A Research of The attractiveness of visual Information in Railway Station

Transcription

1 A Research of The attractiveness of visual Information in Railway Station - Experiment of Boarding Simulation by Using Eye Mark Recorder Min-Yuan MA*, Toro NAGAO**, Mitsuo KAMAIKE** * National Cheng-Kung University C/o Department of Industrial Design, No.1, University Road Tainan City, 701 TAIWAN R.O.C., mamy@mail.ncku.edu.tw ** Chiba University C/o Design and Architecture Faculty of Engineering, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba, JAPAN, nagao@design.ti.chiba-u.ac.jp, kamaike@design.ti.chiba-u.ac.jp Abstract: Nowadays, Over-information has glutted in our modern life. Especially, Railway station is full of various visual stimulus as its spatial sign for boarding. Each sign has its own shape and functions for inducing passenger or for advertisement. The passenger has to search the information that is necessary for boarding from various visual stimulus. There are rules that mainly mentioned about the arrangement and planning of signage, but no rules for discussion the appropriate visual information while boarding for passengers. As the first step, this research is tried to find out what kinds of visual information within station are mainly used while boarding. Therefore, the purpose of this research is aimed at the interaction between passenger and the visual information while boarding in railway station. In order to discuss the attractiveness of visual information, the simulation experiment of boarding was held by using Eye Mark Recorder for catching the fixation point. The results are as follows. (1)The information elements were caught in 19 items by means of fixation point, and have been classified as " graphic element", "product element", "building element", and "passengers" four kinds of groups. (2) The score of the fixation points was counted as the weight, and the principle component was analyzed. It is "decorative", "approachable", and "changeable" as the characteristics of visual information from fixation points. And the Visual information that contained attractiveness in station for boarding was discussed. Key words: Signage Planning, Railway Station, Fixation Point 1. Introduction The behavior of way-finding is common experience in city life. Especially, to find the way while boarding in railway station is most commonly in metropolitan Tokyo. The more facilities and functions of station are composed, the more complicacy of utilization for passengers it becomes. The passengers boarding while approaching to the different platform the complicacy of boarding route will be different from its spatial organizations, especially in large-scale station (e.g. Tokyo Station). The arrangement of signage for the guidance in the station [1] is the consideration of passengers smooth movement from a management point of view. In the design stage, using the concept of circulation to evaluate and analyze the layout on blueprint (A. Klein 1928) [2][3] and then planning the arrangement of signage is the basic consideration of passengers smooth movement in the present guidebook [4][5][6]. However, the huge station will entail a great number of signage in a monotonic increasing. The previous reports [7][8] of Writers had found out the rating model for the complicacy of boarding

2 route to support the circulation planning. And found that More complicacy of one boarding route requires larger amount of signage for passengers guidance, and larger amount of signage will cause higher degree of passenger s notice while boarding. Each sign has its own shape and functions for inducing passengers or for advertisement. Stations in Tokyo are full of various visual information, which could be found while boarding. The passenger has to search the sign that is necessary for their boarding among various visual information. The purpose of this research is aimed at the interaction between passenger and the visual information while boarding in railway station, and to discuss the attractiveness of visual information in station. 2. Aim of This Paper In order to find out what kind of visual information is easy to be gazed within station while boarding. Using Eye Mark Recorder for catching the fixation point, the simulation experiment of boarding was held. The installation of experiment is as follows. 3. The Installation of Experiment In order to catch examinee s fixation point the simulation experiment of boarding was set by using Eye Mark Recorder (see Fig.1). The installation for experiment is shown in Figure2. The system connected with the Eye Camera unit that put on the head, and the control unit connected behind. Data are recorded on videotape from control unit. Screen stands on the circumference of the radius 150cm, the intersection b, c points are the points that right and left 30 degrees angle from the central line, and the intersection a, d points are the points that right and left 80 degrees angle from the central line. And screen is fixed on 2cm pillar. The height of screen is 140cm from the top to the ground, length of 90cm and width of 160 degree. Presentation equipments are the digital projector (UP-1100PLUS) linked with a computer (Macintosh G3) shows the picture of boarding sequence. And the image is projected onto screen from the front side, and reproduces the image with 90cm of length and over 120 degrees [9] of width. Fig.1 Eye Mark Recorder (Model V, Nac)

3 Fig.2 The Installation of Experiment 11 students (nine male, two female, eyesight 1.0) of design as the examinee were taken in consideration of the recognition capability of form and space. The example of the actual condition is shown in Figure 3. The instruction of Experiment is conducted by Examiner, and started after calibration in a quiet room.

4 Fig.3 Examples of Actual Condition The sample of boarding route was selected as shown in Table 1. It is as follows. Route 1 is the route from the Syowadoori Enterance to Sobu Line (Platform 6) in Akihabara Station. Route2 is the route from the West Entrance to Yokosuka Line (Platform 13 and 14) in Shinagawa Station. Route 3 is the route from the East Entrance to Sobu Line (Platform 1 or 2) in Chiba Station. Route 4 is the route from Yaesu North Entrance to Yamanote Line (Platform 3 and 4) in Tokyo Station. Route 5 is the route from Marunouchi North Entrance to Yamanote Line (Platform 3 and 4) in Tokyo Station. Route 6 is the route from East Entrance to Sobu Speed Line (Platform 3 and 4) in Inage Station. There are selected by the condition of their visibility. The good visibility before ticket gate is decided by entering the entrance the ticket gate is easy to be found at first sight. The good visibility after ticket gate is decided by the destination is easy to be found at first sight after inspect tickets. Table1. Selected Boarding Route for Experiment 3.2 Fixation Points Examinee s eye motion was recorded in video recorder. The video data was read into computer, and was drawn up by frame analysis as shown in Figure 4. The black line shows the motion of dominant eye, and the black point with number shows the fixation point that stay over 0.2 sec [10] on one element.

5 Fig.4 An Example of Examinee s Eye Motion and Fixation Points 3.3 Extract from Fixation Points The rules for recognizing the elements are judged from the edge of element in their smallest unit. For example, let s take the trash box as example to explain. There is trash box that has letters trash box inscribed on its surface. (1) When the fixation point stopped on the letter of trash box, it is recognized as letter element. (2) When the fixation stopped on the contour of the trash box, it is recognized as the element of trash box. (3) From a distance, the letter in invisible, the fixation point is stopped the trash box, it is recognized as the element of trash box. (4) From a very long distance, the trash box is hard to recognize, it is recognized as the element of gangway in this condition. 4. Results and Discussions According to above rules, all the fixation points are extracted and counted from the data of experiment. The results discussions are as follows The classification of fixation point The fixation points were classified and counted, the results shown in table 2. There are pictograph, character & letter (including guidance and announcement words), graph (including route map, poster, flag), box (including trash box and display box), clock, ticket gate, automatic ticket vending machine, vending machine for drinks, train, door, gangway (including the bottom of road), pillar, floor, ceiling & roof, window, wall, lights, kiosk (including façade), and passengers, 19 items was classified. And the fixation point of every examinee was counted into 19 items. Table2. The Score of Examinee s Fixation Points Examinee No.\ Item Pictograph Character Graph Display Clock Ticket & Letter Box Gate Ticket Machine Vending Machine Train Door Gangway & Pillar Floor Ceiling Window Wall Lights Kiosk Passenger Subtotal Roof No No No No No No No No No No No Total

6 The information elements were caught in 19 items by means of fixation point, and have been classified as " graphic element", "product element", "building element", and "human being" four kinds of groups. As for the results of fixation points, there are 48% stopped on graphic information system, 7% gazed on product system, 33% gazed on construction system, and 12% stopped on the person and others. The information element was counted into sign for boarding and sign not for boarding (see Table 3). The variance analysis was done. The figure 5 shows the results (F value=24.5> F(1.20)(0.01), p<0.01 [4]). The average of sign that not for boarding (Avg.=522.7) is about 2.8 times than sign for boarding (Avg.=188). Based on this result, passenger pays much more attention to the information element that not for boarding. Here one element is caught by the fixation point (over 0.2 sec), therefore the element be caught is the element that make passenger s attention paid. Table3. The Score of Fixation Points for boarding or not Examinee No.\ elements for Boarding not for Boarding No No No No No No No No No No No Total for Boarding ot for Boarding Average Average+σ Average-σ Fig.5 The variance of for boarding and Not for boarding 4.2. The Characteristic of Information Elements in boarding route Based on the results of experiment (table 2), some elements are easy to be gazed, but some are not. It could be concerned as characteristic of element which easier to be gazed, there are something attractive in the element. Therefore, the score of the fixation points was counted as the weight, and the principle component was analyzed [10]. Table 4 shows the results of principle component analysis. The proportion of component No.1 is 0.49, component No.2 is 0.17, and component No.3 is The cumulative proportion of three components is Table4. The Results of principle component analysis Eigenvalue Proportion Cumulative proportion Component No.1 Component No.2 Component No As the results are shown in Figure 6, the high score of No.1 component are Lights, the figure, Graph, Ceiling & Roof, Door, Character & Letter, Kiosk, Pictograph, Window etc. It is the feature of twinkle, that the common characteristic. Lights and colorful collect the characteristic of decorative. Therefore, the decorative

7 characteristic is decided as No.1 component. The high score of No.2 component (see Figure 6) are Floor, Passenger, Ticket Machine, Pillar, Gang-way, Wall, Door, Ticket Gate etc. It is the feature of approachable that the common characteristic. They are the elements while approaching to platform. It is the construction elements for boarding. The approachable characteristic is decided as No.2 component. The No.3 component, the high score order are Passenger, Vending Machine, Display Box, Ticket Gate, Kiosk, Ticket Machine etc. And the low score order are Wall, Floor, Window, Ceiling & Roof, Pillar etc. The high score are the feature that sequential elements, boarding flow. And the low score are the elements that unchangeable construction elements that support passengers flow. Thus, the changeable characteristic is decided as No.3 component. The characteristics of the information elements were found by means of the principal component analysis. principle component 1 principle component 2 principle component 3 Lights Graph Ceiling & Roof Door Character & Letter Kiosk Picto-graph Window Gang-way Clock Pillar Train Wall Vending Machine Display Box Ticket Machine Ticket Gate Passenger Floor Floor Passenger Ticket Machine Pillar Gang-way Wall Door Ticket Gate Window Display Box Ceiling & Roof Lights Kiosk Train Picto-graph Vending Machine Graph Character & Letter Clock Passenger Vending Machine Display Box Ticket Gate Kiosk Ticket Machine Door Gang-way Graph Train Lights Clock Character & Letter Picto-graph Pillar Ceiling & Roof Window Floor Wall Fig.6 The Results of Principle Component Analysis 4.3. Discussion Based on above results, the information elements were caught in 19 items by means of fixation point, and have been classified into " graphic element", "product element", "building element", and "human being" four kinds of groups. There are 48% stopped on graphic information system so called signage system, 7% gazed on product system, 33% gazed on construction system, and 12% stopped on the person and others. It shows that the passengers are searching the information which is gazed more than just for their boarding needs. In the results of Fig 5, Sign that not for boarding is about 2.8 times than sign for boarding. In other words, it could be concerned that the redundant information is read while passengers boarding. And the attractiveness of visual information could be found from the score of examinee s fixation points (Table2), there are 48% gazed on the graphic elements, 33% gazed on construction elements, 12% stopped on the person and others,

8 and 7% gazed on product elements. Thus, only the thinking of sign planning is not enough for guiding passenger s moving smoothly. All the elements that attractiveness will make passengers pay their attention. Planning the arrangement of signage is usefulness for guiding passengers moving, nowadays, railway station in Tokyo Metropolitan is full of various visual stimulus, there is a suggestion that totally thinking of information planning is becoming meaningful. The characteristics of the information elements were found by means of the principal component analysis. Elements that contained the characteristics such as decorative, approachable, changeable, the possibility that to be gazed could be concerned increasing. In boarding route, there is a boarding route which be indicated complicacy, to reduce the element which contained above characteristics is considerable, or there is a boarding route that be indicated monotonous, to increase the elements which contained above characteristics for is considerable. 5. Conclusions The experiment had been held to discuss about the attractiveness of visual information in boarding by using the eye mark recorder. The simulation experiment of boarding was held for catching the fixation point. The results are as follows. (1) The information elements were caught in 19 items by means of fixation point, and have been classified as " graphic element", "product element", "building element", and "passengers" four kinds of groups. (2) The score of the fixation points was counted, and the attractiveness of visual information could be found from the score of examinee s fixation points. There are 48% gazed on the graphic elements, 33% gazed on construction elements, 12% stopped on the person and others, and 7% gazed on product elements. (3) The score of the fixation points was counted as the weight, and the principle component was analyzed. There are "decorative", "approachable", and "changeable" could be considered as the attractiveness of visual information elements in boarding route. The Visual information that contained attractiveness in station for boarding was discussed. Nowadays, only the thinking of planning the arrangement of signage is not enough for guiding passenger s moving smoothly. All the elements that attractiveness will make passengers pay their attention. The condition of railway station in Tokyo is full of various visual stimulus, there is a new suggestion that totally thinking of information planning is becoming meaningful. Not only the moving line planning, but also the planning of eye motion is becoming important. References 1. T. Miyake, et al, Architectural Institute of Japan: The Compilation of Japanese Architecture-10 th (in Japanese): Sign, Japan: Maruzen publishing, (1989). 2. R. Kawakita,: Words of Alexander Klein, I, II, III, Architectural world, No.24(1930). 3. K. Hunabashi, et al, Architectural Institute of Japan: The Dictionary of Architectural Ergonomics-verkehrsweg (in Japanese), Japan: Syoukokusya publishing, 45(1999). 4. T. Goto, et al, Architectural Institute of Japan: The Compilation of Japanese Architecture-8th: Transportation (in Japanese), Maruzen publishing, (1989). 5. Foundation for Promoting Personal Mobility and Ecological Transportation: The guidebook of station

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