You’ve probably all seen an exit sign before and have a pretty good idea of what one looks like.
But how an exit sign looks differs depending on where you live.
However, there is one design that most designers agree is the best and most effective.
That’s the ISO graphic symbol for emergency exits - designed by Japanese graphic designer
Yukio Ota.
Well, I should say, most of us outside of the US agree that it’s the best.
If you live in the US, or maybe elsewhere, you may be skeptical.
But, I’m here to try to convince you otherwise.
In the late 1970s, a Japanese fire safety association held a contest
for a new national exit sign design.
Entries underwent extensive user testing to evaluate their effectiveness in smokey environments.
The winner, among over 3000 entries was Yukio Ota’s design.
Ota’s primary design philosophy is to create
universal symbols that transcend language barriers.
That vision, at least for this particular design, was realized in 1985 when ISO, the
International Organization for Standardization, adopted the Japanese exit sign as a part of
their standards for safety signs.
ISO was founded in 1947 to unify standards across nations
and better facilitate international trade.
There are ISO standards for just about everything from the classifications of shipping containers
to standards for brewing tea.
Ota’s design is now used all over the world.
Certain regions sometimes use a variation it, but essentially, the green and white running
figure can be found everywhere from China, to Czech Republic, to France, and to Canada.
So why is this a good design?
Well first, it’s doesn’t require you to know the language the sign happens to be in.
Our world is becoming increasingly globalized.
I live in a city with a pretty large immigrant population who aren’t all fluent in English.
But maybe you think, if someone is moving to a new country
they should learn basic words like “exit.”
Okay, yes probably.
But what about tourists, young children, and people with reading related disabilities?
Overall, a pictogram-based sign is just more accessible.
But why is this particular design better than other pictogram based signs?
Well, because it’s a simple design, but it communicates a lot.
The figure appears to be running out of a doorway, but running steadily and calmly
as opposed to sprinting and rushing.
Because in an emergency you want people to move swiftly, but without panicking.
According to Ota, they finessed the design back and forth 58 times
before settling on the final design.
As designers, we’re often accused of squabbling over seemingly tiny details.
Yeah I’ll admit some of us are probably a little crazy.
But it’s mostly because these details matter.
It’s our job is to communicate design intent to the end user
in the most simple and direct way.
And in this particular context of developing an international design for emergency situations,
no small detail should be overlooked.
Lastly there is the debate about colour.
A key aspect of good design is providing users with consistent expectations.
Most exit signs in the US and Canada are red.
However, red is usually used to represent concepts like Danger, Stop, and Do Not Enter.
So it’s kind of inconsistent to also use red to represent “go that way, it’s safe.”
I live in Canada where traditional exit signs are the red EXIT or SORTIE signs.
But in 2010, the National Building Code finally adopted the ISO exit design.
It is now mandatory in new buildings or buildings undergoing extensive renovation.
So why doesn’t the US adopt the ISO sign?
Well it’s hard to say.
Maybe it’s because the US is a lot more mono-lingual than countries in Europe and Asia?
And maybe that’s why Canada eventually caught on, since we have two official languages.
I don’t really know.
If you live in the US, leave a comment.
And maybe you live in a place where the exit sign looks different than any of the one I’ve shown
I’d love to see them.
Let me know in the comments below.
Speaking of Canada and fire emergencies.
Did you know the Canadian government deliberately burned down a village in 1958?
To learn more about that, why don’t we head on over to Tom Scott’s channel -
Tom: Hi!
D’Ahhhh!
Betty: Hahahaha where he dies.
Tom: Ahem.
I’m fine.
Just a Go Pro.
Slippy down there.