Figure 1.
Project group:
Natasha Flora (flora@fis.utoronto.ca) and
Anthony Hempell (hempell@fis.utoronto.ca)
Thousands of people rely on Toronto public transit every day. Many riders are
seasoned experts who know all the routes and schedules that are relevant to
their lives, but many others need guidance in negotiating the transit system.
A comprehensive and user-friendly public system is an important means for the
Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) to provide better, more cost effective service
to information seekers.
System Purpose
The purpose of an information website for the TTC is to facilitate use of the transit system for riders and to provide general information about the transit system to the public. Information found on the website should include information about routes, maps, schedules, timetables, fares, contacting the TTC, operations, and media relations.
System Users
Several types of potential users of an information website for the TTC can be identified. The primary users of the system are riders. Riders include commuters, infrequent users, special events attendees, tourists/visitors, and school groups. Any of these riders could also fall into special categories such as the disabled, the elderly, or cyclists. An important goal of TTC riders who access the website would be to plan a trip. They might wish to know the best route(s) to select, how long a trip might take, the cost of a trip, or the rules for riding the system (for example, a cyclist would want to know at what times of the day a bicycle could be transported on the subway). Other users include the media, government officials, or students any of whom might wish to find out background or statistical information about the TTC; musicians who would like to play in the subway stations; job applicants who are seeking information about employment opportunities with the TTC; and business partners who might wish to place advertisements in the busses or subways or to arrange transportation to a special event.
Current system
The current TTC site is http://www.toronto.ca/ttc, which appears to be a partnership with the City of Toronto. While the site provides information about routes, schedules, policies and the organization, it fails to offer a consistent, intuitive or enjoyable experience for the user. The home page is cluttered with competing graphic links (see figure 1, below), the navigation is organized using drop-down menus that hamper the visibility of the site's structure, and the content is presented in a haphazard and sometimes confusing manner.
There is no provision on the current TTC site for an interactive "trip planning" application, which can be found on some other transit sites in North America. A "trip planning" application allows users to enter their starting and end points, and have the system provide transit options based on time, distance travelled, or other criteria. Instead of having to navigate and decipher complicated transit schedules and maps trying to deduce their best route, it gives the user the ability to receive a customized answer to some of the most common transit questions: "how do I get there?" and "how long will it take?"
We propose to change the TTC site in two ways:
1. redesign the information architecture and navigation structure of the site;
2. design an interactive "trip planner" application for the TTC site.
The first change will involve studying the current high-level structure, and proposing an alternative version based on the findings of our user personas and task analysis and prototyping work.
The second change will also utilize the above findings, and will involve a more detailed look at how users plan their transit trips to design a "trip planning" application customized for the specific needs of TTC users.