I read an article - No need for physical street signs or street names in the future. Your phone will simply say " keep going straight " " turn right here", etc. You'll listen. No need to ( be confused by ) or verify using a physical road sign. Follow the digital bread crumbs.
And the confusing signs at Denver airport will no longer be an issue. Gulp!
I’ve noticed arrow problems multiple times in multiple airports and I’ve occasionally gone the wrong way at least once because of them. I don’t know what the right solution to distinguish between “go straight” and “go up a floor” is, but in any case consistency would be a good start.
I use ChatGPT now regularly in airports (and even PennStation NYC) to navigate. I'll take a photo from my exact perspsective and ask ChatGPT "Here I am. How do I get to the Chick-Fil-A?" And it gives my descriptive and perfect walking turn-by-turn instructions, usually including landmarks "Walk straight until you see the Dunkin, then turn left". Life changing!!
One of the things I’ve always loved about your writing is how crystal clear you are. Unfortunately, that is a rare trait. A clear writer is a clear thinker, and it requires a kind of empathy to imagine how others might understand or not understand your communication. There’s an easy solution: Test it on a bunch of people and get their feedback. Apparently, that is rarely done. Surely non-English- (or whatever language) speakers could spend a few bucks to hire native speakers to see whether their translations are correct. Manufacturers could test their products on potential users and get feedback (such as, “Can you even open this package without the nuclear option?” or “Can you operate this by following these instructions, or did we leave out some steps?”) With every book or article I write, I cherish criticisms because I want it to be the best it can. If even one person stumbles on a passage, I almost always improve it even if no one else expressed having an issue with it. I may not make the change they suggest, but if it isn’t easily understood, probably something is off.
P.S. Highway signage could often use improvements to be clearer to those who don't already know the area, and IMO, street name signs should be four times bigger for those who don't have eagle eyes.
Ha! Totally. 🔜
I read an article - No need for physical street signs or street names in the future. Your phone will simply say " keep going straight " " turn right here", etc. You'll listen. No need to ( be confused by ) or verify using a physical road sign. Follow the digital bread crumbs.
And the confusing signs at Denver airport will no longer be an issue. Gulp!
Glad you’re back!
What about those ambiguous, diagonal arrows?
“Design is really an act of communication, which means having a deep understanding of the person with whom the designer is communicating.”
― Donald A. Norman, The Design of Everyday Things
I’ve noticed arrow problems multiple times in multiple airports and I’ve occasionally gone the wrong way at least once because of them. I don’t know what the right solution to distinguish between “go straight” and “go up a floor” is, but in any case consistency would be a good start.
I use ChatGPT now regularly in airports (and even PennStation NYC) to navigate. I'll take a photo from my exact perspsective and ask ChatGPT "Here I am. How do I get to the Chick-Fil-A?" And it gives my descriptive and perfect walking turn-by-turn instructions, usually including landmarks "Walk straight until you see the Dunkin, then turn left". Life changing!!
That WORKS!??!? That's incredible!
You can even ask it for confirmation if you’re going the right way!
One of the things I’ve always loved about your writing is how crystal clear you are. Unfortunately, that is a rare trait. A clear writer is a clear thinker, and it requires a kind of empathy to imagine how others might understand or not understand your communication. There’s an easy solution: Test it on a bunch of people and get their feedback. Apparently, that is rarely done. Surely non-English- (or whatever language) speakers could spend a few bucks to hire native speakers to see whether their translations are correct. Manufacturers could test their products on potential users and get feedback (such as, “Can you even open this package without the nuclear option?” or “Can you operate this by following these instructions, or did we leave out some steps?”) With every book or article I write, I cherish criticisms because I want it to be the best it can. If even one person stumbles on a passage, I almost always improve it even if no one else expressed having an issue with it. I may not make the change they suggest, but if it isn’t easily understood, probably something is off.
P.S. Highway signage could often use improvements to be clearer to those who don't already know the area, and IMO, street name signs should be four times bigger for those who don't have eagle eyes.
Siri Rufus Gemini Groc each did one arrow sign or is AI making humans dummer?