Tobogganing

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Sleighing, Sledging, Sledding, Luge, Toboggan Run, Toboggan Slide

Category

Activities, Sporting activities, Winter Sports, Tourism, Recreation

Message / Function

For notice in general and to indicate the possibility of tobogganing

	Source	Description
	PC	Side view of three human figures on toboggan indicated by a line
	Picto'grafics	Side view of two sitting human figures on toboggan indicated by a line
	Québec	Side view of two kneeling human figures on toboggan indicated by a line
	Erco	Side view of sitting human figure on toboggan indicated by a line
	WO'72	Side view of sitting human figure on toboggan indicated by a line
	La Clusaz	Side view of sitting human figure on toboggan indicated by a line
	NZS 8603	Side view of sitting human figure on toboggan indicated by a line
	SSRS	Side view of child with shawl sitting on toboggan indicated by a isosceles trapezoid
	BS 8501:2002	Side view of human figure sitting on toboggan
1)	ÖNORM A 3011	Side view of human figure sitting on toboggan
2)	ON Testdesign	Side view of human figure sitting on toboggan
	Aicher & Krampen	Side view of human figure sitting on toboggan
	U.S. National Park Service	Side view of human figure lying on toboggan
	NPS	Side view of human figure lying on toboggan
	Erco	Side view of human figure lying on toboggan indicated by a line
	Novruzov	Birds eye view of human figure lying on luge
	Zermatt	Parallel projection of toboggan
	Las Leñas	Parallel projection of toboggan
	SN 640 827	Side view of toboggan
	Handbuch wien.gv.at	Side view of toboggan

Note: Some of the pictogram variants above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.

Discussion

The range of pictograms shown in the table above gives a good impression of the diversity of images used to indicate Tobogganing or facilities or places where this sport can be carried out. Image contents found range from plain side views of a toboggan to one or several human figures on a toboggan. Renderings of the toboggan itself also show a big amount of variation from a simple line with a curve at the lower end to parallel projections of a toboggan with several construction details. Also the posture of the human figures shown on the toboggan or luge vary to a large extent, from sitting to kneeling or even lying in prone or supine position. No single visual stereotype can be identified.

Only a few studies present research covering pictograms for this referent:

The results of an Appropriateness Ranking Tests of seven pictogram variants conducted by Gehringer (1976) indicate that showing a human figure sitting on a toboggan is preferred to just displaying the toboggan or to a person lying on a luge in typical racing posture.

The two pictograms marked 1) and 2) studied in a follow-up Comprehension Test (Brugger, 1979) conducted in Austria reached between 85 % and 98 % correct responses, indicating excellent comprehensibility of such a design.

Recommendations

Tobogganing

Considering typical use of a toboggan and regarding test results available, we recommend the use of a pictogram like No 72 of the Austrian Standard ÖNORM A 3011 Part 3 shown above to signify Tobogganing.

Tests of pictograms of referent Tobogganing

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

Gehringer, J. (1976): Reihungstest über 8 Begriffe aus dem Sportwesen - Priorität II. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated February 1976, Vienna.