Tickets

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Ticket Purchase, Ticket Sales, Ticket Adjustment, Ticket Office

Category

Public Facilities, Processing Activities, Tourism, Travel, Transportation, Transport Facilities

Message / Function

To indicate and identify a facility where tickets may be obtained. May be used for ticket machines / automatic distributors.

	Source	Description
	ÖNORM A 3011	Hand holding two tickets, each with perforation
	Tern	Hand holding two tickets, each with perforation
	ISO 7001	Hand in outline holding two tickets, each with perforation
	UIC/Zwaga 1980	Hand holding two tickets
	UIC 413	Hand in outline holding two tickets, each with indicated class and perforation
	Schiphol	Hand holding two tickets with numbers
	BS 8501:2002	Hand receiving two tickets, each with perforation
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Ticket machine, human figure holding ticket
	EJP	Ticket machine, human figure holding ticket
	D/FW	Side view of figures exchanging tickets over a counter
	ICAO	Side view of figures exchanging tickets over a counter
	ATA	Side view of figures exchanging tickets over a counter
	AIGA	Figures exchanging tickets over a counter
	Icograda	Side view of figures exchanging tickets over a counter
	D'source	Human figure holding ticket, line indicating counter
	Bolivia	Hand reaching two tickets with perforation through counter window
	UIC/Zwaga 1980	Hand reaching two tickets through counter window
	Simlinger	Hand holding ticket with perforation and hand holding coins, both hands in opposing direction
	ON Testdesign	Hand holding coins, ticket on the right
	Aicher & Krampen	Hand holding ticket with perforation and numbers
	O'72	Hand holding ticket with perforation
	adlerschmidt	Hand holding ticket with perforation, all in outline
	KSA	Hand holding ticket
	Icograda	Detail of hand holding ticket with perforation
	Icograda	Detail of hand holding ticket with mark
	ON Testdesign	Three coins, ticket in bowl below
	ON Testdesign	Circle with three coins above horizontal bar and ticket below
	Icograda	Two tickets in front of opening of counter
	Swiss Post	Two tickets showing one or two arrows and dotted line below
	UIC 413 b	Tickets with indicated print
	NS 1980	Tickets with indicated class and perforation
	Transport for London	Two tickets, one in outline, with perforation indicated by dashed lines
	Herget	Two tickets, one in outline, with perforation indicated by dotted lines
	ÖSV	Two tickets with perforation indicated by dashed lines
	SV	Tickets with perforation indicated by dashed line
	SV	Ticket with print and perforation indicated by lines
	Carbon	Ticket with perforation indicated by dashed line
	U.S. National Park Service	Ticket with letter T

Discussion

Tickets

The examples above illustrate the diversity of concepts and visualizations for the referent Tickets that can be found in publications and guiding systems worldwide. Apparently there is no clear stereotype to indicate and identify a facility where tickets may be obtained.

A number of studies examined several aspects regarding this referent:

The Comprehension/Recognition Test of the ISO test series of the years 1979/80 (Easterby & Graydon, 1981) brought about the following results: a hand in side view holding a ticket, presented below a bus reached the highest comprehensibility scores. The symbol used by UIC and the one used at the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972 arrived at significantly lower scores.

In a Matching Test with a set of 29 symbols (Zwaga & Boersema, 1983) the variant from the Dutch Railways (NS 1980) only reached 55 % correct responses. By some respondents this symbol was mixed up with 'Book Shop' or 'Currency Exchange'.

After further research on differing concepts (Brugger, 1980, 1983) several pictogram designs were drawn on the basis of information gained from these tests. These new designs were studied in another ISO test series (Gärling, 1985, Standards Association of Australia, 1985, Brugger, 1987). The design of symbol No 110 of ÖNORM A 3011 (identical with symbol No 050 of ISO 7001:1990), which was part of that test, proved to be more comprehensible than all pictograms tested for that referent before. Answers of the subjects questioned reveal that the perforation indicated on the tickets, as well as the display of two tickets improve comprehensibility. Pictograms including coins in some way often are confused with 'Currency Exchange' or 'Bank'. If the hand is displayed with only one ticket, confusions with 'Show Ticket' increase.

For unknown reasons ISO later replaced its guideline example from ISO 7001:1990 with the version shown in the table above that does not correspond the original design guidelines.

Ticket Office

In the Freedman study of the AIGA symbols (1978) the pictogram for Ticket Purchase was misinterpreted in 43 % of its uses. In a later study that was sponsored by the Austrian Railways, the same pictogram reached a score of about 80 % correct answers (categories 1 and 2 according to ISO 9186, Brugger 1995). In the first study primary misinterpretations were Hotel Information, Information, Bar, Lost and Found. In the second project among others: Restaurant, Immigration, Lost and Found, Bathroom.

Recommendations

To signify 'Tickets' pictogram No 110 of ÖNORM A 3011 (identical with symbol No 050 of ISO 7001:1990 and the Tickets symbol from the Chinese standard GB/T 10001.1-2012) should be preferred. Its superior comprehensibility was confirmed in a later study by An & Chan (2017), where it was correctly interpreted by 97 % of the respondents.

Pictogram No. PI PF 010 of ISO 7001: Tickets Tickets

On the other hand, for guidance to a ticket office that also offers advices or other services, the AIGA variant may work well, too.

AIGA: Ticket Office Ticket Office

Tests of pictograms of referent Tickets / Ticket Office

An, D. & Chan, E.H.W. (2017): Investigating the Comprehension of Public Symbols for Wayfinding in Transit Hubs in China. In: Rau, PL. (eds) Cross-Cultural Design. CCD 2017. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 10281. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57931-3_24

Brugger, Ch. (1980): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest für den FNA 178 "Seilförderanlagen- und Pistenleitsysteme". Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated 22.2.1980, Vienna.

Brugger, Ch. (1983): Abschlußbericht über den Erkennungstest. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated May 1983, Vienna.

Brugger, Ch. (1987): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols, ISO 1986 Test Series: Comprehension/Recognition Test. WIEN: ISO/TC 145/SC 1.

Brugger, Ch. (1995): Verständnistest 1995 - Im Auftrag der ÖBB und des ON - FNA 133. Vienna, November 1995.

Easterby, R.S. & Graydon, I.R. (1981): 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): 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.

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.

Freedman, M. (1978): Symbol Signs - The Testing of Passenger/Pedestrian Oriented Symbols for Use in Transportation Related Facilities. Washington, D.C.: Department of Transportation, DOT-OS-60071, December 1978.

Gärling, T. (1985): ISO Appropriateness Ranking Test 1985 - Redovisning av genomförande. Report to the Swedish Standards Institute dated 1985-07-24.

Standards Association of Australia (1985): Appropriateness Ranking Tests. Internal communication dated 1985-10-30.

Zwaga, H.J. & Boersema, T. (1983): Evaluation of a set of graphic symbols. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 1, 43-54.