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A project to make businesses more aware of their customer experience, and how to fix it. By Mark Hurst. |
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Previous: New York potholes | Main | Next: Shaving cream label
July 27, 2005 12:03 AM
Broken: Aquarium sign
This sign at a Japanese aquarium needed a bit more advance planning.
[sarcasm]
This is not Broken! As you can clearly see, the subscript E is directly behind the pole, which divides the picture into two symmetric halves and supports the sign's feng-shui! DUH!
[/sarcasm]
Just to be ornery, I will put in the obligatory "Not Broken" post.
It's stupid, it's a mistake, sure. But to be "Broken Design", something needs to be *designed* that way, and yet still wrong.
Or, looking at it another way, this TIB entry does not aid our industry in fixing lousy design.
My guess is it was originally misspelled 'Marin Stadium' - someone noticed and they decided to correct it.
'No longer broken'?
DJM
Dave,
Look at the situation from the customer's perspective. Sloppy signage, reflects poorly on the Marin(e) Stadium which is presumably a tourist attraction. Regardless of whether it is a design fault, or a quality assurance fault, the end result is poor. Customer's don't care why things are screwed up.
The slight discoloration of the lowered "E" might indicate that this was added much later, after it was realized that the word "marine" was mispelled.
English is broken because it's not perfectly phonetic. :-) (just kidding folks, don't flame me)
"[sarcasm]
This is not Broken! As you can clearly see, the subscript E is directly behind the pole, which divides the picture into two symmetric halves and supports the sign's feng-shui! DUH!
[/sarcasm]"
[anti-sarcasm]
This is Broken! The E is slightly off-center, the two words are clearly not symmetric, and the entire phrase is slanted to the right! Also, there seems to be more shui than feng in the Marin Stadium.
[/anti-sarcasm]
Rich,
That's what I was going to point out. I'm not sure why but it seems that the Japanese use japanese and english words intermixed. I have a few video games where all the text is in japanese, and then all of a sudden a big Go will flash on the screen to start the race. I can't imagine this ever being reversed where in america we'd have english english and then the japanese symbol for Go. If anyone has some information on why the Japanese tend to combine languages in print, I'd love to learn more.
well for one thing north american education is severly lacking in the second language department. whereas Japan has a slightly overambitious education system and english is taught right up there with Japanese. as for video games I think they use english where Japanese would be less practical.. alot of the english in Japan I think has to do with the fact that they're very friendly people who want to integrate into the modern society
that they missed back when they isolated themselves.
Not broken.
Poor planning and perhaps a poor grasp on English, yes, but not broken. And regarding turning away tourists because of bad signage, how many people don't plan to go to a place like this and rather, upon seeing a sign for a marine (or zoo or amusement park), make an ad hoc decision to just go in?
Have we run out of broken things to post?
japanese people use english for the same reason that some people here in the US (and other places im sure) get tatoos of japanese characters.
to the japanese, putting words in english on things is a way to be cool or trendy.
i suggest going to this site for more of an explanation (and theres funny pictures too).
Broken, humorous, and thanks Mark for posting it.
Again, the whiners should get their own websites - or better yet, go live in a world full of the things they claim are "not broken."
Also, and admittedly way off topic,
1. Q: If a person who speaks two languages is bilingual and a person who speaks three languages is trilingual, what is a person who speaks only one language?
A. American.
2. Feng shui is a Chinese concept, not Japanese.
But the origins of Asian concepts are easily confused by some (for example, some who speak only one language).
What's with attacking the people who don't think this sign is broken Pat? Don't call people whiners, instead come back with a logical argument as to why the sign IS broken.
How many people, after they've shuffled their families to their seats to watch the sea lions, are honestly confused as to where they are - "Marin-E Stadium? Where in the universe are we?! What diabolical worm hole has transported us from the Marine Stadium to this hellish Marin-E place?! THE HUMANITY!! Oh, look, sea lions!"
The "brokenness" of this sign more in the sad and mildly funny realm of America's Funniest Home Videos.
this is broken cuz it looks like some one forgot got the E and then added it in later when they noticed the mistake....its not even the same color blue as the rest of it...and sea loins dont dolphins...yup this broken all the way around
> [anti-sarcasm]
> This is Broken! The E is slightly off-center,
> the two words are clearly not symmetric, and
> the entire phrase is slanted to the right!
> Also, there seems to be more shui than feng in
> the Marin Stadium.
> [/anti-sarcasm]
Either lucky guess, or you're pretty smart, because 'shui' means 'water' in Chinese.
Is it, then, merely "logical" to post an argument and follow with something like "Have we run out of broken things to post?" Kind of ironic that the same poster is apparently bothered by posts "attacking people."
It's fine to debate the "logic" of something being broken or not, although I believe most of the items listed here are at least more broken than not.
It's another thing to follow with a remark criticizing the guy whose efforts create the debate forum in the first place. That is the only thing that I meant about whining.
To be an American funny home video someone has to get hit in the groin. To be a Japanese funny home video someone has to hit himself in the groin.
Pat, honestly, I think you need a valium. And if I wanted to criticize Mark, I would. Asking if we've run out of broken things to post isn't criticism, and if Mark takes it as such, I'm pretty sure he can shrug it off without getting a complex.
Sheesh.
Here's a thought The place is actually called Marin Stadium. and this stage E where the sea lions perform. The dolphins perform at A walrus at B and so on. If that is the case, then not broken. If it is intended to be Marine Stadium, then it is broken.
That would be a very large aquarium. You would need 5000,000 gallons of water for each tub (a very rough estimate), so if it stops at E, that would be 2.5 million gallons of water being used at a time by one company. Also, why is the E so close to Marin? I think that tool's later scenario is much more likely.
ok ok i got it people the japanese were jus trying to be cool ( no efense to u japanese aqrium desighners) the that it would be down right nifty to make the E in in marine stand out as if it were to to serve as an e for the word marine and a e for marine aqurim section E . thats it !!!!!!!!! yess haha i got it !!!!!!!! yesssss
http://sawiin.descom.es/index.html bagsdignityxeroxed
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Previous: New York potholes | Main | Next: Shaving cream label
Looks to me like the E was added later.
Posted by: Sergey at July 27, 2005 01:07 AM