Our government is terrible at naming things.
The latest example comes in the form of the Pennsylvania Coronavirus Reopening Plan. In case you’ve not heard, there are three phases for re-opening: Red, Yellow, and Green. Here in Allegheny County, we’re going Green tomorrow.
Here’s why I think we have a problem. (No, it’s not the obvious reason.)
Red Phase
Let’s talk about the Red Phase first. Most people in the U.S. (and beyond), interpret red as a warning of a very bad thing. When red lights start flashing, it’s very clear that something is wrong and that extreme caution is needed.
Red traffic lights mean stop—because it is dangerous to enter the intersection. Red text is a warning. Red lights on equipment mean immediate attention is required.
Here are the restrictions that were in place in the Red Phase in the Reopening Plan:
Red Phase |
Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions |
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Social Restrictions |
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As a Cognitive Psychologist, my expertise is in Human Information Processing—knowing whether people are going to correctly interpret and use information they are presented with. I do believe that the general public (or at least those who are inclined to believe that this pandemic is a serious threat) will correctly interpret the Red Phase as being a very dangerous time to be out and about because infection rates are high and rising. So, using red for the most restrictive phase works well.
Yellow Phase
The next step toward reopening was the Yellow Phase.
In the U.S., yellow is interpreted to mean take caution. It’s a warning color, but one that is understood to be less serious than red. It generally means that you need to be alert, because things could potentially go badly.
Yellow traffic lights mean to slow down. Yellow warning lights on equipment mean that a problem is developing that needs attention relatively soon. Yellow text is cautionary.
Here’s what the governor’s plan says about the Yellow Phase:
Yellow Phase |
Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions |
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Social Restrictions |
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Again, I believe that most people will correctly interpret that they still need to be cautious in the Yellow Phase. So, yellow as a step down from red as a reopening phase works.
Green Phase
The final phase of reopening is the Green Phase. Here’s where I have heartburn.
In the U.S., green is interpreted to mean that everything is A-Okay.
Green traffic lights mean you can keep going. Green walk signals mean it is safe to cross the intersection. Green equipment lights mean that something is operating under normal conditions. Safe. Normal.
But that is NOT what the Green Phase of reopening means. The Governor’s plan still has a lot of restrictions in the Green Phase:
Green Phase |
Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions |
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Social Restrictions |
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Why? Because in green, the virus is still present; you could still come into contact with it and become infected. In other words, you still need to be cautious.
But that’s not what people are going to think green means, if they’ve not listened closely to the news or read the plan, and realistically—how many members of the general public will do that?
People will incorrectly—through no fault of their own—interpret green as meaning everything is back to normal and that coronavirus and COVID-19 are no longer a threat.
We are going to see people throwing caution to the wind and going back to their normal, pre-pandemic lives… because we are green now. And green means go, right?
This is a terrible label◊ and because of it (and because of the people who think this is all just an overblown hoax), we may lose ground against the virus and more lives will be lost.
Labels matter
Choosing poor labels can have serious and, in this case, dire consequences. Understanding your audience, your users, and how they will interpret information that you provide has to be a top priority, no matter what field you are in or what you are trying to convey.
◊ If colors were truly desired, I’d have used Red, Orange, and Yellow. Or I’d have gone with something like Warning, Caution, and Advisory Phases. Even 3 …2 …1 would have been better than what we have.
Excellent points made. Have you shared this with the folks in Harrisburg? Or the Mayor’s Office?
Yes, thank you. A version of this was sent to the offices of both the Governor and the Mayor.