The brief

Forty-one stations, three operators and nineteen kinds of sign. Passengers missed connections because the signs disagreed with each other.

The idea

We cut the system down to four sign types and one arrow. Every sign answers one question. If a sign needs a second sentence, it is the wrong sign.

Testing

We printed full-size signs on foam board and timed 200 commuters reading them at walking pace. Anything slower than three seconds was redrawn.

The outcome

The first twelve stations opened in March. Missed-connection complaints fell by a third in the first quarter.