Transport

Although legibility and communication is very important in graphic design used for transport, I don't think it should diminish the importance of the appearance and beauty.

Please ignore my terrible photo.

I have chosen to analysis my bus pass. Its primary functions are to identify the correct holder (by use of a passport type photo) to inform what type of bus pass it is, how far the holder can travel with it and when it expires. It also states the holders matriculation number (as it is a student bus pass) and the holders details if they wish to write them on the pass.

 The majority of the text is sans serif and is a mixture of all capitals and capitals with lower case. The sans serif typeface has many similarities to the 'Transport' typeface designed by Margaret Calvert for the road signs of the United Kingdom. It has very basic form and has a consistent line thickness and weight making it very legible, and is very noticeable on the yellow background.

The only serif used on the page is for the expiry date which has been stamped onto the pass. It only uses as serif for the abbreviated NVB for November, the numbers for the day and year are both sans serif. As it has been stamped on it is less dense than the printed text and so is less readable, although the typefaces are both still legible.

The typefaces used are both very generic and basic making them legible but also suggesting professionalism as the First Bus logo also does. It could also be describe as regimented and precise which could perhaps convey the bus service, although I doubt this much thought would have been put into the typography on the bus pass. Although this idea may have been part of the design for the First Bus logo.

The hierarchy used on the bus pass is very unclear. The text which states how many zones the pass is valid for is slightly larger and darker than the other text, but it is positioned off to the side of the pass. The text which states that it is a student bus pass which I feel is less important as the colour of the pass (yellow) and a short abbreviation YP/S for young person/ student, conveys this. Also the expiry date is lighter (due to being stamped on) but is also less readable as it is overlapping other information on the pass. Finally the First Bus logo is very small compared to the rest of the information and is right up in to top corner of the pass, when there is a lot of wasted space on the left hand side of the pass.

The hierarchy is therefore confusing the placement of the text overrules the weight of it and also the style, so that it becomes very unclear what is most important and what it to be read first.

The main user of the bus pass are bus drivers. They need to be able to clearly see the information on the bus pass, in a short space of time, when the is a queue of people waiting to get onto the bus or when the bus is on a tight schedule. The information isn’t easy to read especially at a distance and in a short space of time. The pass fulfils its purpose to convey the necessary information but it doesn’t do so in an easy to read way. I assume that bus drivers are only able to read the information as they are used to how the pass is laid out and they know where to look for the information.

Below is my design to improve the First Bus pass.