Developing the pictograms for the Olympics is a dream for every designer. A dream that most likely will never become reality. Instead you end up doing toilet icons. This is a brief look into a neglected niche of graphic design.
Where it all began
Leaving aside prehistoric rock paintings and hieroglyphics, the first notable publication of pictograms can be found International picture language; the first rules of Isotype [1]. Author Otto Neurath and Artist/Illustrator Gerd Arntz lay out their concept of “isotype pictures” as a way of expressing information with easily interpretable symbols. However, this wasn’t merely conceived as a visual dictionary, it also comprised a “visual grammar” (see image above)
Olympic pictograms
The most commonly known pictograms are the ones used for the Olympics. First introduced in 1964 by Masasa Katzoumie for the Tokyo Games, Otl Aicher set the gold standard 8 years later [2]. The strength of his work is not only its visual impact and endless expandability but it’s clarity in expressing human actions, characteristics and emotions (see here, e.g. the clear differentiation between adults and children).
The toilet symbol
Admittedly, it doesn’t sound much of a challenge but there’s more to it on second glance. If you compare Otl Aichers disability pictogram with ordinary ones side by side, it becomes obvious how posture, position of the head, size of the wheel etc. make a difference between a confident and a helpless representation [3].
Frankly, this level of detail is hard to maintain when you work in a corporate environment, where the style of the symbols has to match the visual identity.
Below is a selection of what I consider the best/most interesting toilet pictograms I came across so far. It’s not a coincidence that most are from Japan …
Please feel free to submit more examples and I will add them.
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Aomori Museum of Art, Japan
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Tokyo International Forum
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Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art
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Gyre, Tokyo
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Roppongi Hills / Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
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Cha Cha Moon, London
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Tokyo Midtown
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Busaba, London
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Notes:
[1] International picture language; the first rules of Isotype. London : K. Paul, Trench, Trubner & co., ltd., 1936
More on Otto Neurath:
http://newdeal.feri.org/survey/37025.htm
http://newdeal.feri.org/survey/36618.htm
[2]
http://www.olympic-museum.de/#pictograms
All Aicher/Erco pictograms are available here:
[3]
Your Voice
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Interesting article, I did a project last year where I created my own pictograms and have become obsessed with them ever since. I’m particularly fond of last years Beijing games icons.
I do admire what was done by Aicher in ‘72, the Olympic design system that was created has set a precedent ever since. And more recently the Olympic pictograms have since been related to some cultural stereotype. Whether it be an Australian boomerang, Chinese scripture, etc.
I think that the 2012 Olympics are the first to break away from the traditional Olympic design system set up by Aicher’s team in ‘72, of Host venue name + some form of abstract cultural symbol + year date, I think this is a good thing. Try putting all the Olympic symbols on a single page and see which one has the most stand out. I once read that Lord Coe said that ‘like Olympic Athletes the London 2012 brand should be pushing boundaries’. A great quote and one I must agree with. Vancouver have partially done this with their realistic illustrative ‘pictograms’. The 2012 pictograms are due to be made public some time in a couple of months. So I guess its time to wait.
Back to the article, the Busaba toilet symbols are by far the best. They show actual expression instead of the stereotypical vertical man and woman wearing a dress. Good find, next time I go I’ll make sure to use the loo’s.
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The Busaba, London signboard looks weird.
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