User-centered Inclusive Design: Making Public Transport Accessible

This paper describes an inclusive design case study. We discuss a commissioned inclusive design project, where we have had to meet client needs as well as the needs of an exceptionally heterogeneous group of end users. With the overall aim of seeking to make public transport more accessible, this project has specifically focused on information issues relating to train stations. The objective has been to design and implement a prototype of a train information terminal that can provide accessible information to as wide a group of users as possible. To fulfill this goal, we have taken a user-centered path, working with two groups of users. First, a heterogeneous group of users took active part in the early phases of the project, allowing us to quickly assess new design ideas and mock-up prototypes; provide entirely new design ideas in a participatory manner; as well as help us abandon some of our own preconceptions. A second, similarly heterogeneous user group, more formally tested and evaluated a finalized prototype of the system in situ at a real train station, in real time, and using real train information.