Sauna

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Sauna Bath, Sudatory, Finnish Sauna

Category

Public Facilities, Activities, Recreation, Tourism, Lodging, Concessions

Message / Function

For notice in general and to indicate the location or availability of a sauna bath

	Source	Description
1)	SSRS	Side view of human figure sitting on a bench next to a sauna oven, heat indicated by dashed lines plus large drops of sweat
	CNIS	Side view of human figure sitting on a bench next to a sauna oven, heat indicated by wavy lines plus large drops of sweat
a)	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of human figure sitting on a two level bench next to a sauna oven, heat indicated by dashed lines plus large drops of sweat
b)	ON Testdesign	Side view of human figure sitting on a two level bench next to a sauna oven, heat indicated by dashed lines
	O'72	Two human figures sitting on two levels, heat indicated by pattern of dots
	Baden-Baden	Human figure sitting on a bench, heat indicated by pattern of dots
	WO'72	Front view of human figure wrapped in a towel, heat indicated by pattern of dots
	O'64	Front view of human figure wrapped in a towel, heat indicated by pattern of dots
3)	Z-BIW	Two human figures sitting on two levels, heat indicated by two clouds in outline
	Düsseldorf Airport	Human figure sitting on a bench, heat indicated by wavy lines
	freizeitkarte osm.de	Human figure sitting on a bench, heat indicated by two vertical wavy lines above trapezoid
2)	UTA	Human figure resting on a bench, heat indicated by vertical wavy lines
	HSSS	Human figure with towel resting on a bench, heat indicated by vertical wavy lines
	TiOE	Human figure sitting on a bench, heat indicated by vertical wavy lines on both sides
	Stigenwirth	Human figure sitting on a bench, heat indicated by two vertical wavy lines
	Unknown	Side view of sitting human figure on a flat surface, leaning forward
	Unknown	Side view of human figure sitting on a bench, falling drop superimposed
	Muthesius	Side view of human head in outline, surrounded by pattern of dots
4)	Unknown	Wooden bucket with towel and handle of scoop
	Unknown	Wooden bucket and scoop
	BTA 1989	Towel forming an S

Discussion

The examples shown above are a selection from the range of pictograms and symbols for Sauna that can be found in publications and guiding systems worldwide. Apparently no visual stereotype can be identified to indicate the location or availability of a sauna bath, as the image contents vary to a large degree.

In our research we noticed that test results available are from one country only, but these still offer sufficient basic information:

Brugger (1979 a) inspected 12 pictogram variants for the message Sauna using an Appropriateness Ranking Test. The four pictograms judged as most appropriate are labeled 1) to 4) following the ranking order based on the test results.

Responses from two follow-up Comprehension Tests available for the variants marked 1) to 3) (Brugger, 1979 b) and a) to b) (Brugger, 1979 c) and the Appropriateness Ranking Test mentioned before show some clear tendencies:

Indicating clouds of steam as in the pictogram labeled Z-BIW or using vertical wavy lines to symbolize heat as in the UTA example seem to be far less useful and comprehensible than displaying several drops of sweat dripping drom a human figure
Using a pattern of dots to indicate heat is judged as less appropriate and will not be understood well enough
Pictograms showing a person sweating in a typical sauna reached top results in all tests and up to 92 % of correct responses
Just displaying a person in a typical sauna with oven and various seating levels plus dashed lines to indicate heat as in variant b) is inferior to the almost identical variant a) showing additional drops of sweat
More abstract symbols like the BTA 1989 variant, a towel forming an S, are judged as inappropriate

Recommendation

Sauna

Based on test results available we recommend the use of symbol No 63 of ÖNORM A 3011 Part 3 to signify Sauna.

Tests of pictograms of referent Sauna

Brugger, Ch. (1979 a): Abschlußbericht über den Reihungstest für die Referents Theater, Kurmittelhaus, Sauna und Fahrradverleih. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1979-08-13.

Brugger, Ch. (1979 b): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 09/79, Vienna.

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