Design for Transit Hubs
Overview
Delivering solutions that meet the challenges of life in public environments requires specialist design and engineering skills. We need to identify and evaluate the requirements and ensure that the resulting products are fit for purpose and robust enough to withstand the worst use and abuse cases that will be thrown at them, not only by members of the travelling public, but also by service and maintenance staff. Your customers want integrated mobility systems that deliver seamless, efficient and pleasurable end-to-end travel experiences. DCA’s track record demonstrates our proficiency in delivering product solutions for a wide range of international clients that consistently and reliably provide those customer experiences day in, day out.
Key to our success in delivering such projects is the unique multidisciplinary approach that we employ, which we believe is the only way to tackle these complex integrated systems. The comprehensive requirements of designing for public environments and the multiple touch points that exist along a passenger’s journey require in-depth knowledge and range of skills.
An example of our industry-leading innovation in this field is the award-winning Platform Screen Door (PSD) system fitted throughout the underground sections of London’s Jubilee Line. Installed in 1999, this was the first PSD system in the UK and has provided trouble-free service ever since, setting a precedent for enhanced passenger safety and platform environment control.
Designed for harsh environments
Nothing is more frustrating or looks worse in a public travel environment than a piece of equipment, infrastructure or furniture that is degraded, broken or non-functioning.
We approach every brief by first gaining a deep understanding of the in-use demands on a product through a combination of user research, studying relevant standards and legislation, and practical testing. We use this knowledge to devise an engineering strategy which identifies suitable construction methods, material choices and manufacturing processes from the outset. This strategy will establish a programme of theoretical analysis and simulation, alongside practical prototyping and testing, that aims to ensure fitness for purpose throughout the product’s design life, including solutions for planned maintenance and servicing.
By working hand-in-hand with our engineers throughout this process, the design team is able to create design solutions that are elegant but robust, simple to install and maintain, and a joy for passengers to interact with as part of their journey experience.
Modularity to suit different contexts
Public infrastructure equipment, hardware or furniture needs to be configurable and adaptable so that it can be adjusted to suit a broad range of transport contexts and environments, whether indoors or exposed to the elements.
To achieve this, we design modularity and build options into our solutions, allowing products to be tailored efficiently to each specific installation and application. Fixings need to align with the onsite hard points; layouts need to be tailored to maximise the use of the available space; and optional features need to be provided to suit the particular environment and the identified customer requirements.
Unique details and design
At DCA, innovation is built on a foundation of practical, cost-effective engineering proposals. By ensuring that our solutions are rigorously analysed, prototyped and tested, we are able to derisk and deliver the new-to-market concepts that are often needed to give our clients the edge over their competitors.
Each of the unique details and innovative features included in our work creates a memorable point of difference between our client’s offering and that of their competitors. We recognise the importance of exceptional aesthetics and standout functionality in setting our clients apart, and we pride ourselves on building their brands with iconic products that deliver both.
Developed for production
An essential feature of our offering has always been the ability to take a brief from concept right through to manufacture, resolving production issues before they arise as an integral element of our public seating solutions. While we use VR and CAD extensively, there is no substitute for working prototypes when it comes to a full assessment of functionality - some challenges only become apparent in the physical representations of a concept. Our ability to create ‘looks like, works like’ prototypes in-house is invaluable throughout the design process, allowing an iterative program of testing and improvement to refine a number of factors, including product weight, packaging and installation process. This method supports project development throughout, enabling informed decision-making and problem-solving by our design team and clients, with the ultimate goal of achieving outstanding aesthetics and usability.
From concept right through to manufacture
Exploring visual options
We continue to use traditional design techniques like hand sketching and foam modelling alongside state-of-the-art tools such as tablet-based sketching, photorealistic rendering, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to explore, develop and communicate our visual ideas. Combined with the latest physical prototyping methods, this allows us to explore and refine our aesthetic solutions iteratively, completing multiple design cycles rapidly and efficiently.
Visual excellence in product design can only be achieved through iteration: perfection require repetition. The speed and efficiency of today’s design tools mean that this is still possible, even without the ever more challenging project timescales and budgets that our clients face.
Enduring collaboration
Building and nurturing long-term working relationships with our clients is fundamental to our approach to product development. Such relationships allow us to develop a thorough understanding of their ethos, culture and brand values, as well as their strategic goals. This in turn means that we can be pro-active in bringing relevant proposals to the table and ensure that our product innovation is tailored to directly support their market strategy and enhance their brand.
One example of such an enduring partnership has been our collaboration with TfL, creating station environments that suit their unique demands. Past projects have ranged from station furniture, staff kiosks and ticketing solutions to wayfinding products, ticket barriers and platform screen doors. These designs have stood the test of time, with many remaining in use across the underground network.
Understanding our clients’ ethos, brand values and long-term strategic goals
Establishing a lasting heritage
At DCA, we take great pride in the examples of our earlier work that remain relevant in today’s travel paradigm and are still being used on a daily basis, nationally and internationally.
The specific tools and techniques that we employ have, of course, changed dramatically, and continue to evolve, but the multi-disciplinary approach which underpinned these projects and generated such iconic design solutions have stood the test of time, remaining at the heart of our work.
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