Serious question, did a museum map in Portland make you rethink how you label things?

I got totally lost trying to follow their exhibit route because the path was only marked by different shades of green, so now I always add a simple dotted line pattern on top of any color-coded guides.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_harper3mo agoTop Commenter

Oh man, "only marked by different shades of green" is a total nightmare. I had the same thing happen at a hospital once with floor colors. I swear three different hallways were just slightly different blues. Your dotted line idea is so smart, it adds that extra layer that color blind people or anyone in a rush actually needs. I'm stealing that for my own notes now.

simon_chen3mo ago

Yeah and @the_harper's hospital story shows it's not just about color blindness either. Like, bad lighting or just being stressed can make those tiny shade differences totally invisible. The dotted line works because it's a clear shape anyone can spot fast.

grant.kevin23d ago

Hold on, I gotta push back a little here. Dotted lines are fine but they can get cluttered and confusing real fast in a busy hospital hallway where there's already signs, wheelchairs, and people everywhere. I've seen those lines peel off the floor or just blend into the grout after a few months of mopping. Plus if you're stressed or in a hurry, a dotted line might as well be invisible if your eyes are darting all over the place looking for a room number. Color and texture patterns are way more durable and you don't need to keep replacing them like you do with tape or paint.