Open

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Opened, Available

Category

Status, Services

Message / Function

To indicate the availability of a service or facility

	Source	Description
	Icograda	Human figure in front of two trapezoid objects pointing towards one indicating perspective view of door
	Icograda	Human figure opening folding door with arrows pointing away from figure
	Icograda	Hand in front of partially open roller shutters, arrow pointing upwards
1)	Icograda	Square with rounded corners, one side open with door indicated, side view of human figure walking into opening
	Icograda	Perspective view of open door in black wall, white floor
2)	Icograda	Open door inside frame, open padlock in front
	Icograda	Open gate with open padlock attached
3)	Icograda	Side view of open padlock with large keyhole
	Icograda	Side view of open padlock with large keyhole
	Icograda	Side view of open padlock, partially in outline, with large keyhole
	Icograda	Side view of open padlock, partially in outline, with large keyhole
	Icograda	Side view of open padlock
	Miranda	Open gate or barrier
	ISO 7000	Rectangle with opening at top, circle on one side of the opening, slanted bold line indicating open gate
	Icograda	Rectangle with opening at bottom, slanted line indicating open gate
	Icograda	Plan view of room with open door
	Trisula	Two vertical lines with two arrows in between pointing towards these lines
	Icograda	Two bold vertical bars with two arrows in between pointing towards bars
	Icograda	Two bold vertical bars close to left and right edge of frame
	Bliss	Square with top side missing, lines bold
	Icograda	240° arc, opening at top

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

Discussion

The range of pictograms shown in the table above - mostly from the Icograda student project (Frascara), as variants in use are rather sparse - gives a good hint of the diversity of variants and image contents in our database to indicate the availability of a service or facility. Prior to the efforts of the Icograda student project only few graphical symbols representing this message existed. While many renderings focus on showing a rendering of an open padlock, others experiment with versions of open doors, sometimes in combination with a human figure. Also completely abstract symbols exist. No single visual stereotype can be identified.

In our research we found only very limited information on data from tests:

In the context of the Icograda student project and the ISO test series 1979/80 (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 a) many pictogram variants intended for the message Open were examined using the Appropriateness Ranking method. Subsequently three pictograms of the set judged as most appropriate were selected for further research on basis of a Comprehension Test (Easterby & Graydon, 1981 b, graphic symbols marked 1) to 3) in the table above). None of the variants tested for comprehension reached an acceptable number of correct responses. Among these three variants, the pictogram labeled 3) performed best with 33.5 % answers classified as correct, and for the design with the label 1) more than half of the persons participating did not respond at all or indicated not to know what it could mean. Wrong answers found for this referent were, among others: Exit, Low Headroom, Pedestians Only, Walk, Don't Walk, Gents, Shelter, Keep Unlocked, Unlock, Beware of Thieves, Please Secure, and Jail. Regarding the fact, that no context information was offered, the results of that study should be interpreted with care.

The absence of a visual stereotype as well as the results available indicate that it might be difficult to develop a comprehensible graphical symbol.

Recommendations

As no data is available on comprehensibility of many of the concepts shown, and no context information was presented in the study available, we suggest to select the most appropriate designs from all concepts using the Comprehensibility Estimation Procedure, and then to conduct a Comprehension Test for the best graphical symbols of that preselection. Providing sufficient context information seems to be very relevant when testing comprehensibility of variants for this referent. Detailed information about the most frequent responses given in each of the response categories should be provided to correctly judge comprehensibility and improve designs.

Tests of pictograms of referent Open

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.