▲ The project offers nearly 300 open-source pictogram files and a guidebook for public pictograms to the public.
TDRI co-created with MOTC, MOHW, NLMA, and RECA to reinterpret Taiwan’s public pictogram with a human-centric approach
The Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI), now in its fourth year and the power behind the project, is dedicated to advancing the innovation and enhancement of public services. For the public pictogram redesign project, it brought together authorities as co-creators, including the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW), the National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior (NLMA, MOI), and the Resource Circulation Administration, Ministry of Environment (RECA, MOENV). The project also invited Akase Tatsuzo, Japan’s leading public pictogram designer, to serve as the chief consultant. The aim was to reinterpret Taiwan’s current public pictogram with a human-centric approach.
After over a year of intensive research, design planning, and validation, a new public pictogram system has been launched. This system is internationally-aligned, gender-neutral, and compliant with regulations. It offers nearly 300 open-source pictogram files and a guidebook for public pictograms to the public, setting a foundational example for Taiwan’s public pictograms.
▲ Four authorities join in the co-creation process: MOTC (top-left), MOHW (top-right),
NLMA (bottom-left), and RECA (bottom-right).
▲ The research and design process of Taiwan’s public pictograms with open source data were presented at a design night event jointly organized by Taiwan Design Week.
What are public pictograms? Why Taiwan’s public pictogram needs redesigning?
Pictograms facilitate cross-linguistic communication by replacing texts with images and simplifying complex information. Public pictograms are commonly found in public spaces like transportation and tourist sites, for instances, the direction or warning signs seen in mass transit stations. The project addressed several issues found in the practical use of Taiwan’s public pictograms, including:
- Lack of cohesion: Different governing bodies manage and issue public pictograms based on varying needs, leading to a multitude of design styles.
- Challenges in access and application: Diverse provision methods by authorities, with some offering files and others only illustrations, make it difficult for users to follow.
- Need for updates: The need for renewal or replacement to keep up with technological innovation and human-centric thinking.
▲ Pictograms being used in Taiwan’s public spaces
The public pictogram redesign project aligns with domestic needs, modern trends, and international standards
Under Taiwan’s current regulations and referencing international ISO and Japanese JIS standards, the project adopts universality, consistency, simplicity, and clear communication as its design ethos. It also keeps pace with the evolution of the times, taking into account of needs for human-centric design, cutting-edge technologies, and social epidemic prevention, thus meeting the requirements for use in public spaces in Taiwan.
Many public pictograms feature human figures. Throughout the project, Consultant Akase Tatsuzo emphasized the importance of gender neutrality as a key human-centric trend internationally. The fact that Taiwan had not previously established any standards in this regard presents an opportune moment to address gender-friendly issues more meticulously. For this project, three types of human figures are proposed: a basic figure, male, and female. The basic figure represents a gender-neutral, natural silhouette with clothes, suitable for pictograms not referring to gender, such as a police officer or a person waiting for an elevator. The female figure, meanwhile, has no waistline, reflecting contemporary gender-friendly values.
▲ For this project, three types of human figure pictograms are proposed: a female, a basic figure, and a male
▲ The sketch by Akase Tatsuzo presents a neutral appearance without emphasizing gender traits
The commonly seen pictograms of accessibility in Taiwan originated from a design by a Danish student in 1968. This pictogram’s overall human figure presented a mechanical look, imparting a sense of stillness and passivity. The recent redesign of the accessibility pictogram is a commitment to present a more humanized figure, supplanting the mechanical image while responding to the contemporary expectations for inclusiveness and humanization.
▲ (Left to right) The accessibility pictograms from 1968, 2007 (renewed and ISO-compliant),
and the public pictogram redesign project
Diverse group of 245 individuals convened to test the new public pictogram to ensure its comprehensibility to all
Aiming for public pictograms to be simple and intuitive and to transcend linguistic barriers, TDRI employed verification methods from ISO and Japanese JIS standards. As many as 245 users from varied age groups, genders, disabilities, and nationalities were invited to evaluate the new pictograms for understandability and clear communication. This was to guarantee that the redesigned public pictograms are clear and discernible to everyone.
▲ 245 users were invited to test and evaluate the new pictograms for understandability and clear communication
Leveraging open-source public pictograms to propagate human-centric values and enhance the quality of public spaces
TDRI hopes to propose a progressive, straightforward, and basic public pictogram system. By making it publicly accessible to all sectors through open-source files, TDRI hopes to spread it into every nook of life. There are nearly 300 open-source files to this public pictogram redesign project, covering 8 major categories prevalent in Taiwan’s public domains, including public facilities, transport facilities, travel and tourism, sport facilities, commercial facilities, behavior of the public, safety, and accessibility. The institute is committed to continuously updating the public pictogram system according to the people’s needs and international trends, hoping to elevate the aesthetics of Taiwan’s public spaces through this initiative.
▲ This project covers 8 major categories
▲ The contents of the guidebook for public pictograms show important design features and applications
To apply for open-source pictogram files and copies of the guidebook for public pictograms, visit the website at https://tdri.surveycake.biz/s/v2xNP
Public pictograms project video：https://youtu.be/48nQZtkRiMs
For any questions, please send an e-mail to: designcanhelp@tdri.org.tw
Organizer｜Industrial Development Administration, Ministry of Economic Affairs
Executive Agency｜Taiwan Design Research Institute
Co-Creating Agencies｜Ministry of Transportation and Communications , Ministry of Health and Welfare , National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior , Resource Circulation Administration, Ministry of Environment
Consultant｜Chief Consultant of Public Pictogram/ Akase Tatsuzo; Instructors of Public Pictogram Concepts and Stander’s Development/ Counselor, Eco-Mo Foundation of Japan, Daisuke Sawada, Keiko Takeshima; Instructor of Graphic Design/ Yu, Feng
Design Planning｜Path & Landforms
Project Coordination and Design Research｜Public Service Division, TDRI
