Swimming / Swimming Pool

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Bathing

Category

Sports, Water Sports, Sporting Activities, Activities, Recreation, Tourism

Message / Function

To indicate the location for public swimming or bathing

	Source	Description
	O'96	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as two waves
	O'12	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as jagged line
	Erco	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as five wavy lines
	ÖNORM A 3011	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as three wavy lines
	CNIS	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as two wavy lines
	SADC	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as wavy line
	Dutchicon	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as wavy line
	O'80	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as two waves
	UKFC	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as wavy line
	NPS	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water indicated as a wavy contour and line
	Tern	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as two wavy lines
	BS 8501:2002	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as two wavy lines
	NPS (Hora)	Human figure swimming, water shown as a wavy contour
	PC	Human figure swimming, water shown as a wavy contour
	U.S. National Park Service	Human figure swimming, water shown as a wavy line
	Aicher & Krampen	Swimmer using front crawl technique, water shown as two wavy lines
	Eco-Mo Foundation	Human figure swimming, water shown as a wavy contour
	NZS 8603	Human figure swimming, water shown as two wavy lines
	Ota	Human figure swimming, water shown as a wavy line
	O'68	Water shown as a wavy lines, arm with hand above
*	SSRS	Head and shoulders of human figure above water shown as two wavy lines
	GSR Portugal	Human figur starting diving into water shown as three wavy lines
	France IISR	Human figur starting diving into water shown as two wavy lines
	Aragón	Human figur diving into water shown as two wavy lines
*	Unknown	Human figur diving into water shown as a wavy line
*	Unknown	Water shown as four wavy lines

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

Discussion

As the collection above illustrates, the dominating variants for indicating a location for public swimming or bathing are made up of a human figure swimming (front crawl technique) and water shown as a wavy lines. The position of the arm as shown in the U.S. National Park Service variant and the symbol labeled as NPS Mapping (Hora page 85) seems problematic, as it could be confused with a drowning person as depicted in the OCHA Humanitarian Icons set. For Swimming Pool several organizations use the image of a human figur diving into water.

When Gehringer (1976) examined six variants for Swimming Pool and Bathing in an Appropriateness Ranking Test, the pictogram from Erco shown in the table above was ranked best, followed by the old NPS symbol. The variants at the bottom of this table marked with a *, showing a human figur diving into water or even just water shown as several wavy lines, were judged as inappropriate.

Renderings of a human figure swimming with water shown as one or more wavy lines were understood well in all studies available providing Comprehension Test data, with comprehension scores in a range from 84 to 96 (Brugger, 1978, Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001, Fiori, 2008).

Recommendations

ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 38: Swimming

Based on data available and regarding design aspects, we recommend the use of a pictogram similar to Public Information Symbol No 38 of ÖNORM A 3011 part 2 displayed above, but proportions of the arm recovering above the water should be corrected.

Tests of pictograms of referent Swimming, Swimming Pool

Brugger, Ch. (1978): Bericht über die Auswertung des Erkennungstests vom November/Dezember 1977. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute, Vienna, 1978-03-06.

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.

Fiori, S. R. (2008): Mapas para o turismo e a interatividade - proposta teórica e prática. Tese de Doutorado - Depto. de Geografia, FFLCH-USP.

Gehringer, J. (1976): Reihungstest über 18 Begriffe aus dem Sportwesen - Priorität I. Report to the Austrian Standards Institute (ON) dated January 1976, Vienna.