Before boarding, on the move, after arrival
KTX Information Display
Overview
A KTX carriage has to deliver several pieces of information in a short time. The existing structure was organised by function, so what a passenger needed at a given moment wasn't where they looked. This project restructures the information around the journey itself.
Problem
- Organised by function – screens were split by feature, so finding the thing you needed took a search each time.
- Too much at once – next station, arrival time, transfers, facilities and notices all carried the same weight.
- Two languages, one system – Korean and English have to read together in one layout, and station names carry Japanese and Chinese too.
Design
- Split by the journey – before boarding, on the move, after arrival: each moment gets what it needs, and the rest is removed.
- Readable from a distance – the next station, arrival time and service status are sized to be seen from down the carriage; everything else steps back. At the moment a door opens, only which side.
- One layout for both languages – Korean and English share a single system instead of competing, and station names follow the same rule across four scripts.
- Components – top bar, station list, progress, notice banner and facilities all follow one set of rules.
Reflection
- Ordering, not adding. Most of the work was deciding what comes first at each moment, rather than adding screens.
- Still to do – viewing distance and lighting in a real carriage, and testing with passengers.