Surveillance

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Surveillance Camera, Video Surveillance, Under Video Surveillance, CCTV Surveillance, CCTV in Operation, CCTV, Camera Monitored, Photo Enforced

Category

Behaviour of the Public, General, Miscellaneous

Message / Function

To indicate the location of surveillance camera

	Source	Description
	Postbus	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera with cable, text 'Video'
1)	Schiphol	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera with cable
	ISO 7001	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera
	CNIS	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera
	UKB	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera with ventilation slots
2)	CRRC	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera with some details
	Forster	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera
	Otth	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera in outline
	Museu Blau	Side view of top mounted surveillance camera in outline
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Side view of surveillance camera on mount in outline
	Metro AG	Side view of surveillance camera on mount
	ISM TR	Side view of surveillance camera on wall mount
	DB 2017	Side view of surveillance camera with several details, on wall mount
	Transport for London	Side view of surveillance camera on wall mount
	IconPai	Side view of surveillance camera with cover, on wall mount
	U.S. National Park Service	Surveillance camera with cover, on wall mount
	Aleksandr Reva	Surveillance camera with cover, on wall mount
	W-RSN	Side view of base mounted surveillance camera
	ÖBB 2007	Frontal view of stylized eye

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

Discussion

The collection above suggests that something like a visual stereotype exists for indicating the location of a surveillance camera: the side view of a surveillance camera on some kind of mount. Variations of renderings focus on a few details and the way the camera is mounted.

Data from tests is sparse, as only two pictograms were examined:

Zwaga & Poppinga examined the pictogram variant labeled 1) for the message Video Surveillance in their undated study Identification and Legibility of Graphic Symbols. In the comprehension task according to ISO 9186:1999 this variant from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport reached a comprehension score of 81.5 . Even regarding that the respondents in this study were mostly persons with higher education, this pictogram seems to be sufficiently comprehensible.

In more recent research by Hung & Tan (2024) the pictogram labeled CRRC and marked with 2) was part of the material used to study factors of sign comprehension. Since 93.85 % of the answers could be classified as correct regarding the message CCTV in Operation, this variant proved to be well comprehensible among the sixty-five students who participated in this study.

Recommendations

ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI BP 008: Surveillance Camera

Due to the fact that a side view of a surveillance camera seems to be a visual stereotype for Surveillance, and based on research results available, we recommend using ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI BP 008: Surveillance Camera to indicate the location of surveillance camera.

Furthermore we advocate to conduct a study including a Comprehension Test comparing several concepts shown above to determine the image content working best. Relevant context information should be provided to the respondents of that project. Detailed information about the most frequent responses given in each of the response categories must be supplied for each pictogram variant tested to correctly judge comprehensibility and improve designs, if necessary.

Tests of pictograms of referent Surveillance

Zwaga, H.J.G. & Poppinga, J.: Identification and Legibility of Graphic Symbols; Towards a standard for public information symbols. Internal Report, Psychological Laboratory, University of Utrecht

Hung Y-H & Tan Y. (2024): How symbol and text combine to promote sign comprehension: Evidence from eye-tracking. Displays. 83, 102709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.displa.2024.102709