Metro Redesign Prototype By Sargam Aggarwal for WMATA Authorities

Landscape of existing systems

Some Bad Ticket Vending System Interfaces Welwyn North,UK (User Interface as System Design, Harold Thimbleby, et al) Stockholm ( /,November 12, 2007, Peterka ) /

Some Good Ticket Vending System Interfaces Dutch Railway ( design-dutch-railways-ticket.html, May18,2006, Jasper) Paris and Ile de France ( aris-train-ticket-machine/, August 11,2008, Ben Lam )

The Current System

WMATA Ticket Vending Machines Separate machines for purchasing and refilling smart trip cards Some of the older models i.e. Black machines do not have the bankcard slot. Confusing instructions Too Many slots

Data Gathering Methods

Field Research Personal Experience Analyzing the system Expert Review Station Master Unstructured Observations Observing commuters/ travellers Comparative Ananlysis Researching other TVM's Contextual Inquiry Regular commuters

Data Analysis

Field Research Important information is hidden People not aware of many functions People have a preference for old machines. Too much information Lack of adaptability Users are not familiar with most ticket options available. Expert Review Instructions were not complete and precise

Unstructured Observations Too many buttons Time Consuming People loose money Confusing Instructions Too many different slots Color and Layout of buttons is not optimal Contextual Inquiry Unfamiliar ticket options Difficulty in calculating the fare using the table provided

Unstructured Observations Each Group had 10 users

3 different machines i.e. Smart Trip vending machine, Black machines, blue machines Trying to adapt the older machine to incorporate some of the newer features No white spaces in the newer machines (bad Information Architecture) The instructions do not follow top - down or left to right approach Information Overload What is wrong with the current system design? Lack of adaptability for future enhancements

Black machines have enough white spaces which makes it more user friendly Checking balance using Smart Trip card is very fast and easy Smart Trip card is a good option which is offered as compared to other paper cards which get damaged easily Regular commuters who are used to the system find it easy to use What is right with the current system design?

Be consistent with the flow of instructions on the screen The options for payment, input and output should be placed such that a user can easily distinguish between the various slots The machine should be built so that it can be easily adapted for future enhancements Easy calculation of fares while purchasing farecards Features for the Redesign A more intuitive and interactive bigger screen for the ease of users The redesigned machine should dispense SmartTrip cards as well Provide helpful information and error messages when needed The physical machine should be redesigned to have a half closed design for better audio and security purposes

Prototype 1

Methods Used and Suggested Changes Methods Used: Field Research Expert Review Comparative Analysis Unstructured Observation Interviews Suggested ChangesImplemented ChangesReasons behind Implementation -Combine the instructions for SmartTrip and farecard - Combined into general instructions for using the machine - Motive was to reduce information overload and increase white spaces - Sensor for touching SmartTrip card is too high up - Sensor for SmartTrip was shifted to the right of the touch screen - Easier access for the different classes of users (disabled people, shorter people)

Prototype 2

Methods Used and Suggested Changes Methods Used: Task Analysis/ Contextual Inquiry Class Evaluation Suggested ChangesImplemented ChangesReasons behind Implementation -Remove the instructions - Removed the instructions altogether - The directions were redundant according to most users - Laying out the components of the machine in 2 layers instead of 3 - Rearranged the components to make the interface 2 layered - Easier access for the different classes of users as users preferred most of the components at the eye- level - SmartTrip sensor was removed. Now SmartTrip also needs to be inserted into the slot for refilling - To reduce the number of slots/components on the machine and make the interface uniform to use with both SmartTrip and farecards

Prototype 3

Methods Used and Suggested Changes Methods Used: Task Analysis/ Contextual Inquiry Usability Testing Suggested ChangesImplemented ChangesReasons behind Implementation -Add images for SmartTrip and Farecards - Added images nest to the respective options - To make the interface more interactive - Take card screen should come after the screen for another transcation - Rearranged the order of the screens to incorporate this change -most users said that the receipt and card should come out after all the transactions have been completed

Evaluation: Method: Usability Testing Number of Users: Regular Commuters - 4 Occasional Commuters Age Group: years Procedure: - Gave a general look and feel of the redesigned interface - Gave certain tasks like Buy Single Farecard to Fort Totten, Refill SmartTrip Card, etc - Asked questions to better understand the problems faced after using the system - Took recommendations and comments for improvement

Prototype 4 (Demo)Demo

Challenges Faced

Due to the limited nature of the prototype all functionalities could not be tested i.e. audio Due to the limited nature of the prototype the system could not be time tested to get a feel of the actual time required for a transaction Since a mid-tech prototype was used, all functionalities could not be fully implemented Gathering sufficient users for successful evaluation of the prototype

Future Enhancements

Having an online interactive demo to get people accustomed to the system Integrating choice of language to make it appealing to a wider audience Offering discounts if tickets purchased online to avoid rush at the station Ability to sense smart phone screens to read tickets Having different interfaces for regular commuters and tourists.

Open Issues

Test system with other potential users of the system i.e. Blind users Test system for the ease of the physical aspects like the card slot, cash slot, etc Test the audio interface of the system

Required Resources for the Redesign

Time: months Money: $85,000 to $1,25,000 People: Interface Designers, Machine Manufacturers, Testers

References: ; November 12, 2007; Peterka May18,2006; Jasper August 11,2008; Ben Lam ; 2010 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authorityhttp:// User Interface as System Design; Harold Thimbleby, Ann Blandford, Paul Cairns, Paul Curzon, Matt Jones Jaime Sanchez, Eduardo Maureira; Springer Berlin / Heidelberg; 2007http:// ;Alasdair King, Gareth Evans, Paul Blenkhorn; UMIST, Manchester, UK; 2004http:// character/; January 15, 2008; Use Design Dr. Leonard Verhoef; 2007

Questions??

Thank You.