This was done as a class project in symbiosis institute of design (batch 2007-11)
It contains 2 families of pictograms one is indian & the other universal.
Dr Nachiket Mor's presentation at the OECD-NIPFP India Symposium, New Delhi, ...
Pictograms for a hospital signage system.
1. PICTOGRAMS
Graphic Design Project 4.
Pictogram design for a
signage system in a hospital.
Project by: Swadha Jaiswal
Project guide: Prof Mahendra Patel
2. P
Pictogram, Why is it important?
its a visual language developed for people with limited or no ability to speak, read and
write.
You can understand and make yourself understood
You can ask questions and get replies
You gain support for your thoughts and memory
You can formulate feelings and wishes
You can communicate!
4. Design Brief
Project title: Designing a set of pictograms for the signage system.
Client: A hospital
Problem Statement: To make way finding in a hospital easy.
Problem Description: Picture yourself in a hospital in a foreign country. Where you dont speak their-
language. You dont know the culture. You are, in effect, lost.
Despite the language you speak or where you’re from, first aid is first aid, food is food, washroom is wash-
room and ambulance is ambulance. Without this symbolic language you would be confused and never
find your way.
Pictograms may be the purest form of visual communication.
5. Design statement: To transcend the boundary of language and culture to convey a concept quickly
and effectively. By making a set of simple pictograms to communicate easily.
Opportunity: To study the existing pictograms in a signage system in a hospital and develop new
ones.
Pictograms that can be used in any hospital National or international.
To make wayfinding easy.
Resources: Internet, photography, visit to a local hospital.
7. Design task & time plan
Week1 Week2
Project selection Information collection
Design & project brief Content development
Design statement
Week3 Week4
Concept exploration Testing, refining, detailing
& selection Prototyping
To make a set of pictograms
for a signage system Design exploration
& development
Design proposal
& conclusion
of in a hospital
10. Content Development
After the collection of photographs i concluded,
A hospital signage system can be categorised into :
1. Directional symbols
2. Administrative pictograms
3. General pictograms
4. Medical department specific pictograms
The list i came up with finally contained the following-
Symbol for man/woman, arrows, washroom for men & women, enquiry, keep silence, no
smoking, canteen, drinking water, telephone, stair case, lift, ambulance, entry./exit, parking,
departments & services like paediatrics, x-ray, first aid, dermatology, cardiology, respiratory,
urology, gastrology, gynae, opeation theatre, emergency etc.
11. Survey
Survey of patients, doctors and a person from administration in a hospital.
This survey was conducted to reach close to the understanding of every kind of person
that may be present in a hospital.
The reason of the survey was to visually study their mind set regarding all the depart-
ments and services of a hospital.
The doctors/patients/administarion were asked to speak up the first word/product or
visual that came to their mind after reading each of the service on the list.
Conclusion:
As an end result it became easy for me to create the pictograms as i had the list of the first
visual that came to my users mind.
32. Design Detailing
The pictogram family i created is divided into four sub categories-
1) General pictograms
2) Directional
3) Hospital related general
4) Medical departments
The pictograms are covered by an enclosure
its dimension - 1:1
color plallete used in the application
source- www.adobe.kuler.com
33. Directional
Exit Entry
Left Right Straight down Downstairs
Diagonally left up Diagonaly right up Diagonaly left down Diagonaly right down
34. General pictograms (Indian Family)
?
Waiting room Enquiry Registration desk Queue
1
Lift Disabled Gents washroom Ladies washroom
Cafeteria Drinking water Telephone No smoking
35. Hospital related general pictograms
Blood donation Lab Emergency Operation theartre
General ward Special ward Ambulance Dispensary
First aid Injection Trash bin
36. Medical departments
Urology Respiratory Cardiology Gynaecology
W
OFP
HJINM
QSYLZXKA
Dermatology Orthopaedic X-ray Opthamology
Gastrology
37. Neurology Psychiatry ENT Physiotherapy
Genetics Dentistry Paediatrics HIV
40. Final design (Indian folder design- front)
General medical
pictograms
Urology Respiratory Cardiology
Hospital
Dermatology Cardiology X-ray Indian
pictogram design
Physiotherapy Paediatrics
for signage system
Urology Opthamology Gynaecology First-aid Injection Trash bin
Neurology Psychiatry ENT Operation-theatre Ambulance Pharmacy
Genetics Dentistry HIV Blood Donation Laboratory Emergency
Medical deparment
pictograms Project by: Swadha Jaiswal
General ward Special ward
41. Folder back
Pictogram in functional
Directional pictograms & multi-functional signage system
Ladies washroom Gents washroom Staircase
?
1
Left Right Enquiry Registration Elavator
Downstairs Diagonaly right up Straight down Queue Waiting room Handicapped
P
Diagonaly left down Parking Telephone Cafeteria
Diagonally left up Diagonaly right down
Exit Entry Drinking water Keep silence No smoking
General pictograms
44. Universal pictogram family
Right Left Straight down Downstairs Diagonaly right up Diagonaly right down
?
Exit Entry Gents washroom Ladies washroom Enquiry Registration desk
Cafeteria Disabled Drinking water Trash bin Waiting room Queue
1
P
Telephone Parking Stairs Special ward Emergency Lift
45. Universal pictogram family
Respiratory Cardiology Dermatology Orthopaedic Urology X-ray
Gastrology Neurology Psychiatry ENT Genetics No smoking
Gynaecology HIV Dentistry Lab Ambulance First aid
W
OFP
HJINM
QSYLZXKA
Injection Blood donation Paediatrics Physiotherapy Opthamology Operation theartre
48. Final design (Universal folder design- front)
Paediatrics Gynaecology HIV
Medical deparment General medical
PICTO
GRAM
pictograms pictograms
Physiotherapy Special ward
DESIGN
Respiratory Cardiology Dermatology Laboratory Ambulance Injection
For
Signage
System
Gastrology Urology X-ray Operation-theatre First-aid Blood Donation
in a
hospital
Orthopaedic ENT Neurology Emergency General ward Pharmacy
W
OFP
HJINM
QSYLZXKA
Opthamology Dentistry Genetics
Project by:
Swadha Jaiswal
49. Folder back
? Pictogram in functional
& multi-functional signage system
Enquiry Registration Trash bin
Directional General
pictograms pictograms
Downstairs
Telephone
1
Left Right Straight down
Gents washroom Ladies washroom Elavator
Diagonaly right up Diagonally left up Diagonaly left down Cafeteria Handicapped Keep silence
Waiting room Queue Drinking water
Exit Entry
P
Parking Staircase No smoking
