{"id":3208,"date":"2020-06-03T11:01:32","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T15:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.daed.com\/?p=3208"},"modified":"2024-07-11T10:59:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T14:59:17","slug":"the-design-flaw-in-pas-covid-19-reopening-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.daed.com\/?p=3208","title":{"rendered":"The Design Flaw in PA’s COVID-19 Reopening Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our government is<\/span> <\/span>terrible at naming things<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The latest example comes in the form of the Pennsylvania Coronavirus Reopening Plan. In case you\u2019ve not heard, there are three phases for re-opening:<\/span> Red<\/span><\/strong>,<\/span> Yellow<\/span><\/strong>, and<\/span> Green<\/span><\/strong>. Here in Allegheny County, we\u2019re going<\/span> Green<\/span> tomorrow.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why I think we have a problem. (No, it\u2019s not the obvious reason.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Red Phase<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s talk about the Red Phase first. Most people in the U.S. (and beyond), interpret red as a <\/span>warning<\/span><\/i> of a very bad thing. When red lights start flashing, it\u2019s very clear that something is wrong and that extreme caution is needed.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Red traffic lights mean stop\u2014because it is dangerous to enter the intersection. Red text is a warning. Red lights on equipment mean immediate attention is required.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the restrictions that were in place in the Red Phase of the<\/span> Reopening Plan<\/a>:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Red Phase<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Life Sustaining Businesses Only<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Congregate Care and Prison Restrictions in Place<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Schools (for in-person instruction) and Most Child Care Facilities Closed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Social Restrictions<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n
    \n
  • Stay at Home Orders in Place<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Large Gatherings Prohibited<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Restaurants and Bars Limited to Carry-Out and Delivery Only<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Only Travel for Life-Sustaining Purposes Encouraged<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    As a Cognitive Psychologist, my expertise is in Human Information Processing\u2014knowing whether people are going to correctly interpret and use the 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Yellow Phase<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

    The next step toward reopening was the Yellow Phase.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    In the U.S., yellow is interpreted to mean <\/span>take caution<\/span><\/i>. It\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Here\u2019s what the governor\u2019s plan says about the Yellow Phase:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Yellow Phase<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \n
      \n
    • Telework Must Continue Where Feasible<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Businesses with In-Person Operations Must Follow Business and Building Safety Orders [up to 50% occupancy]<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Child Care May Open Complying with Guidance<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Congregate Care and Prison Restrictions in Place<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Schools Remain Closed for In-Person Instruction<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Social Restrictions<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    \n
      \n
    • Stay at Home Order Lifted for Aggressive Mitigation<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Large Gatherings of More Than 25 Prohibited<\/span><\/li>\n
    • In-Person Retail Allowable, Curbside and Delivery Preferable<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Indoor Recreation, Health and Wellness Facilities and Personal Care Services and all Entertainment\u00a0Remain Closed<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Restaurants and Bars May Open Outdoor Dining, in Addition to Carry-Out and Delivery<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

      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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Green Phase<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n

      The final phase of reopening is the Green Phase. Here\u2019s where I have heartburn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      In the U.S., green is interpreted to mean that everything is <\/span>A-Okay<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      But that is NOT what the Green Phase of reopening means. The Governor\u2019s plan still has <\/span>a lot<\/b> of restrictions in the Green Phase:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
      Green Phase<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Work & Congregate Setting Restrictions<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      \n
        \n
      • Continued Telework Strongly Encouraged<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Businesses with In-Person Operations Must Follow Updated Business and Building Safety Requirements<\/span><\/li>\n
      • All Businesses Operating at 50% Occupancy in the Yellow Phase May Increase to 75% Occupancy<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Child Care May Open Complying with Guidance<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Congregate Care Restrictions in Place<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Prison and Hospital Restrictions Determined by Individual Facilities<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Schools Subject to CDC\u00a0and Commonwealth Guidance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      Social Restrictions<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
      \n
        \n
      • Large Gatherings of More Than 250 Prohibited<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Restaurants and Bars Open at 50% Occupancy<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Personal Care Services Open at 50% Occupancy and by Appointment Only<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Indoor Recreation, Health and Wellness Facilities, and Personal Care Services Open at 50% Occupancy with Appointments Strongly Encouraged<\/span><\/li>\n
      • All Entertainment open at 50% Occupancy<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Construction Activity May Return to Full Capacity with Continued Implementation of Protocols<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

        Why? Because in green, the virus is still present; you could still come into contact with it and become infected.\u00a0In other words, you still need to be cautious. <\/span><\/p>\n

        But that\u2019s not what people are going to think green means if they\u2019ve not listened closely to the news or read the plan, and realistically\u2014how many members of the general public will do that?<\/span><\/p>\n

        People will incorrectly\u2014through no fault of their own\u2014interpret green as meaning everything is back to normal and that coronavirus and COVID-19 are no longer a threat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        We are going to see people throwing caution to the wind and going back to their normal, pre-pandemic lives\u2026 because we are green now. And green means go, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

        This is a terrible label\u25ca<\/sup><\/span>\u00a0and 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

        Labels matter<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

        Choosing poor labels can have serious and, in this case, dire consequences. Understanding your audience, your users, and how they will interpret the information that you provide has to be a top priority, no matter what field you are in or what you are trying to convey.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n

        \u25ca<\/sup>\u00a0<\/span>If colors were truly desired, I\u2019d have used Red, Orange, and Yellow. Or I’d have gone with something like Warning, Caution, and Advisory Phases. Even 3 \u20262 \u20261 would have been better than what we have. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Our government is terrible at naming things. The latest example comes in the form of the Pennsylvania Coronavirus Reopening Plan. In case you\u2019ve not heard, there are three phases for …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3238,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[36,165,76,66,175],"class_list":["post-3208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design-thinking","tag-design","tag-design-thinking","tag-experience","tag-user-experience","tag-ux-design"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Design Flaw in PA's COVID-19 Reopening Plan - daed.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.daed.com\/?p=3208\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Design Flaw in PA's COVID-19 Reopening Plan - daed.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our government is terrible at naming things. 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