NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
Comparative Analysis
While this technique is customarily referred to as “competitive
analysis”, analysis for our research was conducted more comparatively
than competitively. Our intent was to survey a variety of approaches
taken by public transit web sites, recognizing that they are each
designed to solve relatively similar problems for similar user audiences.
We reviewed the SF Muni website, as well as the websites of six
public transit systems serving the following major metropolitan
areas: Berlin, Germany; Boston, MA; Helsinki, Finland; London, England;
New York City, NY; and Paris, France. It would be difficult and,
we believe, of little relevance to argue how closely -- or not --
each city compares to San Francisco, the primary city served by
the SF Muni system. (On what meaningful criteria would this be based?)
Our intent with these sites was more generally to observe methods
used by each to deliver complicated transit system information to
a large-scale and, presumably, technology-accessible audience of
riders. Highlights include:
- High-resolution city maps are indeed useful but take a long
time to load.
- Static PDF versions of paper maps are used frequently, but
not ideal for printing.
- Tile maps are popular, but frustrating to navigate.
- Trip planners, when available, are extremely useful. Some, however,
require a certain measure of native knowledge to plan a route.
- Neighborhood maps are a great feature, when available.
- Schedule information, when integrated with trip planner results,
is a valuable feature.
- The best sites provide integrated information for different
transit types under one authority, making transfers between different
systems close to seamless.
- Individual line maps and information can be difficult to read
if they are too bogged down with information.
- “Flow” of a site is very important, best to design
site navigation around commonly performed user tasks for an intuitive
experience, e.g. planning at trip.
- Exact timetable information is valuable, when it is accurate.
Also, timetables can be complex and difficult to read. Integration
of timetable information into the context of a specific stop and
within an itinerary seems most useful.
Individual Case Studies:
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Comparative
Analysis