The Challenges of Designing the Rail Network Map/Diagram as the Critical, Missing, Transit Infrastructure for Mumbai

Abstract

It is intriguing how a population of 7 million passengers travelling daily [7] on the Mumbai Rail network manage to navigate in absence of a well-designed public information system. The authors inquire, why is it necessary to design a consolidated map/diagram for this high-density rail network (Suburban, Metro, Monorail) controlled by distinct public and private entities, running across multiple districts. Can this map be understood within a multicultural, multilingual context of Mumbai (India); with varying degrees of literacy and exposure among people? In response to these questions, authors designed a network map/diagram for Mumbai Rail network (Print), as an alternative to the current method of ‘asking around’ to access information. The designers of the map, have based their design on the DNA of the famous London Underground Diagram, LUD [4] drafted by Henry Beck [5] in 1933. Considering the context of Mumbai the designers have introduced new features in the map to enhance its utility. Intercept study (guerrilla usability testing with tasks, pre and post-task questions) method was employed with convenience sampling to test the designed map with 102 users in commute context. The insights, challenges, failures and design decisions about the use of station index and grid, advantages of pseudo-geographic representation, appropriate use of colours for the colour-blind, importance of closure and concerns of visual complexity with regards to information density, are captured in this chapter.