ISO BULLETIN: GRAPHICAL SYMBOLS TO ADDRESS CONSUMER NEEDS (ISO BULLETIN NOW TITLED ISO FOCUS)
Rarely a day passes without our coming into contact with graphical symbols in one way or another. They are found in technical product documentation, in instructions for the safe use of a wide range of products, on the controls of our motor vehicles, on lift controls, on domestic appliances and computers, and on medical products. They also feature as part of road signs, as well as in safety signs and public information signs found in workplaces and areas used by the general public.
Knowing how to research and design graphical symbols
The increasing use of graphical symbols is driven by the need to provide a language-independent means of communication in an era of rapidly growing world trade and movements of people. Graphical symbols may depict objects, animals and people and, depending on the intended use, may be designed to be understood intuitively or have no obvious visual connection with the function with which they are associated.
Graphical
symbols can appear on their own or as a component of a sign. In one or
other of these formats they are used to convey operational
instructions, information about hazards and specified actions or
prohibitions, and directions to exits, transport and other services.
It
is impossible to discuss here all the various ways in which graphical
symbols are used and this article concentrates on graphical symbols
that are used:
- in the context of public information signs and safety signs;
-
on equipment and products (this includes motor vehicles and almost all
products and machinery found in the home and workplace).
Whilst
many graphical symbols and signs are readily understood most of us will
have come across, say, a sign in a public place whose meaning is not
clear no matter how long we might spend looking at it. Many of the
present problems are no doubt caused by the great proliferation in use
of graphical symbols, and designers ignoring basic considerations and
good practice.
Moreover, some graphical symbols that
accompany consumer products appear to have been produced by a small
group who, although no doubt expert in the products themselves, have no
real knowledge of how to research and design graphical symbols. The
result is often poorly developed symbols that are open to different
meanings or can be interpreted in a way that could result in users
being exposed to danger.
Asking friends or colleagues
about the meaning of some of the symbols found on consumer products can
be instructive: it can often produce amusing results. However, this
ceases to be amusing when it is realised that these symbols are
supposed to be conveying safety information.
Developing graphical symbols and signs with the consumer in mind
There
can be no doubt that the best way of ensuring that graphical symbols
and signs are effective is for them to be developed in accordance with
a common set of internationally accepted procedures and standards. Such
procedures are already set out in the ISO/IEC Directives and
Supplements and are mirrored in the administrative procedures for CEN
and CENELEC technical committees. However, they are not always applied
correctly - or early enough - to ensure that the results are
acceptable.
Concerns of the sort outlined above led
COPOLCO (the ISO Consumer Policy Committee), and others, to conclude
that the needs of consumers were not always taken into account when
graphical symbols and signs are developed. This means that the
potential benefits of using graphical symbols are not always achieved
in practice. It was therefore agreed that a new guide on developing
graphical symbols would be produced.
The document
will be designated ISO/IEC Guide 74, and its working title is:
Graphical symbols: technical guidelines for the consideration of
consumers' needs. The work is being undertaken jointly by COPOLCO,
ISO/TC 145, Graphical symbols, and IEC/TC 3/SC 3C, Graphical symbols
for use on equipment. Experts in the specialised working group handling
the development of the ISO/IEC Guide 74 come from Belgium, Germany,
Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, and the UK.
The
working group's remit is to produce guidance for standards makers and
designers of graphical symbols to ensure that the needs of consumers
are taken into account when graphical symbols (which will also take in
signs incorporating graphical symbols) are being designed and
standardized.
The guide will complement rather than
duplicate existing material by drawing on, and citing, existing ISO/IEC
guides, standards, and other relevant publications.
Present position on the draft guide
The
current position is that a first Committee Draft (CD) has been issued
and comments have been received. These will be considered by the
working group early in 2003.
A number of standards,
together with a certain amount of relevant guidance, already exist in
this area. The CD therefore draws on the factual position and themes
outlined below.
International committees responsible for the development of standards and standardization of graphical symbols
Two
international committees have responsibility for producing standards
for the types of graphical symbols under discussion here and for the
evaluation and standardisation of those symbols. It is therefore
important that all ISO, IEC, CEN and CENELEC technical committees
considering the development of graphical symbols for inclusion in
standards should contact the relevant secretariat of one or other of
these committees as soon as the potential need for a symbol has been
identified.
The committees are:
-
ISO/TC 145, Graphical symbols (which has three subcommittees SC 1, SC 2
and SC 3, covering public information signs, safety signs and graphical
symbols for use on equipment);
- IEC/TC 3/SC 3C,
Graphical symbols for use on equipment (which covers graphical symbols
for use on electrical equipment).
Key International Standards
The key standards that have been published or are under development are:
ISO 7000, Graphical symbols for use on equipment - Index and synopsis
ISO 7001, Public information symbols
ISO 7010, Graphical symbols - Safety signs in workplaces and public areas
IEC 60417, Graphical symbols for use on equipment
ISO
3864, Safety colours and safety signs - Two parts cover safety signs in
workplaces and design principles for product safety labels
ISO/IEC 80416, Basic principles for graphical symbols for use on equipment
ISO 17724, Graphical symbols - Vocabulary
IEC/414/INF, Processes for the validation of graphical symbols for use on equipment
Procedures for developing graphical symbols and signs
In
addition to seeking and following advice from ISO/TC 145 and IEC/TC
3/SC 3C, technical committees and designers should follow the
procedures set out below:
The message
Identify
the message or nature of the hazard that is to be conveyed. This should
follow on from a risk assessment which both ensures that any physical
hazards are reduced as far as possible by design modifications to the
product or premises and identifies the issue to be addressed by the
graphical symbol.
Decide how the message should be conveyed
Decide whether the most appropriate form is a graphical symbol that will:
- form part of a public information sign;
- form part of a safety sign; or,
- be used on equipment (which can include home and industrial products and automotive vehicles).
In
the case of a graphical symbol conveying a safety message that is used
on equipment or a product, every effort should be made to identify
whether this relates to the equipment or the human user.
The target audience
Think
carefully about the people who make up the target audience and any
particular communication needs they may have. The target audience might
comprise a single group such as children, older people, or a
cross-section of the general public including those with differing
physical and mental abilities. It may comprise personnel trained in
health and safety issues, untrained visitors to an establishment or
public place, or a combination of both.
In some cases
it will be necessary for a graphical symbol appearing on its own or as
part of a sign to be accompanied by supplementary text, either to
provide information about a particular hazard (such as on a product
safety label) or to aid understanding of the intended meaning of a
public information or safety sign.
Supplementary text
will also help to establish the intended meaning of a sign in the minds
of the general public. There will also be situations were supplementary
audio, visual or tactile reinforcement will be necessary.
Cultural differences
There
may be cultural differences - such as preferences or prohibitions -
that need to be identified and taken into account when designing
graphical symbols. For example, in some cultures, depictions of parts
of the human body or particular images may not be acceptable, and some
colours may have particular connotations in one culture and evoke
different responses in another.
In this context, it is
important to ensure that a graphical symbol does not convey one meaning
to one group and another meaning to a different group. These matters
should be researched carefully and appropriate advice sought and acted
upon.
Check for existing symbols that convey the same, intended meaning
Undertake
research, including contacting the secretariat of ISO/TC 145 and IEC/TC
3/SC 3C, to ascertain whether a graphical symbol suitable for the
intended purpose already exists. If one does exist, then it should be
used rather than risk creating confusion by attempting to introduce
another symbol.
Designing a new graphical symbol
If
it is established that a suitable symbol does not exist, then follow
the design and standardisation procedures set out in the relevant
International Standards referred to above.
Standardisation of a graphical symbol
Standardisation
is the procedure whereby a new graphical symbol is validated against
the relevant design criteria and then accepted as a standard and
published. Although standardisation is not mandatory, it has clear
advantages:
- including encouraging greater use of graphical symbols leading to better public recognition.
The
international committees charged with the evaluation and
standardisation of graphical symbols and signs follow broadly the same
basic procedures. In essence, these comprise the following steps:
- submission of the graphical symbol to the relevant committee in a specified format and on a standardised form;
-
evaluation by an expert group against the relevant design criteria and,
where appropriate, assessment of the results of comprehension tests
(see below);
- standardization approval;
-
assignment of a registration number and publication in the relevant
standard (i.e. some of those listed under 'key standards' above).
Comprehension testing
An
issue that is much discussed is how to ensure that the message that a
public information or safety sign is intended to convey is in fact
understood by the intended audience. It is generally accepted that the
best way of assessing whether a sign incorporating a graphical symbol
conveys the intended message is some form of controlled and impartial
evaluation by individuals representing the target audience.
ISO
9186 sets out procedures for evaluating the comprehensibility of safety
signs and public information signs. In some product areas (for example
some automotive and electronic products, particularly computers), the
effectiveness and acceptability of both graphical symbols and the new
product on which they are used are assessed during the same user
trials.
Other considerations which affect the comprehensibility of a sign
The
approval and standardisation of a symbol or sign is not the end of the
story as far as overall effectiveness is concerned. An otherwise
excellent, well researched and designed, graphical symbol or
symbol/sign combination may lose its effectiveness when poorly
reproduced or used in an inappropriate setting.
For
example, the background colour and decor against which the sign is
viewed may result in it not being sufficiently prominent or
comprehensible. Poor choice of lighting may have the same effect. The
size and location of a sign, as well as its durability, are also
factors that need to be carefully considered in this context.
Symbols in everyday life
The
importance of graphical symbols and signs in everyday life cannot be
over-emphasized. They can provide an effective method of communicating
information when developed and used correctly - but unfortunately this
is not always the case. ISO/IEC Guide 74 will, when completed, make a
major contribution to ensuring that the International Standards and
procedures that have been produced are correctly used, so that
consumers gain the maximum benefit from this important method of
communication.
What is a graphical symbol?
A
graphical symbol is defined as: a visually perceptible figure with a
particular meaning used to transmit information independently of
language.
When designed and used properly graphical symbols can:
- have visual impact - especially in large public places;
- provide information in a compact form; and,
- provide information in a visual form that is independent of national languages.
Poorly designed graphical symbols can:
- confuse people with the likelihood that they will be ignored;
- unintentionally convey a message different or opposite to that which is intended.
In either case the result can be critical confusion with potentially disastrous consequences.
John Perry
Project Leader
ISO COPOLCO - ISO Committeee on Consumer Policy