Recommendations for the design of digital escape route signage from an age-differentiated experimental study

Abstract In cases of fire, the evacuation times especially on passenger ships are strictly limited and wrong direction choices might be fatal. Therefore, an age-differentiated study was designed to investigate direction choices in a virtual corridor system with new digital situation-adaptive escape route signage. 60 people participated in the study within two equal, gender-balanced age groups (20–30 and 61–79 years). Three experimental conditions, varying in mental, emotional and physical demands, were realised to simulate the strain of an evacuation. Four sign types were included in the study, namely Standard without any additional elements, Updated with temporal update information, Flashing with a green flashing frame and Crossed-Out with a combination of the recommendation of one escape route and the prohibition of the other escape route. The digital escape route signs were partly presented in conflict with environmental cues, i.e. wider, brighter and less angled opposite corridors. The sign types Standard, Updated and Flashing were highly powerful to influence direction decisions of young and elderly persons even against conflicting environmental cues, whereas Crossed-Out led to misunderstandings and distrust. Hence, digital escape route signage with and without temporal update information and flashing elements has great potential to enhance safety during evacuations, while integrating prohibitory elements might be dangerous.