DRS2012 Bangkok Proceedings Vol 4 - Design Research Society

Introduction
2024 Conference Proceedings
Andrée WOODCOCK
The period between 2007 and 2013 will see an investment by the European Union, under
the FP7 framework alone of 4.16 billion euros to support the development of safer,
greener and smarter pan-European transport systems. Although much of the emphasis is
on technological development and implementation to develop economic advantage, for
example in vehicle and traffic information systems, social networking, smart cities, vehicle
to grid infrastructures, new fuels and manufacturing technologies, there is a consistent
recognition of the need to address the human factor.
Developing an integrated picture of user related transport research is critical for designers
wishing to move into this area, and to ensure coherence and efficiency in national and
international research.
In this paper, a holistic model, developed in relation to educational ergonomics will be
used to map recent transport research with respect to user issues and to show where
design input and leadership is needed.
Transport research
A goal of the EU is to establish a transport system that meets society’s economic, social
and environmental needs which is conducive to an inclusive society and a fully integrated
and competitive Europe (EC, 2009). The ongoing trends and future challenges point to
the need for satisfying rising demand for travel or ‘mobility’ by offering safe and seamless
transport and mobility to all European citizens, in the contexts of growing sustainability,
accessibility and an ageing population.
Transport research has been dominated by automotive design. The current sustainability
agenda has had two major influences on this. It has highlighted the need for increased
sustainability in private mobility (e.g. hybrid and electric vehicles, lighter, more efficient
vehicles) and emphasized the importance of public transport in enabling environmental
targets to be met.
The design of public transport services has been poor, as has been recognized in the UK.
Here, two thirds of public journeys are made by bus, with nearly 2 million people relying
on buses and coaches as their usual means of travelling to work and with total public
expenditure on buses in England amounting to some £2.5 billion (DfT, 2006). However,
the quality of the services, outside London is variable. ‘Bus users and the general public
report that many services are not meeting the high standards they expect, and in too
many places patronage remains on a downward trend. Without further action, a vicious
cycle of decline is likely to take hold in more of our communities’ (P6).
Policy documents and research calls stress the need for the passenger voice to be
considered. Along with this is the recognition that the unit of analysis should not be the
design of the vehicle, but the whole journey experience. If potential passengers are going
to change their mode of transport, attention has to be paid to each journey stage from
initial planning through to arrival at the destination, taking into consideration the different
parts of the journey, and transitions from one stage and mode of transport to another. For
example, the design of the vehicle is of secondary importance if a potential passenger is
not able to walk easily or safely to the nearest bus stop or the transport gateways present
access barriers to those who have baggage, are elderly or infirm. Understanding the user
experience is key.
Ergonomics and transport design research