Facts and data on pictograms
Synonyms / Other Terms Used
Clinical Laboratory Department, Lab, Biochemistry Laboratory, Virus Laboratory
Category
Public Services, Public Facilities, Health Care
Message / Function
For notice in general and to indicate a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed
| Source | Description | |
|---|---|---|
 |
Aku-Johnson | Side view of a microscope showing several details |
 |
Dreyfuss | Side view of a microscope showing several details |
 A) |
SEGD/HJ WIH | Side view of a microscope, side view of two test tubes in rack |
 B) |
SEGD/HJ | Side view of a microscope, side view of two test tubes in rack |
 |
Triman | Side view of microscope with several details next to partially filled conical flask with bubbles above |
 |
uniq_design | Side view of round-bottom flask and test tube behind emblem with cross |
 |
Health Icons | Side view of Erlenmeyer or conical flask, nucleic acid double helix |
 |
Bieu Tuong | Side view of partially filled conical flask with bubbles on top |
 |
Nurhayati | Side view of Erlenmeyer or conical flask, line indicating reflection |
 |
NYCHHC | Side view of Erlenmeyer or conical flask, filled circle inside |
 |
D'source | Side view of tilted test tube next to top of Erlenmeyer or conical flask, both with liquids indicated |
 |
Adrien Coquet | Laboratory glassware in side view: conical flask, round-bottom flask with scale indicated |
 |
Liberus PJ | Side view of beaker with liquid, small spout, and volume scale, bubbles above |
 C) |
CNIS | Side view of beaker with liquid and volume scale, pipette with drop above |
 |
Fassati | Side view of three test tubes, each with differing bottom |
 |
Carbon | Side view of three vertically aligned test tubes, each with differing fill level |
 |
Health Icons | Side view of test tube behind image of virus |
 |
Mulya | Flame below test tube on laboratory stand in side view |
 |
alimasykurm | Side view of round-bottom flask on laboratory stand |
Note: Some of the examples shown above were mirrored horizontally to contrast differences.
Discussion
Searching the internet for pictograms or symbols representing the referent Laboratory, most results are focusing on chemical or clinical laboratories. Besides side views of a microscope, sometimes in combination with some kind of laboratory glassware, the majority of image contents are just based on laboratory glassware.
In our research we discovered that all test results available in our database for the referent Laboratory are regarding just two image contents and were intended for healthcare settings, but the results offer some valuable information:
A research project comparing comprehensibility of healthcare symbols between the United States, South Korea, and Turkey also included the pictogram of the Women & Infants Hospital, marked A) above (Lee et al., 2014). While 97 % of the answers of the U.S. American respondents could be classified as correct, this was the case for 92 % in Turkey and somewhat less with 75 % in South Korea. In a further study of way-finding symbols for healthcare facilities conducted in the United Arab Emirates, 86 % of the responses for the pictogram marked A) were classified as correct in a Comprehension Test carried out with a sample consisting mostly of young and well educated respondents (Hashim et al., 2014).
A similar variant of the SEGD and Hablamos Juntos health care icons project, marked B) above, was also examined using the ISO/ANSI Open-ended Comprehension Test in a study conducted by Zender & Cassedy (2014), to find out if this variant is understood just as well in a different culture, and if not, why it does not work. Test results from the United States and Tanzania reveal that inside a clinical facility this variant is understood well enough in both countries, as 81 % of the responses from the American sample and 80 % from the Tanzanian sample were classified as correct.
Deng et al. (2025) studied the comprehensibility of pictograms from the Chinese standard GB/T 10001.6-2006 Public Information Graphical Symbols for Use on Signs, Part 6: Symbols for Medical Treatment and Health Care to identify effects of age and cognitive features. The pictogram labeled CNIS and marked C) above also was among the pictograms examined. In the Comprehension Test conducted, this pictogram missed the ISO minimum requirement among the younger respondents with a correct rate of 63 %, and was classified as one of the most difficult symbols with a correct rate of 34 % in the senior sample. Reaction times measured also indicated difficulties regarding comprehensibility of this variant.
It should be noted that images displaying side views of a microscope also are used for the referent Pathology.
Recommendations
Due to the fact that data from research is insufficient, we recommend testing using the Comprehensibility Estimation procedure for eliminating poor variants and identifying the best of the set available, followed by a Comprehension Test. These studies should deliver useful data for recommending the best pictogram. Detailed information about the most frequent responses given in each of the response categories of the Comprehension Test should be provided to correctly judge comprehensibility and improve designs. Also information concerning knowledge about this type of facility should be collected at the end of the test, as studies suggest that some terms used - e.g. for healthcare facilities - are often not understood well.
Tests of pictograms of referent Laboratory
Hashim, M. J., Alkaabi, M. S., & Bharwani, S. (2014): Interpretation of way-finding healthcare symbols by a multicultural population: navigation signage design for global health. Applied ergonomics, 45(3), 503–509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2013.07.002
Lee, S., Dazkir, S. S., Paik, H. S., & Coskun, A. (2014). Comprehensibility of universal healthcare symbols for wayfinding in healthcare facilities. Applied Ergonomics, 45(4), 878-885. doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2013.11.003
See also
Hospital, Health Care Center
No Entry, Keep Out
Updated 2026-02-07 by Christoph Brugger