Crowding indicators for BART’s trip planner
BART asked BlinkTag to design icons that would help riders compare estimated train crowding before choosing a departure. The feature used historical ridership data, giving people with flexible schedules another way to find a less crowded train.
“…giving riders another tool to find a train with more space, if they have flexibility to make their trip a little earlier or later.”
The icons had to fit within 16 × 22 pixels and communicate without a legend. We recommended reducing four crowding categories to three: light, moderate, and heavy. A train window with one, two, or three passenger heads made the difference visible at a glance.
Our work focused on turning a small amount of screen space into useful rider information. The designs were developed for BART’s web and mobile trip planners, with coverage from Muni Diaries and the San Francisco Examiner.
