Bad Typography - Confusing labels


Last semester I was idling in the elevator of the EV building, the elevators we Design students typically use, waiting to reach a certain floor. My eyes scanned the buttons, and I remember that when I saw the 'open elevator' and 'call' buttons, and read the labels under each of them, I became confused.

The labels are placed underneath each button, a certain distance from the bottom of it, with a greater distance away from the button underneath. Visually, this would link each label to be associated with the button just above it, as two separate functions. Both labels are actually meant for the same button, one written in French and the other being the English translation. My first thought was that there were two call buttons, but quickly rationalized that it couldn't be the case.

In this particular instance we can refer to the symbols on the buttons, or if you can read both languages, figure out that both labels are meant for the one button underneath. However, this kind of confusing placement of labels on buttons of different functions could, in an emergency, be the cause of avoidable harm.

I now look at these buttons every time I take the elevator. I sincerely apologize if this now becomes the case for whoever reads this.