Understanding public transport design constraints by using mock-ups in stakeholder conversations

Abstract

This paper describes the interactions around design mock-ups with stakeholders in a complex urban design context. It discusses the use of mock-ups as a form of visual presentation to legitimate new ideas. Three types of mock-ups were prepared to illustrate new ideas for inner-city bus shelters. Each type created different interactions and verbal discourse, leading to a clearer articulation of stakeholder constraints, both from their organisation and other organisations that they represented. Based on discussions with the academic research team who led the project, we formulate strategies for how mock-ups can be used in similar projects to improve the strategic design capability of designers. Our findings in alignment with previous literature, suggest that design artefacts, such as mock-ups, can help designers to be more aware of the context of design, rather than just to inform improvement in a prototype.