An elevating thought
I reckon that there is one area where the summation of mankind’s endeavour combines to create a truly cross-disciplined creation – the elevator.
Have you ever been to a country and seen a relatively simple idea that could and should be implemented elsewhere? Or, conversely, have you ever despaired of one culture’s seeming inability to learn from another? These, I’m sure, can be read as rhetorical questions.
Worse than failed cross-cultural learning is a single culture’s laziness consulting its own body of knowledge – I’m assuming that there is such a thing as a ‘single culture’ for the moment, I know that it is arguable. Classic examples are found all the time in marketing; usually when there is a major disconnect between a marketing initiative and basic understanding of psychology or sociology.
However, elevator manufactures have really rolled up their sleeves and looked for inspiration.
Engineering is the obvious starting point; making the thing move in an gentle, unobtrusive rather than fairground kind of way is essential.
Then there is the software that tells a lift how to behave; the floors to hang out near at particular times of day and how to get from A to B without driving occupants mad with frustration by stopping at every floor.
Interior decoration is another one. Providing an environment that is utilitarian enough to take the water cooler delivery knocks yet redolent enough of luxury to sooth the savage business person.
In order to deal with the awkward silences and to provide something other than a floor indicator to look at, entertainment is finding its way into lifts. Some lifts now feature the news headlines, weather or stock prices – customisable content most relevant to the company concerned.
On that note on floor level indicators, have you ever noticed how your floor indicator is synchronised with the deceleration period? When this is implemented well there is absolutely no sense of waiting for the lift to slow down: a really neat example of applied psychology.
I suggest that if the same determination that lift manufacturers put into confronting the ‘dead space’ of the elevator experience were to be applied across the board, then we would be living in a far better world
