Sociology and Anthropology Vol. 4(2), pp. 59 - 66
DOI: 10.13189/sa.2016.040203
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Have You Seen This Bus? Information Design Problems in Public Spaces in Istanbul and an Intervention on Public Transportation in Dikilitaş Neighborhood

Melike Özmen ^*
Visual Communication Design Program, Department of Communication Design and Management, Faculty of Communication, Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey

ABSTRACT

This project indicates the importance of accurate information to be transmitted to the public and the problems related to lack of information about public bus transportation in Dikilitaş neighbourhood, Istanbul via transmedia storytelling. IETT provides public transportation services in Istanbul. It uses several communication channels such as institution's website, smart phone application, information screens on the bus stations, and information screens inside the buses to convey the essential information about public transportation to the passengers. However, none of these tools are working properly and they fail to give accurate information to passengers. Dikilitaş is located on a high hill in Beşiktaş and it is hard for residents - especially for the people with varying types of physical disabilities, elders, children and people with heavy belongings - to reach their desired destination in the area by walking. The purpose of this project is to evaluate the residents' attention to these problems and to enforce IETT to propose solutions to them. In this process, firstly, the erroneous information provided by IETT is gathered and IETT is informed about that information via e-mail and their call-centre. Secondly, opinions of the residents about these problems are monitored via participant observation and interviews. All of these conversations, observations and interview records are gathered on a blog(http://buotobusugordunuzmu.tumblr.com). This information is transferred into a pop-up book with my personal storyline. A leaflet is designed and hanged on the bus stations around the neighbourhood to attract the attention of the residents to the blog. Furthermore, a promotional video of the book is recorded and published on the blog. In conclusion, the residents started to get in touch with IETT via e-mails and call-centre to complain about the problems in public transportation services in Dikilitaş. IETT declared that they accepted the problem and promised to provide a solution later in 2015.

KEYWORDS
Information Design, Public Transportation, Public Space, Transmedia, Storytelling

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Melike Özmen , "Have You Seen This Bus? Information Design Problems in Public Spaces in Istanbul and an Intervention on Public Transportation in Dikilitaş Neighborhood," Sociology and Anthropology, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 59 - 66, 2016. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2016.040203.

(b). APA Format:
Melike Özmen (2016). Have You Seen This Bus? Information Design Problems in Public Spaces in Istanbul and an Intervention on Public Transportation in Dikilitaş Neighborhood. Sociology and Anthropology, 4(2), 59 - 66. DOI: 10.13189/sa.2016.040203.