Shower

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Shower Bath, Showers

Category

Public Facilities, Lodging, Travel, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate the location of public shower facilities

	Source	Description
*	ON Testdesign	Human figure below shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	U.S. National Park Service	Upper part of human figure in washing pose below shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	NPS	Upper part of human figure in washing pose below shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	SWISSTRAFFIC	Head and shoulders below shower head with water indicated by lines
*	SSRS	Head and shoulders below shower head with water indicated by dashed lines
	WO'72	Upper part of human figure below cone shaped water jet, water indicated by lines of dots
	UIC 413	Side view of shower head cantilevered over base, with water indicated by lines of dots
*	ISO 7001	Side view of shower head cantilevered over base, with water indicated by lines of dots
	Tern	Side view of shower head cantilevered over base, with water indicated by lines of dots
	Düsseldorf Airport	Side view of shower head cantilevered over base, with water indicated by nine dots
	Kapitzki	Shower head over base with water indicated by dashed lines, two faucets
	DB	Shower head over base with water indicated by lines of dots
	O'72	Shower head with water indicated by lines of dots plus two faucets
	ZRH 1978	Shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	Dreyfuss	Shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	O'68	Shower head with water indicated by dashed lines
	ÖBB 2007	Side view of shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Side view of shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	CNIS	Side view of shower head with water indicated by lines of dots
	Nova Scotia	Side view of shower head with water indicated by lines
	BS 8501:2002	Side view of shower head with water indicated by dashed lines
	BTA 1989	Side view of shower head with water indicated by dashed lines
	Gregor Cresnar	Side view of shower head with water indicated by six dots
	UKFC	Side view of shower head with water indicated by dashed lines
	BBB	Side view of shower head with water indicated by several short lines
	Picto'grafics	Side view of shower head with water indicated by lines of drops
	EJP	Side view of shower head with water indicated by dashed lines

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

Discussion

The collection shown above is only a small selection of the wide variety of pictograms used all over the world to indicate the location of shower facilities. Data from research is available for eight pictogram variants, most also shown in the table above:

In Appropriateness Ranking Tests conducted in Austria (Brugger, 1984) and Sweden (Gärling, 1985) the pictogram variants marked with * were judged as most appropriate. In a subsequent Comprehension Test conducted in five countries with more than 1500 subjects (Brugger, 1986) these variants also proved to be well comprehensable eliciting only 3 % to 7 % wrong responses. Pictograms designed later like the current symbol of the U.S. National Park Service were not part of these tests.

In a later Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation also reached an excellent comprehension score of 97.2, an almost perfect value (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).

Recommendation

ISO 7001 pictogram Reference No PI PF 025

We recommend the use of pictogram reference PI PF 025 of ISO 7001 that proved to be extremely well comprehensable.

Tests of pictograms of the referent Shower

Brugger, Ch. (1984): Reihungstest 1984. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1984-10-05.

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

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.

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