Facts and data on pictograms
Synonyms / Other Terms Used
Barber Shop, Hair Salon, Coiffeur, Beauty Salon
Category
Commercial Facilities, Concessions
Message / Function
To show the location of a barber or hair salon
| Source | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 |
BS 8501:2002 | A pair of scissors and comb side by side |
 |
Düsseldorf Airport |
A pair of open scissors and comb side by side |
 |
ISO 7001 | A pair of scissors and comb side by side |
 |
AIGA | A pair of scissors and comb side by side |
 |
D'source | A pair of scissors and comb side by side |
 |
Eco-Mo Foundation |
A pair of scissors and comb side by side |
 |
EJP | A pair of scissors and comb side by side |
 |
UIC 413 | A pair of open scissors and comb side by side |
 |
Dreyfuss | Open scissors crossed over a comb |
 |
NS 1980 | Open scissors crossed over a comb |
 |
AIGA | A pair of scissors and comb side by side plus female figure |
 |
S/TA | Upper part of female figure, head surrounded by filled circles/curlers |
 |
Dreyfuss | Head in profile under drying hood |
 |
Unknown | Head in profile under drying hood, all outline |
 |
AIGA | A pair of scissors and comb side by side plus male figure |
 |
S/TA | Barber's pole with open scissors above |
 |
Dreyfuss | Barber's pole |
Discussion
Most variants found show a pair of scissors and a comb, either side by side or crossed. Often they only differ in detail: for example the scissors may be open or closed, sometimes also detailed as hair-cutting shears. Symbols showing a barber's pole are outdated and not understood anymore by most people, especially in countries were this symbol never was in use.
In the Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation proved to be almost perfectly comprehensable with a comprehension score of 98.6 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).
The only other test results available are from Zwaga & Boersema (1983) from a Matching Test, were the variant labeled NS 1980 performed very well with more than 90 % correct responses.
Recommendations
We recommend the use of a symbol like variant PI CF 015 from ISO 7001, the AIGA version, or the pictogram of the Eco-Mo Foundation, which can be used for any kind of hairdresser: barber shop as well as hair salon.
Tests of pictograms for Barber Shop and Beauty Salon
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.
Zwaga, H.J. & Boersema, T. (1983): Evaluation of a set of graphic symbols. Applied Ergonomics, 14, 1, 43-54.
Updated 2024-01-21 by Ch.Brugger