We are all familiar with the universal sign for a toilet location. We are also very familiar with the handicap sign which is used in different applications such as reserved parking spaces, toilets and lifts among other and such without much variation in its design.
In the specific context of a train car, the handicap sign is used to identify dedicated toilets and also special access doors. For a handicap user, this imprecise use can become problematic when one might mistake a door sign for a toilet sign. All the required logistical requirements needed to travel from the passage seat to the sign location, might be for nothing, only to find out the sign real meaning, toilet or door. Furthermore, in a typical train car toilet door the indicator stating if the place is occupied or not, is most of the time a tiny color tag which cannot be seen from a distance.
The goal of the project, for Parallaxe product development team, was to solve these issues: designing a distinctive handicap toilet set combined with a busy / free indicator.
The result of Parallaxe’s team work meets its goal without ambiguity. The icon clarifies the location as a toilet and not as a door. It incorporates a light to indicate when the toilet is free or occupied. The light is red when the toilet is occupied and green when free to be used.
Other examples of user interface design projects for trains completed by our team.