Pharmaceutical pictograms and other graphic symbols are increasingly used to convey critical health information, but their design can be challenging due to the complexity and small size required. Pia Pedersen talks about her insights into the legible use of pictograms in healthcare.
Current ISO and European Commission guidelines are inadequate for ensuring legibility, and while comprehension is often tested, legibility remains underexplored. This presentation addresses the challenges of pictogram legibility, focusing on health-related pictograms. Pia starts by examining the legibility of pharmaceutical pictograms and the Danish government’s COVID-19 symbols. Then, she shares insights from two legibility experiments and suggests directions for future research.
Pia Pedersen is a graphic designer and associate professor at the Centre for Visibility Design at the Royal Danish Academy where she leads the bachelor programme Visual Design and Interaction. Her research focuses on pictogram legibility and ISOTYPE, reflected in her academic papers such as: ‘Simplification of pharmaceutical pictograms to improve visual acuity’, ‘Legibility of Pharmaceutical Pictograms: Towards defining a paradigm’, ‘Marie Neurath: Designing Bilston’s Housing Exhibition’, ‘Behind Isotype Charts: The Design of Number-Fact Pictures’, and her PhD dissertation titled Beyond Rows of Little Men, from Design School Kolding.