Bath

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Baths, Bathroom, Bathing

Category

Public Facilities, Lodging, Concessions, Travel, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate the location of baths for the use of the public
Not to be used to indicate a beach or a location for public swimming

	Source	Description
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Side view of human figure in bathtub, water level shown as wavy line
	ON Testdesign	Side view of human figure in bathtub, water level shown as wavy line
	ON Testdesign	Side view of human figure in bathtub, water shown as wavy lines
	HSF	Side view of female figure in bathtub washing leg
	BS 8501:2002	Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub with faucet
	ISO 7001	Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub with faucet
	Tern	Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub with faucet
	Dreyfuss	Side view of bathtub, head, tap
	BTA 1989	Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub
	BTA 1989	Front view of upper part of human figure, bathtub
	ON Testdesign	Front view of bathtub, upper part of human figure, water shown as two wavy lines
	WO'72	Front view of upper part of human figure in water shown as wavy lines delimited by vertical lines
	SSRS	Head and shoulders of human figure above water shown as two wavy lines
	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of bathtub with faucet, shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	Düsseldorf Airport	Side view of bathtub with faucet, shower head with water indicated by dots
	Adrien Coquet	Side view of bathtub with tap, vertical wavy lines to indicate heat
	Kapitzki	Side view of bathtub with faucet
	ADV	Side view of bathtub with faucet
	O'72	Side view of part of bathtub with faucet
	Dreyfuss	Plan view of bathtub

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

Discussion

In ranking tests conducted in Austria (Brugger, 1984) and Sweden (Gärling, 1985), side views of a bathtub were generally preferred to front views. Side views with a person in the bathtub were judged as better comprehensible than bathtubs without a human figure. But there was one exception: in both studies the variant from ÖNORM A 3011 was among the top ranked pictograms.

In the following ISO comprehension test series, conducted in Australia, Austria, Hungary, Japan, and the United Kingdom (Brugger 1987), the second design shown in the table above - a side view of a human figure in a bathtub, water level shown as wavy line - performed quite well with about 75 % correct responses. Some wrong responses related to 'rowboat' might be eliminated by changing the posture of the human figure. The pictogram from ÖNORM A 3011 is well comprehensible if one does not want a clear differentiation from shower.

In a later Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation reached a comprehension score of 87.7, a value exceeding ISO and ANSI requirements (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).

Recommendation

We recommend a redesign based on a side view of human figure in a bathtub, with a mixer faucet, maybe more like the one shown in the variant from ÖNORM A 3011.

Tests of pictograms of referent Bath

Brugger, Ch. (1984): Reihungstest 1984. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1984-10-05.

Brugger, Ch. (1987): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols, ISO 1986 Test Series: Comprehension / Recognition Test. Vienna: ISO/TC 145/SC 1.

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Gärling, T. (1985): ISO Appropriateness Ranking Test 1985 - Redovisning av genomförande. Report to the Swedish Standards Institute dated 1985-07-24.