Normally when I visit a hotel, there's a little hanging card that says, "Do Not Disturb" or "Privacy". Sometimes one side says "Clean My Room", but regardless, it's pretty clear what the purpose of the sign is. The hanging card in my room was a little different:
Brain Storm? What is that supposed to mean? The smaller text below Brain Storm reads, "It's really coming down in here. Better wait 'til it clears up."
I see multiple issues here. The first being that while there is a small phrase "privacy please" at the bottom, it's not obvious and in relation to the message, could have different meanings. My first translation was that this would be in the door when the housekeepers were working on the room, not a tag I use when I want privacy.
Second issue - travelers who are not native English speakers. This type of phrasing may not translate well into other languages, especially with the use of "'til" instead of "until".
Last issue - what does "Brain Storm" mean? I have no idea. Chances are I'm sleeping in late, not brainstorming a new product idea.
My recommendation:
It's not pretty. It's not perfect. However, it's far better than the Brain Storm card. It clearly states the point - Do Not Disturb. I moved the door hang hole to the side to accommodate a larger phrase. That means the tag will not hang well from the doorknob and is a known design flaw. For me, design is about iteration and validation. This is an attempt at getting to a better design, a more usable design, and perhaps a design that actually fits the user's mental model of the task.
I may keep working on this one as I want all Marriott customers to be able to have some privacy when they are not brainstorming.
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2 comments:
I think the brain storm idea has something to do with some kind of "genius" marketing campaign. All the notepads and supplies I found in my room were obsessed with telling me how smart I was.
The card definitely implied you needed to have experience with do not disturb signs. I thought it was interesting that they wanted us to stick the signs in the lock slot -- to keep Housekkeping from trying to open the door?
It's definitely a case of marketing and branding not working with a user experience team for guidance when redesigning a common product.
I do think sticking it in the lock is to prevent housekeepers from accidently entering but could also be so it doesn't fall off the knob when entering and exiting.
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