A lot of thought goes into designing an airport. That perfectly placed sign, those large windows and the specialty lighting aren’t there just because they look good. There are specific reasons why airports have carpets, not a lot of signs and a specific layout.
Carpets
Have you ever rolled your bag through the airport and questioned why there’s carpet instead of tile? Sure it is more difficult to navigate your wheeled bags at time, but carpet makes airports feel more cozy, hence the reason why a lot of airports are carpeted. Carpeted floors make passengers feel as if they are in a more calmer environment, instead of a busy airport, and their behavior will reflect that (hopefully in a positive way).
Signs
I will never forget being in Newark airport trying to make my connecting flight, but then having to try to figure out where to get to the bus that takes you to the terminal. There wasn’t a lot of signage and I finally had to ask someone. I wondered why I couldn’t find a sign that told me where to go. Surely i wasn’t the only one needing to get to this specific terminal. It turns out that airports don’t have a lot of signage on purpose. They use subtle cues (obviously too subtle in my case!) to help passengers head in the right directions and not get lost. The signs that they do use are very well thought out. Most airports will only use one of three different types of fonts; Clearview, Frutiger or Helvetica. This is because these fonts are easy to read at a distance.
Natural Light
Newly constructed airports, or those that have undergone a recent renovation, often rely on natural light rather than artificial light. While some might think this is a gamble as the airport has to rely on sunny days to bring in a lot of light, it’s actually puts passengers in a better mood. Passengers are also more likely to linger around areas that have natural light just because it feels more open and bright and not as dark.
Artwork And Sculptures
That massive art installation that you see in the middle of an airport terminal isn’t just there for you to admire. Artwork and sculptures are strategically placed to guide travelers to where they need to go. They act as placemakers and make it easier for travelers to get their bearings and figure out where they are. Without them, travelers would often walk around in circles and have difficulty navigating where they are going.
Shop Placements
Shops aren’t just placed in areas where there’s empty space that needs to be filled. Airports know that many shoppers will buy items on impulse and they will play into that. In order to get passengers to buy items at the exorbitant prices that they are often sold for, they have to first get shoppers into the stores. This is why stores are placed in areas where as many people will pass them as possible. It’s not uncommon in a lot of airports to find shops and restaurants to sort of be clustered together in busy areas.
Talkative TSA Personal
That TSA officer that’s chatting you up isn’t necessarily doing so just to be nice. While millions of dollars are spent each year to spot sketchy behavior, it’s been found that TSA personal can determine if someone is acting suspicious by simply talking to them. After asking general travel related questions such as where the the passenger is going, they will delve into more personal ones like where they grew up and then they will watch for suspicious behavior.
