Nursery

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Baby Care, Baby Care Facilities, Baby Changing Facilities, Change Table

Category

Public Facilities, Services, Hygiene, Travel, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate the location of baby care facilities

	Source	Description
	ISO 7001	Side view of figure bending over baby on flat surface, baby feeding bottle in outline
	EJP	Side view of figure bending over baby on flat surface, baby feeding bottle in outline
1)	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of female figure bending over baby on flat surface, baby feeding bottle in outline
2)	ON Testdesign	Side view of female figure bending over baby on flat surface
	KFAI	Side view of female figure bending over baby on curved surface
	Avanti LID	Side view of human figure bending over baby on flat surface
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Side view of human figure in outline, bending over baby on flat surface
	BS 8501:2002	Side view of figure bending over baby with diapers on flat surface
	Parks Canada	Side view of figure bending over baby with diapers on flat surface
3)	UIC 413	Side view of human figure bending over baby with diapers on flat surface
	Pierce	Vertical line, side view of figure bending over baby on flat surface
	ADCA	Human figure with flared skirt holding baby, child on the right
	ULOU	Baby in hooded baby blanket
	FS	Baby with diapers in plan view
	Swiss Post	Small child with opened diapers
	Erco	Small child with opened diapers
	DB	Small child with opened diapers
	DTM Berlin	Baby with diapers in plan view
	SIS	Baby with diapers, arms streched out, in plan view
	AIGA	Baby with diapers in plan view
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Baby with diapers in plan view
	BTA 1989	Side view of baby with diapers
	SNCF	Side view of baby with diapers on baby nursing table
	CNIS	Feeding bottle with measuring scale, baby with diapers
	Dreyfuss	Feeding bottle with measuring scale, teddy bear, both on horizontal line
	D/FW	Baby feeding bottle with measuring scale
	FA	Baby feeding bottle in outline, with measuring scale
	BAA	Tilted baby feeding bottle with measuring scale and formula
	Picto'grafics	Tilted baby feeding bottle with formula
	ADV	Tilted baby feeding bottle with measuring scale in outline
	ATA	Tilted baby feeding bottle in outline

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

Discussion

The set of graphic symbols above already implies that no single visual stereotype exists to indicate the location of baby care facilities. Three types of image contents are dominating, and almost all other designs are combinations of these:

A baby with diapers
A baby feeding bottle, optionally with formula and/or measuring scale
A human figure bending over baby on a baby nursing table

Several papers present research covering quite a few pictogram variants for this referent. These papers offer some useful information:

In two studies sponsored by the Austrian Railways and the Austrian Standards Institute (Brugger, 1995 a and 1995 b) nine pictogram variants of the table above were examined using the Comprehensibility Estimation procedure. In these tests conducted in Austria, a human figure bending over a baby on a baby nursing table always was judged as most suitable with scores above 80, followed by the pictogram from France (SNCF) showing a side view of baby with diapers on a baby nursing table. While scores for pictograms displaying just a baby with diapers in plan view were in a range of 40 to 60, baby feeding bottles were rated as rather incomprehensible with mean and median estimation values below 30.

When tested for comprehension pictograms showing a side view of a figure bending over a baby received more correct responses if a baby feeding bottle also was part of the design (Brugger, 1979). A variant similar to the ÖNORM A 3011 version, but without the baby feeding bottle (marked with 2) and labeled as ON Testdesign), elicited more than 10 % responses related to cooking! In a Comprehension Test 17 years later (Brugger, 1996) two variants were compared, the ÖNORM A 3011 version without the baby feeding bottle labeled 2) and a version similar to the pictogram labeled UIC (3)): both variants reached excellent comprehension scores around 90, much better than in 1979. But there still seems to be room for improvements concerning most variants showing a baby, as the proportions between head and body of the babies displayed often are not correct. In any case, the figure of the grown up should be neutral and not show a female.

In a later 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 80.8 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001), therefore exceeding previous comprehensiblity estimates. The almost identical AIGA pictogram reached a similar comprehension score of 79 % correct in a Comprehension Test carried out with a sample consisting mostly of young and well educated respondents, when studying way-finding symbols for healthcare facilities in the United Arab Emirates (Hashim et al., 2014).

Comparing the pictogram showing a baby in a hooded baby blanket with the image of a tilted baby feeding bottle with formula, 63 % of the respondents found the first to be more effective at communicating nursery than the latter (Woodrow, 2016).

Recommendation

Based on the test results available we recommend using a pictogram showing a side view of a human figure bending over a baby on a baby nursing table.

Tests of pictograms of referent Nursery

Brugger, Ch. (1979): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 12/79, Vienna.

Brugger: Ch. (1995): ÖBB / ON Testserie 1995, Teil 1 Verständnisschätzungen nach ISO 9186. Report to ÖBB GD 02 (Austrian Railways) dated January 1995, Vienna.

Brugger: Ch. (1995): ÖBB / ON Testserie 1995, Teil 2 Verständnisschätzungen nach ISO 9186. Report to ÖBB GD 02 (Austrian Railways) dated February 1995, Vienna.

Brugger: Ch. (1996): Verständnistest UIC Kodex Merkblatt 413. Report to ÖBB GD 02 (Austrian Railways), Vienna, March 1996.

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.

Hashim, M. J., Alkaabi, M. S., & Bharwani, S. (2014): Interpretation of way-finding healthcare symbols by a multicultural population: navigation signage design for global health. Applied ergonomics, 45(3), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2013.07.002

Woodrow J.A. (2016): Universal Language of Understanding—Universal Health Care Symbols. Available online: http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/555/1/Woodrow_Jeffery_2016_MDES_INCD_MRP.pdf