Ice Skating

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Skating, Figure Skating, Speed Skating

Category

Activities, Sporting Activities, Sports, Winter Sports, Tourism

Message / Function

For notice in general and to signify the activity of ice skating

	Source	Description
	Unknown	Human figure skating
	Québec	Side view of human figure skating
	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of human figure skating
	SIS	Side view of human figure skating, horizontal line below
	Erco	Human figure skating
	PC	Side view of human figure skating
	U.S. National Park Service	Human figure skating
	NPS	Human figure skating
	Dutchicon	Human figure in speed skating position
	SSRS	Human figure in speed skating position
	Erco	Human figure in speed skating position
	BS 8501:2002	Human figure in speed skating position
	NZS 8603	Human figure in speed skating position
	CNIS	Human figure in speed skating position
	WO'72	Human figure in spiral position
	Erco	Human figure in spiral position
	Unknown	Human figure in spiral position
	CNIS	Human figure in spiral position
	Sagamihara	Human figure with ice skates, in spiral position
	MDCT	Side view of ice skate
	Unknown	Side view of old style ice skate
	McLaren & Braunstein	Side view of ice skate
	FIT Resort Club	Side view of ice skate
	SSRS	Side view of ice skate
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Side view of ice skate shown in outline
	BTA 1989	Side view of ice skate shown in outline
	SN 640 827	Side view of ice skate without boot

Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

The collection shown above is only a selection of the wide variety of pictograms used all over the world to signify Ice Skating. Some of the pictograms were developed to denote Figure Skating or Speed Skating in particular. Basically all pictograms show either a human figure skating or the side view of an ice skate. But there is quite some variation concerning both image contents: renderings of skaters often are based on side views of human figures skating, variations are regarding the way the arms and legs are shown, indicating the degree of proficiency and the type of ice skating activity; and ice skates can be found with and without boot, old style and modern, simple, minimalist style or also with several details.

Test data for the referent Ice Skating is rather limited:

The results of an Appropriateness Ranking Test for five pictogram variants, conducted by Gehringer (1976) in Austria, indicate that showing a human figure skating is preferred to just displaying skates.

Some information also is available concerning comprehensibility of Parks Canada pictogram No 6-4-307: Ice Skating, displaying a human figure skating in side view: since all pictograms that failed comprehension testing in Canada have been retired from use there, the Parks Canada pictogram displayed above must have reached a comprehension rate of 80 % or higher, as this variant does not have the status Retired and does not have to be accompanied by a supportive text message (Parks Canada, 2007).

Recommendations

IceScating

Based on test results available we recommend the use of an improved pictogram similar to symbol No 74 of ÖNORM A 3011, ERCO No 740, or the Chinese Public Information Symbol for Skating.

Tests of pictograms of referent Ice Skating

Gehringer, J. (1976): Reihungstest über 18 Begriffe aus dem Sportwesen - Priorität I. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated January 1976, Vienna.

Parks Canada (2007): Parks Canada Identity Program: Exterior Signage; Standards and Guidelines - Version 1. March 2007.