Question. How should the journey be organised so the new gate, next step and optional support can each be found without competing?

The layout starts with the task, not with the mascot. In the Critical Report, changing information and the wish to remain in control recur as concerns. The Week 18 gate-change comparison explored phone-led, shared airport and coordinated information models. The app can demonstrate the phone path with sample data; it cannot assert that airport screens or staff are connected.

From sketched flow to layout criteria

The early six-screen sketch establishes a journey rather than a single alert. It creates places for a home view, stage guidance, change, support and return. The branching support flow keeps “show next step,” route exploration and grounding as different choices. The gate update must remain usable if all support is dismissed.

My layout criteria are: A04 and the next action are visible first; B12 is explicitly previous; the user can continue without choosing a support mode; the same journey position survives a detour; source/freshness can be shown; and large text can reflow. Apple’s layout guidance is a platform reference, while the criteria themselves come from this project’s scenario and research themes.

Comparing arrangements

| Option | Useful feature |
| --- | --- |
| Travel ticket: a light or dark panel isolates the change facts | A character in the headline field could compete with the event title; keep the companion outside the gate number. |
| Route portal: a large path makes the whole alert feel like a journey | Its line and large shape can demand attention before the instruction; let them recede behind the fact. |
| Hybrid study: the ticket sits inside a wider route frame | This best separates fact and expression in the static study, but may still be too dense at larger text sizes. |

The sample wording is “Gate changed. Go to A04. Previous gate: B12.” “Show next step” remains the primary action; “Not now” is a real secondary path. The mascot can add continuity only after those parts fit. The gate ticket is a layout device, not a verified boarding pass or airport-issued document.

What needs checking

A useful first-glance task would ask an autistic adult to identify the new gate, old gate and next action without a prompt; a second task would ask them to dismiss support and resume guidance. Observe what they actually do, and record contradictory preferences. No such evaluation is recorded for these layout options yet.

Taking forward — provisional: use the hybrid’s separation of a high-contrast gate fact panel and a quieter journey frame, keeping the character outside the fact. The next chapter is the first integrated full app study; the options on this page remain visible so its choice can be questioned.