As I continue to look for more discussion about “Way Out” vs “Exit”, I posted my question in IxDA.org discussion board, a global community of Interaction Design professionals and practitioners. Since my post and the comments don’t seem to display correctly on their website, I’d like to put a copy here. Here is the body of my post:
Vancouver, Canada recently opened a new subway system called “Canada Line” (http://www.canadaline.ca). While I notice quite a few issues in the whole passenger experience, one thing that makes me wonder the most is the exit sign: instead of printing “Exit”, they use “Way Out”. My thoughts:
- “Exit” is almost the international standard word to indicate an exit route. I believe most ESL people can still understand the word and recognize it as symbol even if they don’t know English.
- Don’t try to be clever and reinvent the experience. Using an example from Steve Krug’s “Don’t Make Me Think”, one should use well-known terms like “home”, “about us”, “jobs” instead of “Learn More about Calvin”, “Wanna get hired?”
- According to Jhenifer Pabillano from Translink.ca blog, the decision of printing “Way Out” was made by the private contractor InTransit BC, who thought “Way Out” was more descriptive and would be easily understandable by an international ridership. (see #link1) I am curious what matrix or user study, if any, they used to support
this argument?
#link1:
http://buzzer.translink.ca/index.php/2009/08/canada-line-roundup-even-more-pics-and-video-and-passport-stamp-info/#comment-19912
Member Diana Wynne agrees to my point:
Way Out also has the disadvantage of being a pun.
It might be fun and appropriate on a website, but as you point out, in an airport, where people have plans to catch, the error could be a problem.
Note that at least in the US, FAA language is notoriously unfriendly to regular people, let alone those who don’t speak English as a first language. Only on an airline would you refer to “lavatories” and “illuminating” the seat belt sign rather than using more common words.
Diana
Diana raises an interesting point of the confusing vocabulary used my the FAA – Federal Aviation Administration (http://www.faa.gov). Now it reminds me that my first ever flight experience was indeed quite confused as I didn’t know the word “lavatories” means the more commonly used “toilet” or “washroom”. It is a good topic that’s worth more research and separate blog posts to talk about.
Member Robert Hoekman Jr (http://www.rhjr.net) replies:
“Exit” is almost the international standard word to indicate an exit route.
In Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, and Korea, the standard appears to be “Way Out”. I don’t recall if these signs were used everywhere, but they were definitely used in airports and subway stations, and frequently in all kinds of public places.
I don’t know why there is a split, but I’ve wondered if it’s because “Exit” sounds like a command (as in “Get out!”), whereas “Way Out” comes across more like a street sign, simply politely telling you where you are.
His comment is also very interesting to me. Given that I grew up in Hong Kong, my sole experience with subway system is from the MTR (http://www.mtr.com.hk), which chooses to use the word “Exit”.
The issue is quite fascinating to me. I want to find more information about the signage guidelines in many countries, and perhaps create a nice info-graphic presentation or even attempt to correlate the data with metro-system history, world history or other information.
