Improving physical and emotional comfort for rail passengers of the future
Alstom partnered with McLaren Applied for their HS2 bid. Our mission was to define and show how we could maximise comfort of high speed rail passengers of the future. Our remit was the design of the rail passengers seat and showcasing our user-led approach, which all bidders needed to deliver within 2 months.
Innovation
Delivered innovation strategies that uncovered insights that fuelled desirable user experiences
Visions of the Future
Imagined our world in 30 years time that helped designers anticipate future passenger needs
Responsible for user experience
Responsible for delivering insights that improved emotional and physical comfort for rail passengers
Facilitate passenger interviews
Spoke to passengers and led activities to uncover needs, aspirations, frustrations, etc
Insight at speed
Delivered resourceful and creative data-led approaches in tight time constraints
Champion the needs of rail passengers
Communicate the importance of rail passenger needs during strategic design decisions
01 My role
02 What we delivered
A successful rail seat design and passenger experience that won the HS2 bid competition. The rail seats provides flexible space, adapting to the needs of passengers, be they business colleagues, family members, friends, less-abled people or just fellow commuters.
Our advantage
Incorporating the needs of less-abled passengers, which aligned with future investments to make UK rail more inclusive. Our seat design therefore takes into consideration the comfort needs and perspectives of passengers who don't regularly use the train today but will do so in the future.
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Our user-led approach meant that we were able to make informed design decisions with confidence and at speed.
Seat features
03 Our learnings
When passengers board a train of the future they want to feel:
"open, light, bringing nature in"
"luxury like in first class"
"spacious, away from people"
"safe, secluded, like on my own little island"
"cozy with all of my senses"
"secure with all my things"
"summer cool and winter snuggly"
"cleanliness and be clean"
"exited and on an adventure"
"confident and up in the clouds"
04 Approach
Staying true to our beliefs we conducted a broad discovery phase, despite challenging time constrains. The insights fuelled the direction of ten high-level rail seat concepts and highlighted the need for rail passenger interviews with less abled passengers.
Our insight approach during the definition and development phase focussed on using available resources creatively and taking advantage of every opportunity to research and test ideas (see diagram below). For example, observing passengers and testing design concepts with paper prototypes during milestone collaboration session with Alstom in their Paris office.
Our user-led approach meant that we were able to make design decisions with confidence and at speed.
Insight approach
05 Research photos
06 Process highlights
1. Discovery
Insight approach - Insight generated 10 design concepts
Insight approach
Desk research - we captured insight on current and future context of rail industry, rail passengers and rail environment.
Each concept is driven by clues, facts and statements derived from high-level desk research and field observations to form a collection of possible ideas.
Stand and deliver
Sense and adjust
Open frame
Full width
Acoustic balance
Airline
Inline
Console
Spine
New recline
2. Definition
Insight Approach fuelled 3x themed and focused concepts
Insight approach
​We captured insights on passenger needs and behaviours to inform design opportunities to improve passenger comfort. This insight fuelled 3x themed and focused concepts.
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Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
3. Final concept
We assessed pros and cons of each of the three concepts and formed a fourth and final concept. Feasibility, cost and design for manufacture details were incorporated. Embodying feedback as much as possible, creating a concept which balances many competing factors.
©Melissa Butterworth 2022