aesthetics, design, development, durability, features, function

Summary

Design is the necessary process for responding to three critical challenges of a successful development project: aesthetics, function, and durability. A project that appeals to its users, anticipates and accommodates them, and ensures that future users can also benefit from its development has successfully addressed all three concerns. A lack of attention to design at the macro (systemwide) and micro (station/stop) levels put the success of a project at risk. The function must be achieved while being aesthetically pleasing, and ignoring the future ability to maintain and sustain a project is never a cost-effective decision, no matter what the initial cost savings are. In short, good design is a good investment, and having good design guide decisions is one way to ensure that a project will be perceived as both an immediate success and one that gracefully stands the test of time. Successful transit agencies know that people have a choice; these things matter to riders