Warning Label Design
Warning Label Design: Part 1
Your goal is to demonstrate understanding of the 4 elements associated with designing an effective warning label. These 4 elements are described on pages 542 – 544 of the class textbook (Lee, Wickens, Liu, & Boyle, 2017) as follows:
Signal word conveying the seriousness (e.g., Danger, Warning, or Caution)
Description of the hazard (e.g., Risk of fall or collision)
Consequences associated with the hazard (e.g., Risk of death)
Behavior needed to avoid the hazard (e.g., Watch for obstacles)
In this assignment a problem statement is presented. You are expected to design two versions of a warning statement to help prevent the problem from reoccurring. Use the template below, replace the red text with your own.
Extra Notes for Part 1:
Description of behavior to be improves: create your own version “annotated version”
Names not clear, looks to real, maybe don’t have access to instruction
Warning label design 1: Don’t create a warning for something else
Be specific
Nonsterile solution, practice use only …
Warning label design 2:
Be specific
It was a practice bag but were still administered to patients
What is the problem?
Not sterile
Does not say do not use practice purposes only
Title PRACTI is not specific
Looks legit (has NBC number and a scanner)
No warning label
Create a warning label
Behavior needed to avoid hazard
In the real world people maybe don’t have time to read a warning label
What behavior are you trying to improve???
Problem Statement: Company X produces practice IV solution bags for clinicians in training. These practice IV bags are never to be used on real patients as they contain fake or non-sterile solution. In 2014, several of these bags were inadvertently given to patients through a drip line leading to serious harm and one potential death. A description of this real-world problem can be found in the following link: www.protectpatientsblog.com/training_ivs_used_by_mistake_p
Consider the labeling on the sample product pictured below:
Is there anything about the product name that is misleading?
Is there any information that informs users that the product is only for training and never to be administered on people or animals?
What are some design interventions that may prevent use of this product on patients?
Summarize the Behavior to be improved: review the problem statement, the sample image, and summarize the behavior to be improved. Provide enough context for the reader to understand the root-cause of the problem so that your design intervention can be evaluated.
Design Activity: create 2 original versions (short version and long version) of the same warning label. Use any design tool you feel comfortable with (e.g., MS Word, MS Power Point, hand draw it and scan it).
Short Version: Create a short version that is constrained by a) exactly 10 words or less, b) no color/graphics, and c) includes all 4 elements of a well-designed label per pgs. 542 – 544 of the class text book (Lee, Wickens, Liu, & Boyle, 2017).
Long Version: Create a long version of the same label above with no constraints, consider using color, symbol(s), images, and get creative as long as all 4 elements of a well-designed label are included!
Warning Label Design
Description of Behavior to be Improved: < Replace your response with black text specifically from the problem statement indicated on pg. 2: sample statement – Some students may try to take short cuts by copying work from online reseaources. These short cuts tend to occur in situations of procrastination or low motivation leading to insufficient time to fully review instructions. This warning label is intended to alert students that they should use original designs to get full credit.>
Warning Label Design 1 – Short Version: Create a short version that is constrained by a) 10 words or less, b) no color/graphics, and c) includes all 4 elements of a well-designed label.
Warning Label Design 2 – Long Version: Create a long version of the same label above with no constraints, get creative as long as all 4 elements of a well-designed label are included!
Part 2:
Locate/paste an image of a well-designed warning label that exemplifies proper use of the 4 Human Factors best practices for a warning label (your job is to find an existing one).
Clearly identify which components correspond with each of the 4 warning best practices (find a clear way to call out each element)
Signal word conveying the seriousness (e.g., Danger, Warning, or Caution)
Description of the hazard (e.g., Risk of fall or collision)
Consequences associated with the hazard (e.g., Risk of death)
Behavior needed to avoid the hazard (e.g., Watch for obstacles)
Indicate the source of the label (e.g., a reference link)
