Everyday Wayfinding
Today I made the weekly family grocery trip. I like to take as little time as possible to do this, so I have a method. Our grocery store has two levels, and an attached parking garage. You can enter the grocery store on the first and third levels of the parking garage. Since I'm usually there on a jam-packed Saturday afternoon, I don't even bother looking for a space on the first level. I drive up to the 3rd level, park, and enter the grocery store on the 2nd floor. Then I walk down to the 1st floor, start my shopping there, and finish on the 2nd floor. I check out on the 2nd floor, and then walk right out to my car.
However, there's one thing that foils my plan. Sometimes, the 2nd floor check out only has one lane open, with a long line. Then I have to take the gamble that they have more lanes open on the 1st floor (they usually do). I head downstairs, check out, and take the parking garage elevators to get back to my car.
Then, I'm faced with this:
I've been using this grocery store for a few years, and I still screw up this part. Because I'm convinced every time that I need to go to the 2nd floor, which my brain interprets as "Parking Level 2". This interface is a sad attempt to meld two different systems.
First system is the parking garage. Its levels are identified by letters, and they are at different intervals than the grocery floors. So the logic is this:
A1 (A level of parking, 1st floor of grocery)
B (B level parking, in-between 1st and 2nd floor of grocery)
C2 (C level of parking, 2nd floor of grocery)
D (D level of parking)
I'm guessing the intent was to create an all-in-one system for the buttons, that quickly proved to be incomprehensible, and that's when the tape notes came in. The tape trys to clarify the parking levels, but now it's using numbers. So your mind starts to get conflicting signals. "I thought the parking levels were letters and the shopping floors were numbers! Where do you want me to assign this information?" Then, to add to the fun, an additional tape note is added to C2, attempting to reinforce that it is also "shopping level 2".
While sitting comfortably in a chair, you may think this is passable, though cobbled together logic. But picture yourself with a full grocery cart, and maybe a highly distractible child or two. Throw in some other elevator passengers with full carts and kids, and imagine having to make a quick decision on which button to push. Thank fast!
I can't tell you how many times I've hit B. And commiserated with others who can't logic out where there car might be. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've even pleaded with the security camera. "Why? Why do you do this to your customers? WHY?"
So, to make myself happy, here is my proposed redesign of the elevator interface. You're welcome, MetroMarket.
How would you solve it?
However, there's one thing that foils my plan. Sometimes, the 2nd floor check out only has one lane open, with a long line. Then I have to take the gamble that they have more lanes open on the 1st floor (they usually do). I head downstairs, check out, and take the parking garage elevators to get back to my car.
Then, I'm faced with this:
I've been using this grocery store for a few years, and I still screw up this part. Because I'm convinced every time that I need to go to the 2nd floor, which my brain interprets as "Parking Level 2". This interface is a sad attempt to meld two different systems.
First system is the parking garage. Its levels are identified by letters, and they are at different intervals than the grocery floors. So the logic is this:
A1 (A level of parking, 1st floor of grocery)
B (B level parking, in-between 1st and 2nd floor of grocery)
C2 (C level of parking, 2nd floor of grocery)
D (D level of parking)
I'm guessing the intent was to create an all-in-one system for the buttons, that quickly proved to be incomprehensible, and that's when the tape notes came in. The tape trys to clarify the parking levels, but now it's using numbers. So your mind starts to get conflicting signals. "I thought the parking levels were letters and the shopping floors were numbers! Where do you want me to assign this information?" Then, to add to the fun, an additional tape note is added to C2, attempting to reinforce that it is also "shopping level 2".
While sitting comfortably in a chair, you may think this is passable, though cobbled together logic. But picture yourself with a full grocery cart, and maybe a highly distractible child or two. Throw in some other elevator passengers with full carts and kids, and imagine having to make a quick decision on which button to push. Thank fast!
I can't tell you how many times I've hit B. And commiserated with others who can't logic out where there car might be. I'm embarrassed to admit it, but I've even pleaded with the security camera. "Why? Why do you do this to your customers? WHY?"
So, to make myself happy, here is my proposed redesign of the elevator interface. You're welcome, MetroMarket.
How would you solve it?
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