Do Doors Need Instructions?

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To Push or To Pull That is the question!

The Jolly Rodger has run a ground and Captain Scurvy legs Magee needs a new ship. So when he finds a lovely sea fairing vessel he puts his crew straight to work to transfer all the gold from the Jolly Rodger to the Ghost Ship.

On boarding the Ghost ship with arms full of treasure the crew are faced with a problem, with a belly full of rum they can’t figure out whether to push or pull the doors to open them or slide them to one side in the new ship.

This causes the pirates to bump into one another and all the treasure being dropped all over the deck.

To Push or To Pull That is the question!

Captain Scurvy Legs Magee is worried that his treasure is going to fall into the sea, lost to the deep blue.

So he decides to teach his crew to look for signs on how the doors work.

To Push or To Pull? Plain Door

There are no obvious signs on how to open this door at all, except as it has no handle it must require a push rather than a pull.

To Push or To Pull? Hinge Door

If you can see the hinges you will know which side it opens and that it will open towards you, this therefore means you need to pull it.

To Push or To Pull? Handle Door

Handles like this are usually for pulling or sliding.

To Push or To Pull? Panel Door

You have to push this, there is no other option.

To Push or To Pull? Sliding Door

You don’t push or pull this one! It’s just for sliding.

To Push or To Pull? Labelled Door

Labelled doors have instructions on how to use them. However doors should be simple to use therefore do we really want to read instructions to make them work?

The same handles have been used for push and pull on these doors can you see a problem with this?

To Push or To Pull? Bar Door

It is clear that you need to push the bar to open the door.

To Push or To Pull? Knob Door

The knobs on this door show you where to grasp, but not whether to pull or push it.

It is unlikely it will slide

To Push or To Pull That is the question!

Once Captain Scurvy Legs Magee had gone through all the options he wanted to see if his crew had understood what he had told them so he showed them this door.

What can you see is wrong with this door?

To Push or To Pull That is the question!

It has a handle which can be pulled

But it also has a panel which can be pushed

You would need to see if you can see the hinges, if you can then the door opens towards you and therefore you would pull this door.

To Push or To Pull That is the question!

Doors should be simple use and even though Captain Scurvy Legs Magee had to explain the rules to his crew, when the doors didn’t work like they expected them to, it means there is something wrong with the design of the doors, not them.