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EDWARD DE BONO'S MESSAGE -
14th August 2000
Design.....
I visited the Hanover Expo last
week. It is a magnificent undertaking on a huge site. There are three main
drawbacks.
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Not enough signs. You do not
know where you are or where to go. Often you do not know the contents of the
pavilion outside which you are standing. Being expected to consult a rather
crowded map all the time is not a substitute for good signage.
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Lots and lots of stairs. It
is true I have a sore knee which makes me more conscious of this but there
are old people, buggies etc. as well. There are a few lifts but they are
tucked away so that people do not swamp them.
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Biggest problem of all (the
only really serious one) is queuing. One exhibit had a queuing time of 75
minutes. That is totally absurd. That is appalling design. No exhibition or
expo should ever have long queues: no matter how excellent the4 pavilion. A
car is designed to run on a road. A cup is designed to hold coffee. An
exhibition should be designed to allow people to access without queuing.
That is all.
The design task is not
impossible. There could be a wide channel (twenty people abreast) running
through the exhibit with side alcoves for those who want to pause longer.
Exhibits have to be designed for people use. A clever-clever exhibit that people
have to queue for is a failure.
There could be flexibility with
two channels. One channel is open when there are few people but there is a
switch to the other channel if demand is heavy. Think about it.
Edward de Bono nmt
10th August 2000
Prague
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