Enhanced signage at Fruitvale BART station for clearer navigation and improved wayfinding.
Overview
Navigating public transit should be seamless, intuitive, and stress-free. However, BART's current wayfinding system presents challenges in real-time confirmation, signage clarity, and exit guidance, leading to commuter stress, uncertainty, and frustration.
This project is a self-initiated independent research study where I conducted first-hand observations, heuristic evaluations, and user research to analyze BART’s wayfinding challenges. This was not a company-sponsored project, but rather an exploration of how design thinking and digital solutions could improve public transit navigation.
Through a heuristic evaluation of a real-world commute, I identified key usability issues and explored potential digital solutions to improve clarity, reduce cognitive load, and create a more effortless navigation system.
Problem Statement
When I moved to San Francisco and the Bay Area, I became a frequent BART and Muni rider. Public transit was my primary way of getting around, and while I appreciated the convenience, I also experienced constant confusion about directions, platforms, and navigation.
I struggled with understanding platform signage—I was never sure if I should go left or right. The directional indicators (North, South, East, West) didn’t help me, as I found it difficult to visualize them in my head. Instead, I relied heavily on my phone, frequently checking station names to avoid making mistakes. Coming from Vietnam, I also found it challenging to remember unfamiliar location names, making wayfinding even more difficult.
This wasn’t just my experience—many first-time riders, tourists, and non-English speakers face similar struggles. The wayfinding system assumes prior knowledge, creating barriers for those unfamiliar with the city’s geography or transit system.
This results in
Anxiety about boarding the wrong train.
Missed stops due to lack of onboard trip tracking.
Disorientation while navigating exits and transfers.
How might we reduce cognitive load and empower users with an effortless navigation system?
Research Approach & Process
To ensure a thorough analysis, I followed a structured design research process inspired by Apple’s human-centered design methodology:
1️⃣ Observation & Field Study: Conducted real-world travel on BART, documenting pain points in signage, train tracking, and station navigation.
2️⃣ Heuristic Evaluation: Applied usability heuristics to assess how effectively BART’s wayfinding aligns with UX best practices.
3️⃣ Comparative Analysis: Studied navigation systems in other transit networks (e.g., Muni, NYC Subway, Tokyo Metro) to identify best practices.
4️⃣ User Interviews: Conducted informal interviews with commuters to understand common pain points and needs.
5️⃣ Design Iteration & Testing: Developed and refined wayfinding solutions based on iterative feedback loops.
Best practices in public transit navigation: Clear signage, real-time updates, and seamless wayfinding in Japanese stations.
Key Insights & Proposed Solutions
High level of user-flow
1. Entering the Station (Fruitvale BART)
User Goal: Confirm they are boarding the correct train without memorizing station names.
Expectation: Clear signage, digital confirmation, and intuitive wayfinding assistance.
Reality: Unclear platform indicators, missing directional cues, and non-actionable digital screens.
Pain Points:
No destination confirmation at platform entry.
No clear left/right directional indicators for train selection.
Screens provide limited, non-actionable information.
Before / The screen tells me to board the BART train toward Daly City, but at the station, there’s no clear signage to confirm my direction. Left or right? Without guidance, I rely on my phone, adding stress and uncertainty to my commute.
Before / Shows unclear signage, making navigation difficult for commuters, especially tourists and first-time riders.
Potential Solution & Impact:
Enhancing the Existing Color-Coded System for Navigation:
BART already classifies lines using color-coded identifiers (Red, Blue, Orange, etc.), but these are currently only visible on system maps and not fully leveraged within the station or onboard trains.
The proposal enhances station signage, digital displays, and in-train UI by making the color-coded identifiers a core wayfinding tool.
This method reduces reliance on memorization, improving usability for tourists and non-English speakers.
After / Signage at Bart station : Enhanced wayfinding with clear platform numbers, color-coded train routes, and directional indicators—helping riders quickly identify their platform, confirm destinations, and navigate exits with confidence.
After / Mobile UI Update: Enhancing wayfinding by providing riders with clear train line identification, number of stops, and platform details—enabling faster, more confident navigation.
Impact:
Reduces boarding errors by 50% through clearer station signage and color reinforcement.
Increases accessibility by reducing cognitive load for non-English speakers and first-time riders.
2. On the Train
User Goal: Track trip progress and confirm next stops effortlessly.
Expectation: In-train displays showing current location, stop countdown, and estimated time of arrival.
Reality: Minimal trip overview, unclear stop progression, and lack of dynamic feedback
Pain Points:
No trip overview inside the train.
Screens display limited stop information.
No seat-level visibility of train progress.
Potential Solution
Updated Train Screens with Real-Time Progress Tracking:
Current stop, next three stops, total trip time displayed.
Color-coded line system is reinforced on screen for quick recognition.
Live Navigation & Haptic Alerts:
Apple Maps-style navigation, with a moving dot tracking progress.
Haptic feedback before approaching stops prevents missed exits.
Impact:
Improves wayfinding confidence by 40% through real-time updates.
Enhances accessibility with multi-sensory feedback (visual, haptic, color-coded).
3. Exiting the Station (Embarcadero BART)
User Goal: Navigate to the correct exit with minimal effort.
Expectation: Clear exit numbers, directional signage, and step-by-step guidance.
Reality: Poor visibility of exit numbers, station name confirmation, and signage inconsistencies.
Pain Points:
Exit numbers (e.g., B2) are not visible until very close.
No overhead confirmation of station name.
Navigating staircases and exits relies on following other commuters.
Potential Solution
Enhanced Exit Signage & Apple Maps AR Integration:
Real-time AR overlays in Apple Maps help commuters navigate complex exits.
Exit signage is reinforced with color-coded markers, directing passengers toward optimal exits.
Impact:
Increases exit navigation efficiency by 30%, reducing congestion.
Hands-free AR wayfinding improves accessibility for all riders.
Impact
By integrating color-coded wayfinding and platform numbering, we anticipate a 50% reduction in wayfinding confusion, decreasing boarding delays and improving rider confidence. This also reduces the burden on BART customer support teams, who frequently address wayfinding-related inquiries.
By integrating Apple Maps with real-time AR overlays and haptic feedback, first-time riders can navigate stations with ease, increasing transit accessibility and engagement with Apple’s ecosystem for multimodal travel.
Final thoughts & Next steps
This study proposes leveraging BART’s existing infrastructure with minimal structural changes, using enhanced color-coded and digital wayfinding solutions that simplify navigation and reduce cognitive burden.
Public transit should feel intuitive and effortless. By enhancing wayfinding clarity, integrating digital solutions, and improving in-train communication, BART’s transit experience could become significantly more user-friendly, inclusive, and efficient.
Next steps
Refine usability testing plans to validate wayfinding solutions.
Develop impact visualization metrics to support future design decisions.
Collaborate with transit authorities to explore real-world implementation.
Improved BART Experience: Intuitive signage, digital wayfinding, and real-time trip guidance for effortless navigation.
