Abstract
The objective of this research was to compare the effectiveness of different warning label designs. Three different warning label designs for a portable electric heater were tested: (1) a traditional non-human factored label; (2) a color-coded “ski pass” label attached near the male end of the electric cord; and (3) a color-coded “interactive” label that required the user to interact with the label in order to use the heater. Subjects were informed that they were participating in a problem-solving experiment. Their task was to devise a system, meeting various constraints, to melt a votive candle in a cup. Several potential heat sources were available including an unsafe heater and extension cord combination. The results showed that the interactive design was most effective in attracting the users' attention, but none of them were effective in mediating safe user behavior.
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