Currency Exchange

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Foreign Exchange, Money Exchange, Bureau de Change

Category

Commercial Facilities, Concessions, Services, Travel, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate the location of currency exchange facilities

	Source	Description
	D/FW	Banknote and three randomly arranged coins
	PANYNJ	Two banknotes, one with currency mark and four randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	UIC 413	Two banknotes, one with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	ISO 7001	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	Québec	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	CNIS	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	Peru 2016	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	Canada 1988	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	PC	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	AIGA	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Banknote with currency mark and two randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	Swiss Post	Banknote with currency mark and three randomly arranged coins each with different currency mark
	TC	Banknote and three randomly arranged coins with indication of value, two currency marks in top left corner
	BSI	Stack of banknotes with currency mark, two currency marks on the right
	Aicher & Krampen	Banknote and two randomly arranged coins with indication of value, three flags on the right
	NS 1980	Banknote and two randomly arranged coins with indication of value, text 'change' below
	UIC 413 b	Banknote and three randomly arranged coins with indication of value
	O'72	Banknote and two randomly arranged coins with indication of value
	S/TA	Banknote and three randomly arranged coins with indication of value
	TA	Banknote and two randomly arranged coins with indication of value
	ON Testdesign	Two banknotes and two randomly arranged coins indicated by filled circles
	BAA	Stack of banknotes
	Picto'grafics	Three different currency signs
	DER	Dollar sign in black circle
	Expo '70	Yen sign inside disk
	Icograda	Opening of counter with two banknotes with currency marks below
	Icograda	Hand holding coin with currency mark plus three different currency signs below at bottom
	Icograda	Two hands, each holding coin with currency mark
	Dreyfuss	Two hands, each holding coin indicated by filled circle
	ICBLB	Two hands, each holding large coin indicated by circle
	Icograda	Two hands exchanging banknotes
	Scheiber	Two hands holding banknote, stacks of coins in the foreground
	Icograda	Hand, three coins indicated by filled circles, part of banknote
	Ecuador	Coins with currency marks, connected by arrows in triangular arrangement
	ICBLB	Several circles and rectangles indicating money, connected by arrows in circular arrangement
	Icograda (modified)	Arc connecting two hands, each holding banknote
	ICBLB	Four rectangles, diagonal line, five circles in randomly arranged

Discussion

The collection shown above is only a small selection of the wide variety of pictograms used all over the world to indicate the location of currency exchange facilities.

Several studies present research covering the majority of pictogram variants for this referent. These papers offer valuable information:

Using the Production Method Gehringer (1979) explored which mental images or visual stereotypes exist concerning the message Currency Exchange. 41 % of the responses showed coins and banknotes. In about 30 % banknotes displaying different currency signs and arrows were presented. Next were variants showing just coins (10 %) and another 8 % provided other solutions. Responses indicate that there is no single visual stereotype regarding Currency Exchange.

In Appropriateness Ranking Tests conducted in the context of the Icograda student project (Frascara) and the ISO test series 1979/80 (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 a) more than 30 pictogram variants of the referent Currency Exchange were examined. This study brought about the following results:

pictograms with several different currency signs reached top ranks, especially when combined with one or two hands holding something like a coin
variants with bank notes and coins without currency signs held middle positions
symbols with just a single currency were rated as least appropriate

In the follow up Comprehension/Recognition Test (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 b) the variants with several different currency signs achieved higher scores than the old UIC symbol (UIC 413 b) with a bank note and coins shown above.

In a Matching Test with a set of 29 symbols (Zwaga & Boersema, 1983) the variant from the Dutch Railways (NS 1980) reached 81 % correct responses. Even though this variant included the informative text 'change', there was a significant amount of wrong answers especially among senior respondents.

In another Appropriateness Ranking Test Brugger (1984) confirmed most of the results of the ISO rankings mentioned above. The two pictograms at the bottom of the table above, indicating the exchange of cash by lines or arrows, were judged as least appropriate. In a Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation proved to be sufficiently comprehensible with a comprehension score of 76.7 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).

When Fiori (2008) examined a map symbol showing a Dollar sign in a black circle (similar to the Brazilian traffic sign labeled as DER in the table above) on basis of a Comprehension Test for the message Bank, 77.4 % of the responses were classified as correct. In this context it should be noted that in some systems pictograms showing a currency sign within a circle (e.g. AIGA) or a hand holding a banknote (e.g. CNIS) are used to denote Cashier, and therefore doubtless only working in specific environments and not clearly distinguishable from Currency Exchange.

Recommendation

Based on test results available from many countries, we recommend the use of a pictogram similar to ISO 7001 public information symbol PI CF 004 to indicate the location of currency exchange facilities.

Tests of pictograms of referent Currency Exchange

Brugger, Ch. (1984): Reihungstest 1984. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 19/84, Vienna.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981 a): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO Test: 1979/80 Series. Part I: Appropriateness Ranking Tests. AP Report 99, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981 b): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols: ISO 1979/80 Test Series. Part II: Comprehension/Recognition Tests. AP Report 100, Applied Psychology Department, University of Aston in Birmingham, January 1981.

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.

Fiori, S. R. (2008): Mapas para o turismo e a interatividade - proposta teórica e prática. Tese de Doutorado - Depto. de Geografia, FFLCH-USP.

Gehringer, J. (1979): Untersuchung über die zeichnerische Gestaltung von Pictogrammen in Abhängigkeit von einigen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, sowie Überprüfung einiger Bildzeichen auf ihre Erkennbarkeit. Dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Vienna.

Magyar Szabvanyügyi Hivatal (1985): Ranking Test. ISO / 145-26/85, Budapest: Magyar Szabvanyügyi Hivatal.

Skone, K. (1977): Erkennbarkeit von Symbolvarianten. Dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Vienna.

Zwaga, H.J. & Boersema, T. (1983): Evaluation of a set of graphic symbols. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 1, 43-54.