These instructional stickers in public spaces are a physical cousin of “customer support optimization via FAQ” that we so often see in digital.
When we discuss content strategy and information architecture for websites, clients within a degree or two of customer contact are quicker to suggest adding an FAQ, even before the site has been published or any questions have been asked, frequently or not.
Preemptive FAQing seems like placing a bandaid on unscathed skin until you see the fading scar. Preemptive FAQers have usually experienced or heard the slow, expensive process of getting website content updated (at the mercy of someone in another department or a 3rd party supplier), especially in Japan where widespread adoption of CMSs has taken longer.
In physical spaces like train stations or convenience stores, the people who feel the pain of frequently received questions are empowered to solve their own problem. Stickers are cheap and seemingly easy to revert, and thus require few if any meetings or approval stamps to deploy.
Their widespread proliferation is material proof that removal efforts are unlikely to be considered and more likely to encounter pushback.
