An exploration of critical information design through migrant voices in Dubai’s public transport system

Abstract This study employs a critical information design lens to interrogate whose knowledge is represented and whose voices are excluded in public transport systems. Focusing on migrant workers in Dubai, UAE, it foregrounds issues of equity, representation, and participation in the design of mobility-related information. Drawing on field observations and a participatory workshop with eleven participants, the research brings forward overlooked narratives of navigating buses, metro, and water transport. The findings demonstrate how critical information design can amplify marginalized voices, foster inclusion, and reimagine transport information infrastructures as socially responsive and contextually grounded — moving beyond a narrow focus on clarity and efficiency.