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Vending Machine

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Automat, Coin-operated Machine

Category

Commercial Facilities, Services, Travel

Message / Function

To indicate the location of automated facilities, where goods or services can be obtained against payment

 

Source Description
Abdullah & Hübner page 92: Pictogram Coin operated service by Kapitzki Kapitzki Hand in outline holding coin
Tern Pictogram TS0770 Automat Tern Hand inserting coin into slot
ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 171: Vending Machine1) ÖNORM A 3011 Hand in outline inserting coin into slot
Abdullah & Hübner page 139, Pictogram: Insert coins Renner Hand inserting coins into slot
Modley & Myers page 106, Picto'grafics: Vending Picto'grafics Hand holding coin next to slot in rectangle
Dreyfuss page 36: Vending Machine Dreyfuss Hand holding coin above slot in rectangle, crossed knife and fork inside of this rectangle
Testdesign by Vavrinek: Vending Machine2) ON Testdesign Hand in outline inserting coin into slot, rectangle with two products below
Abdullah & Hübner page 92: Vending Machine by Kapitzki Kapitzki Hand in outline holding coin, two framed products above
ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI CF 020: Snack machine ISO 7001 Bottle, snack bag, coin inserted into a slot at a 40° angle
Hora page 153: CNIS Pictogram Vending Machine CNIS Bottle, beverage can, coin inserted into a slot at a 40° angle
Hora page 80: Parks Canada Pictogram Vending Machine PC Coint with $ sign, rectangular vending machine with display and drink, output opening below
Pierce, T. (1996): The International Pictograms Standard, page 130: Vending Machines3) Pierce Rectangular vending machine with three products, slot in the middle
Modley & Myers page 98, Summer Olympics Munich 1972: Pictogram Vending Machine O'72 Rectangular vending machine with two products, slot right of each product
Aicher & Krampen page 146: Drinks vending machine Aicher &
Krampen
Rectangular vending machine with glass, slot on top right
Dreyfuss page 36: Vending Machine Dreyfuss Rectangular vending machine with two legs and restaurant pictogram (fork, knife, spoon inside filled circle)
Pictogram Vending Machine from SVG Repo SVG Repo Rectangular vending machine with several displays and output opening, two slots indicated on right side
Experience Japan Pictograms: Vending Machine EJP Rectangular vending machine with display, dot, and output opening
Hora page 137: Pictogram Vending Machine HSSS Human figure, rectangular vending machine with five displays and output opening with object below
Vending Machine (Máquina expendedora) by Grupo de Trabajo Andaluz de Accesibilidad Cognitiva GTAAC Rectangular vending machine with several displays and output opening, key pad, above hand insering coin
Lunger & Scheiber page 256, Miraikan: Pictogram Vending Machine Miraikan Oblique projection of cup with stripe

Discussion

The range of pictograms shown in the table above indicates the diversity of variants and image contents available to inform about the location of automated facilities, where goods or services can be obtained against payment. While several renderings focus on showing a hand inserting a coin into a slot, some just display the front view of a vending machine. These elements often are combined with images of products available from the vending machine. No single visual stereotype can be identified.

There is only limited data available concerning symbols or pictograms used to signify Vending Machine or Automat:

Data from a Comprehension Test available for the variants marked 1) to 3) (Brugger, 2000) indicate that variants showing a hand inserting a coin into a slot in combination with individual products reach good comprehension: The testdesign marked 2) elicited 88 % responses with the word 'Automat'. The corresponding numbers for the other two variants are 45 % and 43 %. Showing a hand inserting a coin into a slot requires sufficient context information. With the text 'Inside a railway station' as context information the pictogram marked 1) reached a score of 59.8 according to ISO 9186:2000 and responses included answers like 'Luggage lockers' and 'Coin slot'. Some of the responses to the variant marked 3) like 'Snacks' or 'Provisions' may be connected to correct understanding, but answers like 'Buffet' or 'Restaurant' seem somewhat far away from the intended message. Showing a Kaiser roll as in the pictogram marked 2) elicited wrong answers like 'Fan' and 'Washing machine' among older respondents. It should be taken care not to show local products if the general public is expected to understand a pictogram.

In a Matching Test with a set of 29 symbols (Zwaga & Boersema, 1983) the variant from the Dutch Railways (almost identical with the variant labeled Dreyfuss) reached 64 % correct responses as 'Food vending machine'. Symmetrical confusions with the two referents Buffet and Restaurant happened quite frequently.

The pictogram from the Chinese standard GB/T 10001.1-2012, Public Information Graphical Symbols, labeled CNIS in the table above, seems to convey its message quite well with about 84 % correct responses among Chinese respondents (An & Chan, 2017). No details are available how far answers for this variant were general enough or just had a strong focus on beverages.

Just showing a cup as in the pictogram from the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation Tokyo (Miraikan) may be a hint for availability of water or beverages, but surely not work to indicate the location of automated vending facilities in general.

Recommendations

We suggest to conduct studies comparing more concepts than the ones tested in the papers available, including the variants of Tern and ÖNORM A 3011, but also designs similar to the variant from the Hospitality Symbol Signs System (HSSS). Only on such a basis a clear decision concerning a specific recommendation can be reached.

Tests of pictograms of referent Vending Machine

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. (2000): Verständlichkeitstest ON 2000. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated November 2000, Vienna.

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

See also

Drinking Water, Coffee Shop, Snacks, Refreshments, Restaurant

 

Updated 2024-11-25 by Ch.Brugger