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Waiting Room

Synonyms

Lounge, Waiting Area

Category

Travel, Transport Facilities, Public Facilities, Public Services

Message / Function

To indicate a location with seats where people may wait

 

Source Description
ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI PF 014: Lounge or waiting area ISO 7001 Side view of two seated human figures with clock face overhead
ÖNORM A 3011 Public Information Symbol No 30: Waiting Room ÖNORM A 3011 Side view of two seated human figures with clock face overhead
D'source Pictogram Ladies Waiting Room D'source Side view of two seated human figures, clock face overhead
Early Pictogram Waiting Room used by the Dutch Railways NS 1980 Side view of seated human figure with suitcase plus clock face overhead
UIC 413 Pictogram B.2.10 - Waiting Room UIC 413 Side view of seated human figure with suitcase plus clock face overhead
Deutsche Bahn (2017): Pictogram Waiting Room DB 2017 Side view of seated human figure with suitcase plus clock face overhead
Tern Pictogram TS0780: Waiting Area Tern Side view of seated human figure, suitcase, clock face overhead
Hora page 159: CNIS Pictogram Waiting Room for Mothers with Babies CNIS Side view of seated human figure with child on lap, clock face overhead
Abdullah & Hübner page 159, Zurich Airport: Waiting Area Zurich Airport Side view of seated human figure, clock face overhead
Dreyfuss page 37: Waiting Room Dreyfuss Side view of seated human figure with newspaper, suitcase plus clock face overhead
Hora page 177: SEGD Pictogram Waiting Area SEGD Front view of seated human figure holding book, clock face on the left
Hora page 119: PANYNJ Pictogram Waiting Room PANYNJ Side view of seated human figure, clock face in top right corner
AIGA Symbol Sign No 17: Waiting Room AIGA Side view of seated human figure in chair, clock face on the right
Hora page 159: CNIS Pictogram First Class Lounge CNIS Side view of seated human figure in easy chair plus clock face overhead
Abdullah & Hübner page 131, Düsseldorf Airport: Pictogram Lounge Düsseldorf
Airport		 Side view of seated human figure in easy chair plus clock face overhead
BSI 8501 Public Information Symbol No 7048: Waiting area/room/lounge BS 8501:2002 Side view of seated human figure plus clock face overhead
D'source Pictogram Waiting Room (Hospital) D'source Side view of three seated human figures
Eco-Mo Foundation Pictogram A19: Waiting Room Eco-Mo
Foundation		 Side view of two seated human figures
Modley & Myers page 99, Summer Olympics Munich 1972: Pictogram Waiting Room, Reading Room O'72 Side view of two seated human figures reading, horizontal bar above
Abdullah & Hübner page 95: Pictogram Waiting Room by Kapitzki Kapitzki Side view of seated human figure holding newspaper
Modley & Myers page 103, Picto'grafics: Pictogram Waiting Room Picto'grafics Seated human figure
Modley & Myers page 78, ATA: Waiting Room ATA Easy chair plus clock face overhead
NPS, Services: Pictogram Lounge U.S. National
Park Service		 Front view of easy chair

Discussion

Regarding the variety of pictograms available, a few elements appear quite consistently in almost all designs: one or two seated persons and a clock face overhead.

In the Appropriateness Ranking Tests of the first stage of the ISO 1975 test series (Easterby & Zwaga, 1976) the ATA version above was rated as least comprehensable and therefore dropped out of the further testing procedure. When tested for comprehension in the next stage, only marginal differences were observed between pictogram variants showing a clock, one or two human figures in side view, optionally with suitcase and reading material.

In a later Japanese study to propose domestically unified graphical symbols based on scientific methods, the pictogram variant labeled as Eco-Mo Foundation proved to be sufficiently comprehensable with a comprehension score of 87.8 (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001). Among Chinese respondents a similar pictogram reached a comprehension score of about 77 (An & Chan, 2017).

The pictogram labeled as NS 1980 above was selected by 60 % of the respondents asked to indicate which sign to follow when looking for a waiting room (data from a Matching Test with a set of 29 symbols by Zwaga & Boersema, 1983). A significant number of respondents selected the pictograms for Coffee Shop and Restaurant, places one possibly could prefer when waiting.

Recommendation

ISO 7001 PI PF 014

Based on data known, we recommend the use of a pictogram PI PF 014 of ISO 7001 as it is well composed and shows all essential components necessary to signify Waiting Room or Waiting Area.

Adding elements like a suitcase or reading material might distract from the primary message and shift the focus on aspects like travel or whatever the additional element is associated with.

Tests of pictograms of referent Waiting Room or Lounge

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

Easterby, R.S. & Zwaga, H.J.G. (1976): Evaluation of Public Information Symbols, ISO Tests: 1975 Series. AP Report 60, Department of Applied Psychology, University of Aston, Birmingham, March 1976.

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.

Zwaga, H.J.G. & Poppinga, J.: Identification and Legibility of Graphic Symbols; Towards a standard for public information symbols. Internal Report, Psychological Laboratory, University of Utrecht

 

Updated 2023-11-28 by Ch.Brugger