[canmark]

Except that there are certain cultural conventions that get in the way of universal understanding. Emergency exits are normally signed in red in N. America for example (stupid btw), and green pretty much everywhere else.

There's an interesting article on Slate.com about the red EXIT sign vs. the green 'running man' sign: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/signs/2010/03/the_big_red_word_vs_the_little_green_man.html

 

[W. K. Lis]

Except that there are certain cultural conventions that get in the way of universal understanding. Emergency exits are normally signed in red in N. America for example (stupid btw), and green pretty much everywhere else.

In Ontario, EXIT signs are red. In other states or provinces, the EXIT signs are green. In Quebec, they have SORTIE signs in red. Some North American jurisdictions are now using pictographs.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

GO Transit has started replacing their caution/emergency signs with green, so the standard is making its way in.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The TTC is using a pictograph for enter AND exit on its turnstiles.

 

[junctionist]

A complete myth.

The odds are in favour of intuitive graphics, even if they don't work with every person from the hundreds of cultures on earth. It's a more functional solution. Can you honestly claim that a black and white sign in one language is more universal? You may not know the word for exit in every European language, for instance, but the green graphic of a person running to a door on emergency exit signs tells you what you need to know no matter the country on that continent.

 

[nfitz]

... but the green graphic of a person running to a door on emergency exit signs tells you what you need to know no matter the country on that continent.

Does it? Doesn't make much sense to me. Everyone is trained NOT to run in an emergency, but to walk calmly to the exit and stairs.

The symbol says you should do what your told not to do and run.

The only reason it works, is that everyone is used to seeing it, and knows what it is, in places that it's used. The same way an EXIT or SORTIE sign here does ... whether you can speak the language or not - it's really only a symbol.

 

[junctionist]

People don't receive training unless it's job-specific. They proceed at whatever pace is appropriate for their self-preservation. But if there's a problem with the graphic, then a new, clearer graphic can be created. Perhaps having both words and graphics is most practical on signage, but then both have to be prominent and clear--as opposed to a trivial and barely comprehensible graphic on beside the text.

 

[11th]

Use the green man for emergency exits; for normal exits, maybe they can use what's done in other places.

Note the "box with arrow pointing out" symbol (in addition to the running man emergency sign)

 

[Ryan_T]

Rather pessimistic.

Images can be and will be the one international language of the world until the end of time. That's just instincts and simple facts that a graphic can carry a determined message.

I think the rest of the world generally relies on pictographs. It's in North America that people are somehow too dense to understand pictures, so things are actually spelled out. For example: the Cruise control symbol in cars. Many import cars have a speedometer sign with an arrow pointing to a speed (assuming preset speed). American cars say 'Cruise'.

 

[nfitz]

People don't receive training unless it's job-specific. They proceed at whatever pace is appropriate for their self-preservation.

Everyone recieves training - here at least. They are indoctrinated from day one in school. Year after year after year. When the fire alarm goes off you walk. And in many places, this training continues for a lifetime.

In many work places I've observed that when the fire alarm goes off, even unexpectedly, people walk. What amuses me though, is I've noticed that those that take off quickly and move as if their life depended on it are recent immigrants from places where the likely don't have this kind of training in childhood.

The graphic is non-sensical. Run to an exit? Makes no sense. But that's what 40+ years of brain-washing has done to me.

 

[the lemur]

I think the rest of the world generally relies on pictographs. It's in North America that people are somehow too dense to understand pictures, so things are actually spelled out. For example: the Cruise control symbol in cars. Many import cars have a speedometer sign with an arrow pointing to a speed (assuming preset speed). American cars say 'Cruise'.

There's also a tendency in North America to spell things out even if there is already a pictogram to that effect, which makes for visually cluttered traffic signs.

 

[ShonTron]

There's an interesting article on Slate.com about the red EXIT sign vs. the green 'running man' sign: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/signs/2010/03/the_big_red_word_vs_the_little_green_man.html

Expect to see Green Man to show up more often. I've been in brand new public buildings this summer in Kingston that have the green man rather than a red EXIT or EXIT/SORTIE sign.

 

[Hipster Duck]

The only reason it works, is that everyone is used to seeing it, and knows what it is, in places that it's used. The same way an EXIT or SORTIE sign here does ... whether you can speak the language or not - it's really only a symbol.

Exactly. Saying that the red exit sign is "worse" because it's not some language-less Continental European graphic is just like saying that the British are stupid for driving on the left. It has exactly the same consequences and its effectiveness is totally an outcome of how used to it people are. People in North America - regardless of their mother tongue or command of English - know what a red "EXIT" sign is. If you forced the alternative on them it would be confusing and possibly even dangerous.

 

[DSC]

This from Wiki may explain more..

In most regions, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and China, exit signs have green lettering. (In this color scheme, red is used to show prohibited activities.) In most European countries pictograms are used in place of the word "exit". European sign directive 92/58/EEC of 24 June 1992 indicates that the signs should be green in colour indicating a safe place of exit. BS EN 1838:1999, BS 5266-7:1999 also governs the emergency lighting applications.

In United States and Canada exit signs can have either red or green lettering, but usually red. This is due to states or cities enacting building codes which specify the sign color. For example, in Maryland and Los Angeles, green is required. New York, New Jersey, and Chicago require that exit signs have red text.

The Canadian National Building codes requires "red letters on a contrasting background or white letters on a red background, at least 114 mm high with 19 mm stroke spelling EXIT or SORTIE when the sign is internally illuminated".[8]

Green fluorescent signs can be seen better in dark conditions than other colors, as the human rod cell is more sensitive to these wavelengths.[9][10]

Newly installed exit signs in Australia are green with white "running man" figure. (AS2293) Canada's 2010 National Building Code, released in November 2010, also calls for a switch from the North American red EXIT/SORTIE signs to the international ISO 'green running man' signs, but in airports in Canada the signs must have French and English (CAN/ULC-S572). It is expected to be adopted into the codes of each province within a few months.[11]

 

[spider]

If I were asked if I had ever seen an EXIT sign I would reply yes.
If I were asked if I knew what an EXIT sign meant I would reply yes.
If I were asked what colour the sign was I would reply that I don't remember. Who cares?