New Delhi: There are moments in life when one should not have to think too hard. Finding a toilet is one of them. But modern design and the obsession with being “trendy” seem determined to turn even this basic human need into a puzzle.

Gone are the days when a simple M and F or a straightforward pictogram of a man and woman did the job. That was too easy. Now, we are greeted with all sorts of symbols—abstract shapes, quirky emoticons, and artistic flourishes that make no sense when you are in a hurry. A pair of jeans and a skirt? A spaceship-like figure for unisex? A triangle and a circle floating mysteriously? Are we entering a washroom or decoding a cryptic message from aliens?

First, they were called toilets. Then washrooms. Then restrooms. Then gender-neutral spaces. The words changed to sound fancier, more polite, or more inclusive. But did we really need to complicate the one thing that should remain simple?

The younger generation, raised on emojis and abstract icons, seems to love this. Visual communication is their........

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