Synonyms / Other Terms Used
Buffet, Bistro, Snack Bar, Snacks, Cafeteria, Coffee Shop, Café
Category
Services, Concessions, Commercial Facilities, Travel, Tourism
Message / Function
To indicate the location of general refreshment facilities
Source | Description | |
---|---|---|
Guemil | Spoon above side view of bowl | |
Dreyfuss | Spoon above side view of cup | |
BTA 1989 | Spoon above side view of take away box | |
Erco | Fork in front of glass, plate in top view | |
Unknown | Spoon and fork in front of side view of bottle and bowl with fume above | |
Unknown | Side view of bowl with fume above plus spoon | |
ON Testdesign | Top view of plate with sausage, spoon and fork | |
EJP | Side view of fork, two vertical lines (noodles) ending in full plate | |
OCHA | Side view of filled bowl | |
ZRH 1978 | Parallel projection of slice of fancy cake | |
SIS | Side view of hotdog partially inside bun | |
ON Testdesign | Top view of pair of Wiener sausages and Kaiser roll | |
ON Testdesign | Top view of pair of Wiener sausages and Kaiser roll on plate | |
CNIS | Side view of cup with straw and filled bun on tray | |
EJP | Side view of cup with straw and filled bun, overlapping | |
EJP | Side view of filled bun | |
DB | Side view of cup with straw and sandwich, overlapping | |
U.S. National Park Service |
Side view of burger and cup with straw | |
S/TA | Side view of cup with straw and burger | |
Erco | Side view of glass with straw and burger | |
ÖBB 2007 | Side view of cup with straw and burger | |
ON Testdesign | Side view of glass of beer, top view of sausage | |
Aicher & Krampen |
Side view of bun with sausage and glass with dot pattern | |
ON Testdesign | Top view of sausage left of side view of bun and glass | |
1) | ÖNORM A 3011 | Top view of pair of Wiener sausages and Kaiser roll left of side view of full glass |
2) | ON Testdesign | Top view of pair of Wiener sausages and Kaiser roll left of side view of full beer glass |
3) | ON Testdesign | Top view of pair of Wiener sausages and Kaiser roll, side view of cup and saucer above |
Aicher & Krampen |
Side view of bottle and bun, top view of pair of sausages | |
TAC | Side view of egg, thermos flask, and container with apple inside | |
Dreyfuss | Cone with ice cream, lollipop, cup with straw, and sandwich | |
Aicher & Krampen |
Cone with two balls of ice cream | |
ZRH 1978 | Side view of glass of beer with excess foam | |
FMTK 1986 | Side view of wine glass | |
Aicher & Krampen |
Side view of part of cup on saucer, egg cup with egg | |
Designlab A/S | Side view of glass with excess foam, cup on saucer | |
Chamonix | Side view of stemware glass and cup with elements indicating fume/heat | |
O'68 | Side view of cup, four vertical wavy lines above indicating fume/heat | |
U.S. National Park Service |
Side view of cup, three vertical wavy lines above indicating fume/heat | |
CEAPAT | Side view of cup and saucer, three vertical wavy lines above | |
Ecuador | Side view of cup and saucer, two vertical wavy lines above | |
ZRH 1978 | Side view of cup and saucer, S like shape in outline above indicating fume/heat | |
AIGA | Side view of cup and saucer | |
Eco-Mo Foundation |
Side view of cup and saucer | |
UIC 413 | Side view of cup and saucer | |
UN 1968 | Side view of cup and saucer | |
BTA 1989 | Side view of cup |
Discussion
The collection shown above is only a small selection of the wide variety of pictograms used all over the world for the overlapping messages Refreshments, Buffet, Bistro, Snacks, Coffee Shop, Café. More examples for Coffee Bar, Café, and Tee Room are shown on our page for the more specific referent Coffee Shop.
Studies conducted in several countries present research covering most concepts found in pictogram variants for this referent:
Using the Production Method Gehringer (1979) explored which mental images or visual stereotypes exist concerning the message Buffet. In this study, presenting data from Austria mainly, 24 % of the responses showed food like sausages or sandwiches. Almost as often a table with cutlery was presented (20 %). Next were variants of coffee cups (17 %) followed by glasses and bottles (15 %). Responses indicate that there is no dominating visual stereotype with a clear distinction from the message Restaurant.
Brugger (1982) inspected 53 variants for the message Buffet using an Appropriateness Ranking Test. To ensure reliable responses, the pictograms were split into two independent sets. Results show some clear tendencies:
In a follow up Comprehension Test conducted in Austria (Brugger, 1983) the three pictograms marked with 1) to 3) were examined: For all variants about 90 % of the responses were related to food of some kind, between 46 % (3)) and 72 % (1)) with snacks, snack bar, and sausage/hot dog stand. While the variant showing also a beer glass (2)) elicited more responses like restaurant, answers for variant 3) with a side view of a coffee cup more often were related to coffee shop and breakfast.
In a Matching Test with a set of 29 symbols (Zwaga & Boersema, 1983) the variant from the Dutch Railways, an older version showing cup and saucer reached 33 % correct responses only. Symmetrical confusions of the two referents Buffet and Restaurant happened quite frequently and the restaurant symbol was selected more often than the buffet symbol.
All the studies mentioned above show that there is a significant semantic overlap between the messages Restaurant, Pub, Refreshments, Buffet, Bistro, Snacks, Coffee Shop, and Café, as they all offer some kind of food service and therefore a clear distinction between all these services is almost impossible. In addition to these problems, many snacks are typical for specific regions only. As it is impossible 'to describe the specific menus of various eating places' on basis of symbols, the AIGA Symbol Signs Committee proposed to use two symbols only 'reflecting opposite ends of the price scale' (AIGA, 1993).
Recommendations
We suggest to conduct further studies to identify wether a differentiation for some specific messages is possible. Only on such a basis a clear decision concerning recommendations for individual messages can be reached.
Following the recommendations of ISO and AIGA as well as the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals we also recommend the use of a pictogram like PI CF 002 of ISO 7001 at the moment.
Tests of pictograms of referent Refreshments, Buffet, Bistro, Coffee Shop
Brugger, Ch. (1982): Reihungstest für die Begriffe Bibliothek, Buffet, Kindergarten, Kinderskischule. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 12/82, Vienna.
Brugger, Ch. (1983): Abschlußbericht über den Verständnistest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated May 1983, Vienna.
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.
Zwaga, H.J. & Boersema, T. (1983): Evaluation of a set of graphic symbols. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 1, 43-54.
See also
Café, Coffee Shop, Ice Cream, Restaurant
Bar, Beergarden, Pub, Wine Cellar, Wine Tasting
Vending Machine
Drinking Water, Drinking Fountain
Updated 2024-12-06 by Ch.Brugger