The problem with people tasked with putting up signs is that they already know where they are going.
That means they are not approaching the job from an end-user’s point of view. And that’s why a lot of people get lost and frustrated.
So it was for me today as I tried to negotiate my way off the Costa Diadema and on to a shuttle bus to Barcelona.
On the ship, the signs pointed me in one direction, but when I got to an intersection in the passage there was no sign to tell me whether I should go straight or turn. I eventually found somebody to direct me.
In the cruise terminal, I couldn’t find my way to the shuttle bus. I saw one sign which directed me out of the building, then nothing.
When I went back in, the Costa staff member showed me another sign nearer the door pointing towards the bus stop.
While the first sign was at eye level, the second was at waist height and had been obscured by the crowd of people in front of me on my first attempt to leave the building.
I noticed on my return from the city that the second sign had been moved so it was outside the building, in sight of people who’d followed the first sign (but still at waist level).
Upshot: if you’re putting up signs, think it through. Think about how crowded the area may be, where people will be looking, and how many signs you might need. On that last issue, I’d say the answer is more than you’d think.
End of rant.
