Test Your Warnings
Before you slap that warning label on your product, are you sure it does
what it needs to? An effective warning tells the user what the hazard
is, what to do to avoid the hazard, and what could happen if the warning
is ignored. In other words, an adequate warning gives the user the information
he or she needs to stay safe. How can you be sure your warnings will be
understood?
One way is to test them. You should test your warnings, particularly if
you use pictorials to convey hazard information. In fact, ANSI Z535.4-2002
for Product Safety Signs and Labels specifically addresses this issue
in § 11.2:
| “A symbol may only be used to substitute for a portion or all of a word message if it has been demonstrated to be satisfactorily comprehended…” |
Like product usability testing, warnings testing can be elaborate or not.
Even a simple test such as showing two user groups different versions
of a warning and then asking them open-ended questions about what the
hazard was, how to avoid it, and what could happen if they ignored the
warning should tell you a lot.
If you decide to test your warnings, be sure to follow two simple rules:
1. Test only one thing at a time (i.e. pictorial or word message, but not both at once). 2. Choose test subjects who reflect the product’s actual user groups. |
Testing, even if simple, will not only will give you good information,
but it can also help if the adequacy of your warning is ever at issue
in a lawsuit. The jury will see that you went to some effort to protect
your users—and chose your warnings based on what worked.