Note: Since emergency exits often are not to be used as regular way out, the use of two different pictograms for Exit and Emergency Exit is essential.
Synonyms / Other Terms Used
Way Out
Category
Regulations, Directions, Public Facilities, Travel
Message / Function
To indicate and identify the location of an exit or preferred way to go out
Source | Description | |
---|---|---|
Luca Fruzza | Perspective view of room with open door | |
Icograda | Wall with door, arrow pointing downwards | |
Icograda | Human figure walking through open door, arrow pointing in walking direction | |
Zwaga 1974 | Diagonal wall with door, arrow pointing outwards, walking human figure | |
Zwaga 1974 | Diagonal wall with door, arrow pointing outwards, walking human figure | |
Zwaga 1974 | Human figure walking towards opening of rectangular enclosure, arrow pointing outwards | |
McLaren & Braunstein | Human figure with hat walking towards opening of rectangular enclosure | |
1) | Icograda | Human figure walking towards opening of rectangular enclosure |
ATH | Human figure walking out of partial rectangular enclosure | |
O'72 | Human figure walking away from vertical bar indicating wall | |
2) | Simlinger | Arrow pointing at opened double wing door of rectangular enclosure |
Icograda | Direction arrow pointing towards opening in rectangular enclosure | |
O'64 | Direction arrow pointing into opening in rectangular enclosure | |
NS 1980 | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
UIC | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
KFAI | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
Wiener Linien | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
D'source | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure with rounded corners | |
3) | UIC 413 | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure |
UIC 413 | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
X'67 | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
4) | British Rail | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure |
Tern | Direction arrow pointing out of opening of rectangular enclosure | |
Picto'grafics | Two lines with direction arrow between pointing outwards | |
ISO 7001 | Two lines with direction arrow between, pointing out | |
Rathouský | Two vertical red lines with black arrow pointing outwards | |
Icograda | Outwards pointing arrow filling gap of arc | |
Dreyfuss | Semicircle, arrow pointing away from middle | |
WO'72 | Semicircle, two arrows, one pointing in, one out | |
AIGA | Green disk vertically bisected |
Discussion
The collection shown above is only a fragment of the wide variety of pictograms used all over the world to signify Exit.
A number of studies examined several aspects regarding this referent:
Using the Production Method Gehringer (1979) explored which mental images or visual stereotypes exist concerning the message Exit. More than 50 % of the subjects were not able to deliver responses or solutions without adding text. 44 % of the subjects offered either a door opening with an arrow (39 %) or just an open door (5 %) The remaining 2 % showed other concepts. The pattern of responses indicated notable difficulties caused by a missing typical visual stereotype. This fact probably is a main reason why the way to an exit often is marked by corresponding text/wording in the local language.
In the ISO 1979/80 Test Series the AIGA variant dropped out already at a preliminary stage of research (an Appropriateness Ranking Test of 12 variants, see Easterby & Graydon, 1981 a), as it is to abstract. In the studies of Collins, Lerner & Pierman (1982) as well as Collins & Lerner (1983) the symbol received a very small percentage of correct answers and simply was not recognized without the benefit of prior familiarization. In the latter study the pictogram of the Munich Olympics 1972 did not work well either. Displaying just a vertical bar seems insufficient to indicate 'indoor'.
While the variant from Simlinger shown above (marked with 2)) reached the best score in the Comprehension Tests of the ISO 1979/80 Test Series in several countries (Easterby & Graydon 1981 b), the variant from UIC (3)) reached an equivalent score in a later study (Brugger, 1996). In the ISO 1979/80 Test Series the British Rail version (4)) reached a lower comprehension rate than the Icograda pictogram labeled 1), which also could not reach the top score.
As error percentages in the experiments of Collins & Lerner (1983) were rather low for the best versions, one has to ask the question if differences between the versions of Simlinger, UIC and British Rail still exist under real life conditions: in the ISO 1979/80 Test Series no context information was provided. Therefore we encourage further testing to identify the best version in more realistic scenarios and to optimize directional effect and legibility distance.
Recommendation
Based on the test results known there is no perfect recommendation, but pictograms like TS0802/TS0803 from the TERN symbols set (left symbol) or equivalent variants might be a good choice.
Tests of pictograms of referents Exit and Emergency Exit
The list below is only a small section from the wide range of studies concerning aspects of how to indicate and identify an escape route or the location of an exit.
Brugger: Ch. (1987): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols, ISO 1986 Test Series: Comprehension/Recognition Test. Vienna: ISO / TC 145 / SC 1.
Brugger: Ch. (1996): Verständnistest UIC Kodex Merkblatt 413. Report to ÖBB GD 02 (Austrian Railways), Vienna, March 1996.
Collins, B.L. & Lerner, N.D. (1982): Assessment of Fire-Safety Symbols. Human Factors, 24(1), 75-84.
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.
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.
Kinateder, M., Warren, W.H., & Schloss, K.B. (2018). What color are emergency exit signs? Egress behavior differs from verbal report. Applied Ergonomics, Volume 75, 155-160.
Wolff, J.S. & Wogalter, M.S. (1998): Comprehension of Pictorial Symbols: Effects of Context and Test Method. Human Factors 40 (2), 173-186.
Zwaga, H.J. & Boersema, T. (1983): Evaluation of a set of graphic symbols. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 1, 43-54.
See also
Updated 2024-06-26 by Ch.Brugger