But there's English and English, and you've just asserted "clearly" international "standards" that aren't standard in my part of the world. This isn't an opinion, but a matter of localization and cultural sensitivity. The fact that a term or convention is a "benchmark" in the London Underground doesn't mean an American will recognize it, especially in an emergency in an airport. Or necessarily a Canadian, since the original post was regarding an airport sign in BC. And vice versa.
I'm actually not sure what a "wayfinding" sign is aside from the context in which you just used the term, and I write that as an experienced traveler. Mentioning a "lift" will mostly produce blank stares in the US. On Sun, Sep 13, 2009 at 3:03 AM, jonathan <[email protected]> wrote: > At times I think our passion clouds our judgement and impacts our > professionalism. Through this thread there seem to be a number of > incorrect assertions that I find a bit alarming. Are we an > opinions-based community? > > Is "Exit" an international standard? Clearly not, from what > people have said on this thread "Way out" is common in many > countries, including in the London underground, which has been used > as a benchmark around the world. > > Emergency exit is not necessarily the shortest way out! Emergency > exit route is planned with consideration to situations like fire. It > therefore directs people through a safer route out, which could be > longer, not shorter (e.g. stairs instead of lift). > > While "Exit" might be an uncommon word in written and spoken > English, it is one of the more prominent words in signage and as part > of wayfinding. > > There is some international consistency in the use of safety and > warning colours. Accepted use for emergency exit signs is white text > on green background, which has different manifestations in different > countries, based on local standards and local building regulations: > in some countries it just says "EXIT" In others it just shows the > pictogram of a man running through a door and elsewhere it has both. > In some countries it is bilingual. Often, the word Emergency is not > included in the sign. In many places Emergency exits are not reserved > only for emergency (some theatres, shopping malls) and in other places > they are. > What might add to the confusion regarding purpose and nomenclature is > that emergency exit sign location planning is typically done by the > architects and Wayfinding sign content is planned by a separate > consultant. > > ~ j > > > . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . > Posted from the new ixda.org > http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=45282 > > > ________________________________________________________________ > Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! > To post to this list ....... [email protected] > Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe > List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines > List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [email protected] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
