Williams College recently opened a brand new science building this year. As I walked through the building I was impressed with the clear examples of good and practical designs. What impressed me the most were the safety features apparent in every corner of the building. Specifically, this emergency shower and fire extinguisher (pictured below) are very conveniently located with clear diagrams and instructions that are proved to be effective in emergency.

Shower

It is clear after just glancing at the signs that the eyewash is used by pulling open a drawer/lever and the shower is operated by pulling down the lever. See images below. The images on the signs are unambiguous as the diagrams are large and there is minimal text. The clean design of the sign and emergency equipment make it easy to know how to operate the life saving equipment, especially in emergency cases.

Shower

Shower

It is reassuring to see good and clear designs of emergency equipment in the new science building, especially with the development of new technology and equipment. I chose this specific example because the importance of good design for emergency equipment is absolutely necessary. Although it is not used by many students it is absolutely necessary to have a clear design in case of emergencies.