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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 Pictogram A35: Bath Eco-Mo
Foundation
Side view of human figure in bathtub, water level shown as wavy line
Austrian Testdesign for Bath ON Testdesign Side view of human figure in bathtub, water level shown as wavy line
Austrian Testdesign for Bath ON Testdesign Side view of human figure in bathtub, water shown as wavy lines
HSF Pictogram Bathroom HSF Side view of female figure in bathtub washing leg
BS 8501 Public Information Symbol No 5014: Bath BS 8501:2002 Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub with faucet
ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI PF 026: Bath ISO 7001 Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub with faucet
Tern Pictogram TS0649 Bath Tern Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub with faucet
Dreyfuss page 35: Bath Dreyfuss Side view of bathtub, head, tap
BTA 1989 Page 3.04: Bathroom - public BTA 1989 Side view of upper part of human figure, bathtub
BTA 1989 Page 3.04: Bath/shower - private BTA 1989 Front view of upper part of human figure, bathtub
Austrian Testdesign for Bath ON Testdesign Front view of bathtub, upper part of human figure, water shown as two wavy lines
Modley & Myers page 124, Olympic Winter Games 1972 in Sapporo: Pictogram Bath WO'72 Front view of upper part of human figure in water shown as wavy lines delimited by vertical lines
Modley & Myers page 113, Swedish Pictogram: Bathing SSRS Head and shoulders of human figure above water shown as two wavy lines
ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 106: Bath ÖNORM A 3011 Side view of bathtub with faucet, shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
Abdullah & Hübner page 132, Düsseldorf Airport: Pictogram Baths Düsseldorf
Airport
Side view of bathtub with faucet, shower head with water indicated by dots
Icon Bath by Adrien Coquet Adrien Coquet Side view of bathtub with tap, vertical wavy lines to indicate heat
Abdullah & Hübner page 94: Bath Kapitzki Side view of bathtub with faucet
Modley & Myers page 76, ADV: Pictogram Bath ADV Side view of bathtub with faucet
Modley & Myers page 99, Summer Olympics Munich 1972: Pictogram Bath O'72 Side view of part of bathtub with faucet
Dreyfuss page 49: Bath 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.

See also

Whirlpool, Jacuzzi, Shower
Spa, Massage, Sauna, Solarium
Beach, Swimming

 

Updated 2024-10-07 by Ch.Brugger