Great Design

*/By Rick Nason, PhD, CFA
Partner, RSD Solutions Inc./*

I recently stayed in a very nice European hotel.  It was in a new upscale
hotel and everything was clean, modern and well designed.   Bit too well
designed in places.  Let me explain.

In the walk-in shower the faucets were lined up with the dial for hot / cold
on top, and the dial to turn on / off the water on the bottom.  In the
interest of design the two dials were identical, and had no markings or
identification symbols associated with them.  They were simply too very nice
looking dials.

It comes time to finish the shower and turn off the water.  Which dial turns
off the water, and which dial will turn the water either ice-cold or scalding
hot?  In the moment I cannot remember.  All of a sudden great design for
ascetics turns out to be crappy design in terms of function.  

Now here is the question; is your risk management design for ascetics or
function (or regulatory compliance)?

P.S.  In case you are wondering, I guessed wrong, and wound up with a very
cold ending to my shower.