concept evaluations and user insights.

During the course of the concept development process it had become clearer and clearer which types of information are efficient in affecting user’s behaviour, and also that different concepts have the potential to affect users in different ways. Previously examined concepts have all used information carriers that only allow for one piece of information to be shown. During the state-of-the-art analysis a concept in the Netherlands was explored, which used a LED panel across the entire length of the platform to show information. This type of information carrier allows information to be delivered across the entire length of the platform, which has been shown to be a great benefit to the user, while also allowing for great customization and flexibility in information design. The flexibility was leveraged in this concept to combine many of the concepts previously established in this report.

The concept tested in the Netherlands was designed for use on a long-distance train platform, meaning very little besides the information carrier itself could be used in this project. Therefore, development of this concept focused mainly on deciding what previous concepts to include in the new information carrier, and how to present them in clear way. As with concept 8, this concept was not iterated on and was only tested once. See Figure 45 for the visual material that was used in testing.

6 Eng. Stand behind the line

Figure 45. Illustration of how information can be delivered along the entire length of the platform

Crowding levels were shown as a percentage above each door, simultaneously conveying information about crowding and door positions. A coloured bar along the bottom of the screen conveys the same crowding information at a lower level of detail, allowing users to see a rough estimate of crowding levels at any position on the platform. This information carrier also had the added benefit of placing the colour information very close to the train, which had been shown to increase legibility in previous iterations. Black lines in this bar are also used to highlight door position. Between each door arrows are used to guide users towards less crowded parts of the train in a similar way to the static floor decals. In this concept, however, the information can be changed dynamically in case the crowding levels change, or for some reason does not follow the usual pattern for the station.

The main point of interest for user studies regarding this concept was to evaluate the legibility of the new information carrier, as well as how users respond to being shown multiple different pieces of information simultaneously.

This concept proved to have a good legibility with 14 out of 16 people understanding it as intended. For 3 of the respondents the concept was understood fully only after reading the text. Of the 2 who did not understand the concept, it was the arrows that was misunderstood for being the direction the train was travelling rather than the suggested direction of movement for the passengers.

This concept was introduced late in the concept development phase and did therefore not see any further development after its first iteration. It was, however, kept in consideration when collecting all the resulting insights from the concept development phase as a set of design considerations.

8 Field tests During the later stages of the project a prototype was constructed based on concept 1: showing real time crowding information using ceiling signs and coloured lights.

8.1 Purpose The purpose of conducting field tests was to gather user insight based on a more realistic scenario than what had previously been seen in the project. By constructing a prototype that resembles a finalised system to a reasonable degree, users can give feedback based on their actual experience and decisions, rather than having to imagine a scenario based on trigger material. The data gathered from this test was considered more accurate and tested for more variables than the trigger material tests. Besides testing legibility, the field tests also considered such factors as general visibility on the platform, and time spent by users when observing the prototype. The prototype also allowed for a more hands-off approach to user evaluations, potentially allowing for more representative results (McCambridge, Witton and Elbourne, 2014).

Besides allowing for more accurate user evaluations, the field test will also produce reliable quantitative load data using the systems built into the train. This data can be used to find any potential difference in crowd distribution for the time that the prototype is active. However, this data cannot be analysed in this project, as it is collected on a quarterly basis and will therefore not be made available until several months after the conclusion of this project. The data will still be available as a resource for MTR, the Public Transport Administration, and any future research looking to explore similar topics as this project.

8.2 Design and procedure The design of the field test was based around the ceiling sign and coloured lights concept and was implemented on the south-bound platform at Tekniska Högskolan. This concept was chosen as it showed promise throughout the development process and was considered feasible to be implemented as a prototype. The test was conducted over 6 days, between May 20 and May 25, with one session during the morning rush and one session during the afternoon rush.

The sign was implemented using a mini projector (Acer K11) mounted in the ceiling at one end of the platform, using a sheet of foam board as a canvas. The projector was used to show three different designs for the ceiling sign; the bar chart concept was excluded as it was ineffective during concept evaluations. The coloured lights were implemented using a set of DMX controlled LED modules (Traxon Dot XL- 9) that were mounted in the ceiling along the entire length of the platform. The static information sign that was previously developed was used on the end of the platform that did not have the dynamic ceiling sign.

The projector and LED modules were controlled manually using two different computers on the platform. The positioning of the light strip was approximately 2 meters from the edge of the platform as a result of regulations regarding how close to the platform edge it is allowed to make installations without special permission.

Due to a lack of real-time load data, crowding levels were evaluated manually at Universitetet station. Crowding levels were evaluated per train car and were then transmitted to a person at Tekniska Högskolan. This person then adjusted the information shown on the ceiling sign and LED modules.

Users were queried on their experience with the prototype using a simple survey conducted by the person at Tekniska Högskolan, see appendix C. In total, 484 people participated in the survey.

The exact per-day schedule and prototype variation is presented below.

8.2.1 Day 1 Testing was conducted between 9:10 AM to 10:10 AM, and 15:10 PM to 16:30 PM with 53 total survey respondents.

For the first test of the week the ceiling sign was used to show the graphical representation of crowding, and the coloured lights were deactivated, see Figure 46.

Figure 46. Testing setup used for day 1.

The initial idea was to test the three different ceiling sign concepts over the course of three days, but it was quickly noticed that few travellers noticed the sign. Of all respondents, 28.8 noticed the information, and of those that noticed it 28.2% understood the information. Because of this, it was decided to activate the coloured lights from day 2, as that was expected to draw more attention to the prototype.

8.2.2 Day 2 Testing was conducted between 7:30 AM to 10:00 AM, and 15:30 PM to 17:20 PM. There were 77 respondents during the morning session and 69 during the evening session.

For the morning session of day 2 the graphical representation was once again shown by the projector, but this time with the coloured lights activated, see Figure 47.

Figure 47. The coloured lights.

For the afternoon session, a line of text was added to the ceiling sign, which alternated between reading “Nästkommande tåg”7 and “Trängselinformation”8. This was done based on responses from users who did not understand that the information was real-time. See Figure 48 for the testing setup.

Figure 48. Test setup for day 2.

7 Eng. Next departure 8 Eng. Crowding information

Day 2 showed improved results, with more travellers both noticing and understanding the information, see table 1 and table 2.

Table 1. Share of users noticing the information on day 2.

TIME NOTICED INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY

MORNING 46.8% 11,4% 19.8% 15.6%

EVENING 58% 33.5% 20.3% 4.3%

Table 2. Share of users who understood and used the information on day 2.

TIME UNDERSTOOD INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY USED INFO

MORNING 57.6% 24.3% 30.3% 3% 33.3%

EVENING 70.5% 44.9% 25.6% 0% 73.7%

8.3.3 Day 3 Testing was conducted between 07:30 AM to 09:50 AM and 15:20 to 17:25. There were 58 respondents during the morning session and 57 respondents during the evening session.

For day 3, the ceiling sign design was changed to the percentage concept and the coloured lights were activated. The alternating text was kept on the ceiling sign, see Figure 49.

Figure 49. Test setup for day 3.

Day 3 showed further improvements to visibility and legibility, see table 3 and table 4.

Table 3. Share of users noticing the information on day 3.

TIME NOTICED INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY

MORNING 50% 24.1% 19% 6.9%

EVENING 64.9% 38.6% 15.8% 10.5%

Table 4. Share of users who understood and used the information on day 3.

TIME UNDERSTOOD INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY USED INFO

MORNING 82.1% 42.8% 39.3% 0% 47.1%

EVENING 75.7% 56.8% 16.2% 2.7% 50%

8.2.4 Day 4 Testing was conducted between 07:25 AM to 09:30 AM and 15:15 PM to 17:25. There were 48 respondents during the morning session and 53 respondents during the evening session.

For day 4 the ceiling sign was changed to the concept show the number of seats available. All other factors were kept the same, see Figure 50.

Figure 50. Test setup for day 4.

Day 4 saw further improvements, mainly regarding legibility as well as visibility during the morning session see table 5 and table 6.

Table 5. Share of users noticing the information on day 4.

TIME NOTICED INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY

MORNING 71.8% 44.7% 20.8% 6.3%

EVENING 62.2% 32.1% 22.6% 7.5%

Table 6. Share of users who understood and used the information on day 4.

TIME UNDERSTOOD INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY USED INFO

MORNING 87.5% 40.6% 43.8% 3.1% 33.3% EVENING 90.3% 48.3% 35.5% 6.5% 58.8%

8.2.5 Day 5 Testing was conducted between 07:25 AM and 09:30 AM. There were 33 respondents.

For day 5 the ceiling sign was changed back to show the percentage of seats available, in order to enable comparison between showing the percentage and the number of seats. Other factors were kept the same.

Day 5 saw further improved visibility, but a reduction in legibility compared to day 4, see table 7 and table 8.

Table 7. Share of users noticing the information on day 5.

TIME NOTICED INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY

MORNING 84.8% 63.6% 3% 18.2%

Table 8. Share of users who understood and used the information on day 5.

TIME UNDERSTOOD INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY USED INFO

MORNING 70% 56.7% 3.3% 10% 31.2%

8.2.6 Day 6 Testing was conducted between 12:15 PM and 14:00 PM. There were 33 respondents.

For day 6 the ceiling sign showed the percentage of seats available on the train with the coloured lights activated, same as on day 5. See table 8 and table 9 for survey results.

Table 8. Share of users noticing the information on day 6.

TIME NOTICED INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY

MID-DAY 47.4% 21.1% 26.3% 0%

Table 9. Share of users who understood and used the information on day 6.

TIME UNDERSTOOD INFO BOTH SIGN ONLY LIGHTS ONLY USED INFO

MID-DAY 70% 37% 33% 0% 25%

During this testing session several interviews were also conducted on the far end of the platform where a static information sign was mounted as seen in iteration 3 of concept 1, see Figure 51.

Figure 51. Static information poster on the far end of the platform.

Of the 14 respondents that were surveyed on the far end of the platform 50% had seen the static information sign. Of these, 71.4% had seen the coloured lights as well and had understood their meaning.

8.3 Field test insights Based on the prototype and field tests several important insights could be gathered about the implementation and design of this type of information system.

It was noticed very early that visibility is a significant issue with this type of environmental information delivery, with most travellers missing the ceiling sign entirely when it was not accompanied by other, more visible information systems. By adding the coloured lights, which covered a larger area and were of a higher light intensity, travellers were more likely to notice the sign. It was also beneficial to add moving components to the design, such as the alternating headline, as that significantly increased visibility. User feedback also showed that legibility was increased both when adding the coloured lights, and the alternating headline.

During user testing with trigger material it was shown that most travellers preferred to see the exact number of passengers on each train car. These findings are seemingly supported by the field tests, with that concept having the highest level of legibility, although further testing is required to conclude this with confidence.

Showing a higher level of detail, like when showing numbers or percentages of available seats, allowed the travellers to differentiate between cars that had been assigned the same colour. Respondents frequently reported that they made decision on where to go based on the numbers when there were two or more cars of the same colour. This could not be done when using icons on the ceiling sign since there were only one icon for each colour.

During initial testing in the concept development phase it was concluded that the coloured lights were difficult to understand on their own and needed to be complemented by less abstract information. This conclusion was supported by the field tests, during which it was noticed that very few users understood the coloured lights if they had missed the ceiling sign. The users that did not understand the coloured lights on their own most commonly guessed that they were either decorations, some sort of warning system for arriving trains, or lights showing the direction of evacuation.

Of those that did understand the meaning of the coloured lights it was often seen as a guide of where to go. This was especially true when another colour on the strip was visible from the position they were standing. Since there were evacuations signs obstructing the view to the section of lights on the opposite side of the platform, only the two closest of the three sections could be seen from the position where most of the interviews were held. This meant that when the two visible sections had the same colour, it was more difficult to understand the information from this position.

Looking down at the floor was a commonly cited reason for not noticing the coloured lights and the ceiling sign, calling into question whether the ceiling is an effective placement for information. This sentiment was also common during user tests with trigger material, where 9 out of 17 users stated that they were more likely to notice the lights if were they mounted on the floor, close to the track.

The prototype was noticed by an increasing number of people over the course of the testing period, even after there were no more significant changes to its appearance. Between the morning sessions of day 3 and day 4, only minor changes were made to the ceiling sign, yet the number of people that noticed the prototype increased by 30.8 percentage points. This increase is likely attributable to an increase in awareness of the sign, as more and more travellers pass through the station. This increase in visibility also implies that a concept such as this one may see an increase in efficacy over time.

Two of the respondents in the tests were colour blind and described that they had a difficulty distinguishing the different colours and what they represented. For example, the green colour on the coloured light strip was assumed to be orange by one of these respondents.

The field test also highlights the importance of testing information systems in the environment where they are intended to operate. In this project there was a significant difference in results between tests using trigger material and field tests with a prototype.

Besides these insights, one of the most important results of the field test is the load data that was generated during the operation of the prototype. By analysing the potential change in crowd distribution caused by the prototype, concrete conclusions can be made about the efficacy of the ceiling sign and coloured lights concept. This data can be used to guide further development, and potentially act as an argument for implementing a system similar to the prototype. As mentioned, however, this information will not be made available until after the conclusion of this project.

9 Final design considerations The culmination of this project in the creation of information on how to design effective information systems with the goal of reducing uneven crowd distribution in subway systems. This section presents the factors that should be considered when designing such systems.

9.1 Information detail and abstraction Throughout the project it has consistently been shown that travellers in the Stockholm subway system prefer systems that display information explicitly, such as the ceiling sign concept. Therefore, these systems are likely to be more effective than systems that present information implicitly, such as with directions through static decals, such as in concept 3. However, static decals may be accepted by users in the case that they do not necessarily present information, such as with the floors decals that guide passengers towards the platform wall in concept 8. Binary choices were also shown to be accepted in most users, such as in the denial of entry proposed by concept 2.

Additionally, it has been shown that travellers prefer the highest level of detail of information that is available. As such, there is no need to reduce precision in the information gathered from load measurement systems in the train. Users also expressed a desire for low levels of abstraction, generally preferring raw numbers over graphs and figures. This is further supported by the lower level of understanding expressed by people who only noticed the coloured lights in the field tests. However, using both high and low level of abstraction in the same information system, as done in the field tests, can accommodate people with different preferences of information and different cognitive abilities.

The prerequisites for high detail, low abstraction systems should also be considered. At the most basic level, these concepts require that real time load data on a per-car basis is made available. For the highest detail concepts evaluated in the field tests, the load data would need to be available with per-person precision. Other concepts would require information to be available per-door, such as the denial of entry concept, and the screen along the entire length of the platform.

9.2 Information position The field tests showed that having information presented along the entire length of the platform has a positive effect on efficacy. When information is shown only at the end of the platform, users are unlikely to notice the information in the first place. Therefore, concepts such as the coloured lights in concept 1, or the information screen along the entire length of the platform in concept 9 should offer guidance on how to position information. The field test also showed that while having information along the entire platform can increase visibility, it is not the only thing that should be considered. Many users still made no notice of the coloured lights in the ceiling, mainly because their gaze was naturally drawn to the floor. Therefore, the height at which information is positioned should also be considered.

User testing also showed that information placed close to the train tracks is perceived as more strongly connected to the train itself. For example, users were more likely to understand the intention of the coloured lights when they were placed right next to the tracks. Consequently, information should be placed as close to the train as is reasonable within the context of that particular subway station and information system.

9.3 Information design Information that is presented in an environment such as a subway station needs to be highly visible. During field tests it was shown that information can easily be missed, such as with the ceiling sign, unless it actively attracts the user’s attention. The two main components used to increase visibility in this project was high contrast lighting and alternating text, both of which proved highly effective. An element used in other information signs is moving elements, which also greatly improves visibility. For visual elements along the platform, such as the coloured lights in the field tests, directional movement could be added to indicate the suggested movement of the passengers. This would likely also make such elements more visible.

The field tests also highlighted the importance of making designs that are available to people with disabilities. All information should be made available through sound for the visually impaired, and over-reliance on colour should be avoided to accommodate those with colour blindness.

10 Discussion This chapter discusses the project process both from a methodology-oriented perspective and a results- oriented perspective. It discusses the benefits, limitations, and implications of the project process and its results.

10.1 Methodology discussion The project was conducted using a data driven design approach. This methodology was chosen to accommodate the broad, and largely heterogeneous target demographic. Instead of constructing user groups and personas, as is common in product development projects such as this one, the approach was based more around finding correlations between user properties and exploiting these in the design process. As an example, data revealed that many of the users who made no explicit considerations for crowding levels, were still interested in real-time crowding data. This correlation was used in the development and motivation of concepts, but no deeper definition of who actually belongs to this group was of concern. Ultimately, it was decided that elaborating on the user groups any further would not provide any useful insight and could possible act to narrow the scope of influence of the developed concepts.

This approach is not completely without risk. By ignoring the detailed properties of the users, and by not creating more specific target groups, there is a risk of missing certain concept or measures. There is always the potential that there is some concept that would be highly efficient for a smaller group, that would not be discovered using this methodology. However, for this project the benefits were deemed to outweigh the risks.

The design process was also done in an iterative manner which greatly helped improve the suggested designs. The project hinges on the mass-understanding of information by a large demographic, which essentially mandates rigorous user studies in order to ensure a high level of functionality. The project also centred around a design issue that has few available reference points, meaning that concepts had to be developed from a more basal level and from a wider starting point, further increasing the need for early and thorough user studies.

10.2 Design proposal discussion In the design proposal, it is suggested that the travellers generally prefer measures with a high level of detail and low level of abstraction. However, this could be due to the fact that the concepts and prototypes that were evaluated were new to the travellers and therefore needed the additional information in order to grasp the first time but upon understanding the concept would be satisfied with a more abstract representation of the information. Additionally, there most likely is a limit to where the level of detail is exceeding a threshold for where the information is unnecessary or simply too much to take in, resulting in information overload for some travellers.

There is a chance that the poor understanding of low detail, high abstraction concepts was caused by a lack of information – an issue which could subside over time as people go through a learning process. Thus, there is a chance that low detail, high-abstraction concepts may be sufficient, given enough initial information. More research into how the understanding of concepts develop over time is required to draw conclusions about this. Information campaigns could possibly be used to mitigate this issue and create awareness about the new information system.

If possible, it could be beneficial to show information with both high and low level of abstraction in the same information system. This could help not only to accommodate a wider audience but also to ensure that new users quicker can grasp the basic part of the information and potentially open up for understanding the more detailed part of the information later on. Also, the different levels of abstraction in the information will most likely take different amount of time to comprehend, thus ensuring that at least some part of the information can be legible if seen only for a short amount of time.

11 Conclusions The majority of travellers position themselves such that they minimise the walking distance to the exit at their destination. The second most common method is to minimise crowding.

Even among those that do not actively minimise crowding, crowding information is still highly desired, indicating that such systems may have a positive impact on travellers’ satisfaction beyond the reduction of uneven crowd distribution.

The further a person normally travels, the more they report to position themselves based on crowding. However, this is only true up to a certain travel distance. When traveling longer than 20 minutes, travellers report positioning themselves less based on crowding. This is possibly caused by the fact that stations further out on the subway lines have fewer passengers, thus guaranteeing a seat. This should be considered when choosing where to aim crowd distributing measures. It should also be noted that people who travel further than 20 minutes are more sensitive to crowding and are more likely to adjust if crowding levels are high when the train is arriving.

People generally prefer information to be presented explicitly, with high detail and low abstraction. In the case that information is not presented explicitly, information should rather act as guidance and directions, rather than information carriers.

Information position and legibility are of high importance when designing an information system for a subway station setting. Information should be placed along the entire length of the platform, with high contrast to the rest of the station interior.

The level of understanding for information systems is likely to improve over time, both with high and low levels of information abstraction. This should be considered when testing systems.

11.1 Future work Since the subject of crowding in the subway is a very broad and complex issue, some delimitations had to be made.

The project was only dealing with the Stockholm subway as a direct result of the involved stakeholders in combination with the location of where the project was conducted. The results of the project, however, could very well be of interest in other subway systems or other transportation systems around the world.

In this project, focus was on distributing people spatially along the subway trains, but the temporal aspect was not ignored. In future research it could be valuable to evaluate the efficacy of temporal measures versus spatial measures. It could also be of interest to evaluate how concepts can affect the experience on the platform rather than the train, which was the focus of this project.

The concepts and proposed solutions in this project should be possible to implement on current infrastructure. The proposed solutions and concepts could still become valuable information when rebuilding and building new stations since the effect of them could very well be applicable in other, new environments.

Other stations have other crowding properties than Tekniska Högskolan, the station at which the field tests were conducted. In this station the amount of people already on the train during peak hours is relatively high. It is also a station where few passengers alight in the southbound direction, which was

64 the side of the platform that the tests were conducted. On stations that are at the beginning of a train line, or on a station where many passengers alight, historical data or predictive data might prove more useful. This requires further investigation.

Further investigation is required in the use of sound and tactile feedback, to ensure that any implemented information system is suitable for all travellers with visual impairments and other disabilities. Sound could also be beneficial for those without any disabilities.

There is a limit to the how much information is possible to take in without creating confusion. This limit needs to be evaluated further in order to avoid giving the passengers more information than they can handle, ultimately rendering the information useless. It also needs to be investigated to which level of detail the given information continues to improve the distribution of passengers.

It would also be of interest to evaluate how these information systems can affect dwelling times, and in turn how that affects punctuality and customer satisfaction.

Field tests need to be conducted for other systems, such the ones using static decals, in order to facilitate comparison with the high complexity concepts. These tests will also allow for cost-benefit analyses to be conducted, which is important as this project has made no consideration for cost.

References Bruns H., Kantorowicz-Reznichenko E., Klement K., Luistro Jonsson M., Rahali B., (2018). Can Nudges Be Transparent and Yet Effective? Journal of Economic Psychology 65. pp. 41-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2018.02.002

CFile, 2015. Variant Studio Designs Quiet Subway Station [image online] Available at: http://cfileonline.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2-clickvariant.jpg

Cialdini, R., B., Reno, R., R. and Kallgren, C., A., 1990. A Focus Theory of Normative Conduct: Recycling the Concept of Norms to Reduce Littering in Public Places. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, [e-journal] 58(6), pp. 1015–1026. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.6.1015

Currie, G., 2010. Quick and Effective Solution to Rail Overcrowding: Free Early Bird Ticket Experience in Melbourne, Australia. Journal of the Transportation Research Board [e-journal] 2146(1), pp. 35-42. https://doi.org/10.3141/2146-05

Farage, M. A., Miller, K. W., Ajayi, F., and Hutchins, D., 2012. Design Principles to Accommodate Older Adults. Global Journal of Health Science [e-journal] 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v4n2p2

Fast Company, 2014. Ingenious Signs Ensure You Always Get A Seat On The Train [image online] Available at: https://images.fastcompany.net/image/upload/w_596,c_limit,q_auto:best,f_auto/fc/3033147-inline- dynamicboarding-platform-2.jpg

Ferro, S., 2014. Ingenious Signs Ensure You Always Get A Seat On The Train. Fast Company [online] 21 July. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/3033147/these-ingenious-signs-ensure- you-always-get-a-seat-on-the-train [Accessed: 28 May 2019]

Hagman, W., Andersson, D., Västfjäll, D. and Tinghög G., 2015. Public Views on Policies Involving Nudges. Review of Philosophy and Psychology, [e-journal] 6(3), pp. 439-453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-015-0263-2

Holtzblatt, K., Jones, S., 1995. Conducting and Analyzing a Contextual Interview (Excerpt). Readings in Human-Computer Interaction [e-journal] 2, pp. 241-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08- 051574-8.50028-5

James, L. M., Hoa, T. V., 2012. Encyclopedia of Research Design [e-book] Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412961288

King. R., Churchill, E. F. and Tan, C., 2017. Designing with Data: Improving the User Experience with A/B Testing. O’Reilly Media.

LTA, 2013. Travel early, travel free on the mrt. [press release] 16 April, 2013. Available at: https://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/news/page.aspx?c=2&id=c3983784-2949-4f8d-9be7-d095e6663632 [Accessed 30 April 2019]

Massanari, A. L., 2010. Designing for imaginary friends: information architecture, personas and the politics of user-centered design. New Media & Society, [e-journal] 12(3), pp. 401-416. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444809346722

McCambridge, J., Witton, J. and Elbourne, D. R., 2014. Systematic review of the Hawthorne effect: New concepts are needed to study research participation effects. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, [e- journal] 67(3), pp. 267-277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2013.08.015

Ngauw, B., 2018. Is the passenger loading system beneficial? [image online] Available at: https://blog.sgtrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Screenshot_20180529-213450.png

MTO Säkerhet, 2015. UTO ur ett resenärsperspektiv. Stockholm: MTO Säkerhet.

Mobil.se, 2014. Pendelkollen [image online] Available at: https://www.mobil.se/sites/mobil.se/files/styles/retina/public/pendelkollen.jpg?itok=3gRFpNMD

Nielsen, J., 1993. Iterative user-interface design. Computer, [e-journal] 26(11). https://doi.org/10.1109/2.241424

Nookmag, 2017. Ohmyhome Presents the Largest Comic Strip in Singapore to Celebrate Singapore’s 52nd Birthday [image online] Available at: https://www.nookmag.com/wp- content/uploads/2017/08/Img05.jpg

Nyblom, Å., 2014. Making plans or “just thinking about the trip”? Understanding people’s travel planning in practice. Journal of Transport Geography, [e-journal] 35(2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.01.003

Rubensson, I., 2015. Trängsel i Stockholms kollektivtrafik. [pdf] Stockholm: Trafikförvaltningen. Available at: http://sammantradeshandlingar.sll.se/sites/sammantradeshandlingar.sll.se/files/sll/Global/Politik/Politi ska-organ/Trafiknamnden/2015/2015-04-14/p19-Info-TN-utredning-trangsel-i-kollektivtrafiken.pdf

Peftitsi, S., Jenelius, E. and Cats, O., 2018. Determinants of passengers' metro car choice revealed through automated data sources: A Stockholm metro case study. In: CASPT (Conference on Advanced Systems in Public Transport and TransitData), 14th Conference on Advanced Systems in Public Transport and TransitData 2018. Brisbane, Australia, 23-25 July 2018. Available at: https://people.kth.se/~jenelius/PJC_2018.pdf

Stockholms Läns Landsting, 2017. Regionalt trafikförsörjningsprogram för Stockholms län. Stockholm: Stockholms Läns Landsting. Available at: https://www.sll.se/globalassets/2.- kollektivtrafik/regional-trafikforsorjningsprogram/ls-2017-0540-regionalt-trafikforsorjningsprogram- for-stockholms-lan.pdf

Sunstein C., 2014. Nudging: A Very Short Guide. J. Consumer Policy, [e-journal] 37(4). pp. 583-588. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10603-014-9273-1

Thaler, R. and Sunstein, C., 2008. Nudge: Improving decisions about health, wealth, and happiness. New Haven, CT., Yale University Press.

Tirichini, A., Hensher, D. A., Rose, J. M., 2013. Crowding in public transport systems: Effects on users, operation and implications for the estimation of demand. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. [e-journal] 53, pp.36-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2013.06.005

Tollhopf, M., 2012. pfarre lighting design: hafencity university subway station, hamburg [image online] Available at: https://static.designboom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/hafen_04.jpg

Trafikförvaltningen, 2017. Upplevd kvalitet - SL och Waxholmsbolaget 2017. Stockholm: Trafikförvaltningen. Available at: https://www.sll.se/globalassets/2.-kollektivtrafik/upplevd-kvalitet-i- sl-trafiken/upplevd-kvalitet-i-sl-trafiken-2017.pdf

Trafikförvaltningen, 2019. Fortsatt arbete med tunnelbanans mål och syfte. Stockholm: Trafikförvaltningen. Available at: https://www.sll.se/globalassets/5.-politik/politiska- organ/trafiknamnden/2019/14-maj/11-tjut-forts-arb-tunnelbanans-mal-och-syfte.pdf

Tversky, A. and Kahneman, D., 1981. The Framing of Decisions and the Psychology of Choice. Science, 211(4481), 453-458. http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.7455683

Webb, M., Gaymer, S. and Stuchbery, P., 2010. Opportunities for managing peak train travel demand: a Melbourne pilot study. In: Institute of Transport Studies (Monash), 33rd Australasian Transport Research Forum Conference, Canberra, Australia, 29 September - 1 October 2010. Melbourne: Monash University

Winkel, D. H. and Hayward, D. G., 1971. Some Major Causes of Congestion in Subway Systems. Environmental Design Evaluation. pp. 55-63. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-5154-3_4

Wishnow, M., 2018., Accenture. Clearhead: New principles for data-driven experience design [online] Available at: https://www.accenture.com/se-en/insights/digital/data-driven-experience-design- principles [Accessed: 23 May 2019]

Zhang, Y., 2015. Real Time Crowding Information (RTCI) Provision. M.Sc. Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan. Available at: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn%3Anbn%3Ase%3Akth%3Adiva-174113

Appendix A: Contextual interview guide

Man Kvinna Icke-binär Ålder:

Station: Destination: Tid:

Var på perrongen/Nedgång: Antal resor/vecka alt. /mån:

Varför står du där du just här?

Har du nån tid att passa?

Brukar du stå här?

Om ja, finns det tillfällen när du ställer dig nån annanstans?

Om nej, varför står du här just idag?

Hur viktigt är det att du står just här? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Vid vilken trängselnivå skulle du flytta dig till en annan vagn? [Visa bild]

Om alla vagnar såg ut som vid ovan, vad skulle du göra?

Hur upplever du att det är att ta sig fram på perrongen när det är mycket folk? Hindrar det dig från att ta dig dit du vill?

Använder du någon app för att planera din resa? I så fall hur stor andel?

Sammanfattning:

Appendix B: Online survey

Undersökning om resvanor och beteendemönster i tunnelbanan Vi vill veta mer om dina resvanor som kommer ligga till grund för ett exjobb som har målet att minska trängseln och förseningar i tunnelbanan. Det hela kommer mynna ut i en designlösning. Vi vill på förhand tacka dig för ditt bidrag! Alla svar är givetvis anonyma.

*Obligatorisk

Information

1. Ålder * Markera endast en oval.

0-15 16-25 26-35 36-45 46-55 56-65 65+ 2. Kön * Markera endast en oval.

Kvinna Man Icke-binär 3. Hur ofta reser du med gröna linjen? * Markera endast en oval.

Varje dag eller nästan varje dag Minst en gång i veckan Mindre än en gång i veckan Mindre än en gång i månaden Aldrig

4 Hur ofta reser du med röda linjen? * Markera endast en oval.

Varje dag eller nästan varje dag Minst en gång i veckan Mindre än en gång i veckan Mindre än en gång i månaden Aldrig 5. Hur ofta reser du med blåa linjen? * Markera endast en oval.

Varje dag eller nästan varje dag Minst en gång i veckan Mindre än en gång i veckan Mindre än en gång i månaden Aldrig 6. Vilken är din närmaste tunnelbanestation?

7. Hur lång är din vanligaste tunnelbaneresa? * Markera endast en oval.

0-5 min 6-10 min 11-20 min 21-30 min 30+ min 8. Hur bråttom anser du att du har på din vanligaste resa? * Markera endast en oval.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Inte bråttom alls Väldigt bråttom

Positionering på stationen

9 Hur brukar du placera dig på perrongen? * Markera endast en oval.

Jag ställer mig nära utgången på stationen jag ska av vid Jag ställer mig där det är minst folk på perrongen Jag ställer mig där jag tror det kommer vara minst folk på tåget Jag placerar mig där det finns sittplats på perrongen Jag ställer mig nära ingången på stationen där jag kliver på (kort gångstrecka) Jag har ingen särskild plan Övrigt:

10. Hur viktigt är det för dig att du får placera dig som i förra frågan? * Markera endast en oval.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Inte viktigt Väldigt viktigt

11. Hur bra insikt anser du att du har gällande fördelningen av passagerare längs tåget? * Markera endast en oval.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ingen insikt Mycket god insikt

12. Hur ofta händer det att du byter dörrpar efter att tåget kommit in på perrongen, på grund av trängsel? * Markera endast en oval.

Flera gånger i veckan Ett fåtal gånger i veckan Färre än en gång i veckan Färre än en gång i månaden Aldrig 13 Vid vilken trängselnivå skulle du välja att kliva på vid ett annat intilliggande dörrpar (med något färre personer)? *

Markera endast en oval.

Bild 1 Bild 2

Bild 3 Bild 4

Skulle kliva på samtliga ingångar

14 Vid vilken av dessa trängselnivåer (förutsatt att alla dörrpar ser likadana ut) skulle du välja att vänta på nästa tåg? * Markera endast en oval.

Bild 1 Bild 2 Bild 3 Bild 4 Skulle inte vänta på nästa tåg

Avsnitt 2

15. Händer det någonsin att du inte kan placera dig där du vill på perrongen på grund av trängsel? * Markera endast en oval.

Ja, flera gånger i veckan Ja, ett fåtal gånger i veckan Ja, färre än en gång i veckan Ja, färre än en gång i månaden Nej, aldrig 16. Händer det någonsin att du inte kan/vill ta dig fram på perrongen på grund av trängsel? * Markera endast en oval.

Ja, flera gånger i veckan Ja, ett fåtal gånger i veckan Ja, färre än en gång i veckan Ja, färre än en gång i månaden Nej, aldrig 17. Finns det någon trafikinformation du saknar som skulle göra det lättare att planera din resa? (Maximalt 3 val) * Markera alla som gäller.

Information om trängsel-nivåer för varje vagn Information om trängsel på själva perrongen Information om tid kvar tills dörrparen stängs Information om vart tågets ingångar kommer att hamna Utökad förseningsinformation Temperatur på tåget Varning när ett tåg är påväg in på plattformen Saknar ingen information Övrigt:

18 Använder du någon app/reseplanerare för att planera dina resor? * Markera endast en oval.

Ja, för alla resor Ja, för mer än hälften av resorna Ja, för färre än hälften av resorna Ja, men bara för resor som jag inte är bekant med Nej

19. Vilka appar/reseplanerare använder du? (Välj en eller flera) * Markera alla som gäller.

SL:s app SL:s hemsida Res i STHLM STHLM Traveling MyHeadsApp Ingen (som sagt) Övrigt:

20. Finns det något annat du vill dela med dig av?

21. Vi genomför också längre intervjuer där du har ännu större möjlighet att påverka framtidens tunnelbana. Är du intresserad av att ses och prata mer med oss över en fika? Skriv in en mailadress eller telefonnummer här, så hör vi av oss! Tack för din medverkan!

Appendix C: Field test survey

1. Position Markera endast en oval.

1 2 3 4 5 6

2. Såg du skylten? Markera endast en oval.

Ja Nej

3. Förstod du informationen? Markera endast en oval.

Ja Nej

4. Tog du hänsyn till informationen? Markera endast en oval.

Ja Nej

5 . Kommentarer

TRITA TRITA-ITM-EX 2019:477