Facts and data on pictograms
Synonyms / Other Terms Used
Animals Not Allowed, No Uncaged Animals, No Pets, Pets Not Accepted, Dogs Forbidden, No Dogs Allowed, No Dogs
Category
General Information, Regulations, Prohibition
Message / Function
To signify places or facilities, where animals are not allowed or which are not dedicated for pets or small animals
| Source | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 |
ÖNORM A 3011 | Side view of neutral animal (mix of cat and dog), diagonal negation element |
 4) |
ON Testdesign | Side view of neutral animal (mix of cat and dog), diagonal negation bar |
 3) |
Sramek | Side view of cat with dog tail, diagonal negation bar |
 |
ON Testdesign | Side view of cat, diagonal negation bar |
 |
ON Testdesign | Side view of cat, diagonal negation bar |
 |
ON Testdesign | Side view of animal, diagonal negation bar |
 2) |
ON Testdesign | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 |
ON Testdesign | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 1) |
Wiener Linien | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 |
CNIS | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 |
DB | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 |
KFAI | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 |
SEGD | Side view of dog inside circle with diagonal negation bar |
 |
Eco-Mo Foundation |
Side view of dog inside circle with diagonal negation bar |
 |
BTA 1989 | Side view of dog, diagonal negation bar |
 |
SSRS | Side view of dog, crossed out |
 |
TC | Side view of dog inside circle with diagonal negation bar |
 |
Bolivia | Side view of dog inside circle with diagonal negation bar |
 |
Parks Canada | Side view of dog inside circle with diagonal negation bar |
 |
PANYNJ | Side view of dog like animal inside circle with diagonal negation bar |
 |
O'72 | Side view of a poodle, partially covered by horizontal line |
 |
ADV | Side view of a poodle crossed out |
 |
Handbuch wien.gv.at | Side view of a dog in outline, diagonal slash |
 |
BVG | Side view of head and neck of a dog in outline, diagonal slash |
Note:
Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.
Colors shown are corresponding to sources and test material used.
Discussion
A look at the collection above illustrates that - except for some of the testdesigns shown - almost no neutral animal or pet is available: the majority of pictograms available are images of dogs, some showing very specific details. In several cases the negation obscures relevant features, and only a few animals displayed are in harmony with the negation elements used.
Test data is sparse:
Kraft (1976) studied seven pictogram variants for No Animals in an Appropriateness Ranking Test. The pictogram judged as most appropriate was the dog from Wiener Linien marked 1), followed by a dog in outline marked 2) and the cat marked 3). Testdesigns of animals with a round head without any specific details were judged as less appropriate.
In a follow-up Comprehension Tests, available for the variants marked 1), 3), and 4) (Brugger, 1977), only 10 % to 26 % of the respondents presented the general answer No Animals. Most answers included the species people thought to recognize, and even for the rather neutral variant marked 4) 68 % answered No Dogs! Some of the senior participants even ignored the red negation bar and just answered Dog or Cat.
In a Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant for the referent No Uncaged Animals, labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation in the table above, reached a comprehension score of 97.3 on basis of a multiple choice test with just three distractors (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001), so data probably overestimates real world comprehensibility.
Recommendations
Non of the variants found is close to perfect. We suggest to use a side view of a rather neutral animal optimized in such a way, that no relevant detail interferes with the negation bar.
Tests of pictograms of referent No Animals
Brugger, Ch. (1977): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1977-10-04.
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.
Kraft, E. (1976): Ranking-Test. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 09/76, Vienna.
Updated 2024-08-02 by Ch.Brugger