ICON SYSTEM FOR SIGNAGE & PRINT
The Museum of Modern Art
2002—2016
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) approached Dresser Johnson in 2002to design a small set of international symbols that would enliven Yoshio Taniguchi’s linear design for the 2004 expansion. MoMA’s art director at the time, Ed Pusz, thought that it might be interesting to match the new icons with the museum’s custom Franklin Gothic typeface. After a brief exploration of this concept, we suggested that existing pictograms seemed too static and it might be interesting to add some organic motion to the outdated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) icons.
BASED ON RUNWAY MODEL’S WALKING STYLE, THE UNISEX RESTROOM SYMBOLS WERE DESIGNED TO LOOK AS THOUGH THE FIGURES ARE IN MOTION
THE UNIQUE-SLASH DESIGN WITHIN THE POLICY SYMBOLS ALLOW FOR ONE-COLOR USE ELIMINATING THE COLOR RED WHICH WAS THE TREND FOR SLASHES AT THE TIME
BREAKING FROM THE STANDARD ROUNDED-EDGED APPENDAGES, OUR INFORMATION DESK FIGURES USE UNIQUE CURVED ENDINGS REPRESENTING THE DIRECTIONS OF HANDS AND FEET
OUR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS SYMBOL LIGHTENS THE WHEEL TO FOCUS MORE ON THE HUMAN AND THE SUBTLE LEAN OF THE FIGURE WITH ARM-PUSH GIVES THE FEELING OF MOTION
Starting with the restroom signage, we began the process by drawing figures walking in profile and eventually decided that a frontal view was more appropriate. Looking at images of high-fashion runway shows, we immersed ourselves in pictogram-style figure drawing. Refined through several iterations, our designs included gentle bending of elbows, knees and shoulders, subtle scaling of receding arms and legs, along with heads that are organically shaped and not perfect circles. These clever details became the basis for our more human, less machine-made icon system.
Realizing that the entire catalog of existing ADA symbols were in need of a major design overhaul, we next redesigned the wheelchair symbol, known as the International Symbol of Access. With the dynamic movement of the restroom icons in place, we looked to images of wheelchair athletes to update the original 1968 wheelchair symbol. Matching the design language of the base restroom symbols, we created a new access symbol where the figure appears to be in motion, but not uncomfortably fast. To achieve this, the body has been angled in a forward motion, with the upper leg set at an angle so the person is sitting snugly in the chair, with no danger of falling forward. As in the restroom symbols, the figure’s head has a natural shape, rather than a standard circle. These subtle touches, along with a lightweight wheel, makes for a symbol that focuses more on the person than the chair.
Since the launch of the the renovated MoMA in 2004, Dresser Johnson has added over 120 symbols to the set, which can be seen throughout the museum’s galleries, printed materials, advertising, website and digital applications. With the introduction of social media platforms like Instagram and Flickr, the pictogram project has gained worldwide attention, provoking many discussions on whether the official ADA symbols need an update.
THE FAMILY INFORMATION ICON USES A CLEVER OPTICAL TRICK BY USING THE CHILD’S HEAD AS THE DOT OF THE QUESTION MARK
THE VISUAL DESCRIPTIONS’ SIGHT-ASSISTANCE SYMBOL FEATURES A UNIQUE HIGHLIGHT IN THE EYE’S PUPIL CREATING A HUMAN FEEL
MOVING AWAY FROM THE ULTRA-ROUNDED AND STATIC INTERNATIONAL SYMBOLS, OUR DESIGNS ARE MORE HUMAN AND CAPTURE THE MOTION OF A PERSON WALKING FORWARD
OUR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS SYMBOL FOCUSES ON THE HUMAN BY LIGHTENING THE WHEEL ALONG WITH A SUBTLE UPPER-LEG ANGLE TO SIT SECURE AS IT MOVES AT MODERATE SPEED
THE FIRE STAIRS ICON USES SHARP-EDGED LIMBS SHOWING THE DIRECTION OF MOTION AND THE FIGURE SKIPS A STEP ENHANCING THIS IMPORTANCE OF THIS SAFETY SYMBOL
BOLD LINES APPEAR STATIC AS THE MAN’S RIGHT ARM PRESSES THE INTERIOR BUTTON GIVING THE APPEARANCE THAT THE LIGHT VERTICAL LINES ARE THE ELEVATOR ICON’S CLOSING DOORS
USING ASYMMETRY, THE SIGHT-ASSISTANCE ICON USES AN ORGANICALLY ROUNDED SHAPE FOR THE EYE THAT IS VERTICALLY SHIFTED UPWARDS FOR A MORE HUMAN FEEL
USING SIMPLICITY, GEOMETRY, AND MINIMALISM FOR THE RIBBON AND BOW FOR THE GIFT SHOP ICON ALLOWS THE SYMBOL TO BE USED FOR BOTH SIGNAGE AND SMALL PRINT
THE SMALL HEAD SHAPE WITH OVERSIZED HEADPHONES MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THIS AUDIO TOUR SYMBOL IS FOR CHILDREN AND NOT ADULTS
A LARGE SAMPLING OF OUR ICON DESIGNS FEATURED ON A WALL MAP IN THE MUSEUM’S PUBLIC SPACES
THE NO STOLLER ICON USES A UNIQUE SLASH DESIGN THAT CREATES A TRANSPARENT BAR BREAKING THROUGH THE SHAPES HIGHLIGHTING THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MESSAGE. THE HOLD CHILD’S HAND ICON STRETCHES THE CHILD’S ARM AND RAISES THE LEG CREATING MOTION
THE DOUBLE-SLASH SYSTEM OF THIS NO PHOTOGRAPHY ICON BREAKS THROUGH THE FORMS AND CREATES A BOLD WHITE SLASH THAT ENHANCES THE MESSAGE OF THE SIGNAGE
OUR CHECKROOM AND TICKETS ICONS FEATURED ON A POSTER ALONG WITH A WALL MAP OF OUR EXTENSIVE SYMBOL SYSTEM IN THE BACKGROUND. CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR ORIGINAL IDEA FOR THE CHECKROOM SYMBOL THAT WAS NOT USED IN THE FINAL SYSTEM
WE CREATED AN AVANT-GARDE COMPOSITION FOR THE PERFORMANCE ART ICON BY HAVING A FIGURE INTERACTING WITH A MYSTERIOUS PYRAMIDAL OBJECT
OUR THEME OF MOTION CONTINUES FOR THIS FAMILY ICON WHERE BOTH PARENTS ARE WALKING FORWARD WITH HANDS HELD AS THE CHILD REACHES FOR THE MOTHER’S HAND
WE WANTED THE BRAILLE SYMBOL TO LOOK AS THOUGH THE HAND IS READING ACROSS THE PAGE AND CREATED VARIABLE SIZE DOTS TO REPRESENT BRAILLE CHARACTER CELLS
WE UPDATED THE WHITE CANE SYMBOL TO MATCH THE SYSTEM’S STYLE WITH A FIGURE IN MOTION, AN UPDATED CANE, AND DIRECTIONAL HANDS AND FEET
OUR HEARING ASSISTANCE ICON SIMPLIFIES THE COMPLICATED BY USING THE EAR OUTLINE AS A SUBLIMINAL WIRE AND DOUBLING THE EAR CANAL AS THE AID’S DOME-INSERT
THE NO STROLLER AND NO MOBILE PHONE ICONS USE AN ELEGANT SLASH DESIGN THAT ALLOWS THE ICONS TO BE USED IN ONE COLOR BY ELIMINATING THE MORE COMMON RED-COLORED LINE THAT IS BULKY AND DISTRACTING
MOST EXISTING NO SMOKING ICONS ARE COMPLICATED WITH TOO MANY LINES REPRESENTING SMOKE AND ASH. OUR SYMBOL USES MINIMAL LINES AND A SOLID, GRACEFUL PLUME OF SMOKE TO ASSIST IN THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS ICON’S MESSAGE.
THE WOMEN’S RESTROOM ICON REPLACES THE OUTDATED AND BULKY INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL WITH A SLEEK AND FASHIONABLE RUNWAY MODEL
THE SYMBOLS NEEDED FOR THE CHECKROOM SIGNAGE HAVE BEEN SIMPLIFIED TO WORK WELL WITH OUR UNIQUE SLASH SYSTEM FOR BETTER LEGIBILITY
THIS SPECIAL NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ICON WAS SIMPLIFIED FROM A PREVIOUS LARGE-SCALE VERSION AND USED AT SMALL SIZES IN SIGNAGE AND PRINTED MATERIALS
THE WHEELCHAIR ACCESS AND STROLLER ICON USE MINIMALIST STYLINGS ALLOWING THEM TO READ ON GLASS ADJACENT TO ENTRANCEWAYS
THE FAMILY RESTROOM ICON USES OUR STYLINGS FROM THE UNISEX RESTROOM BY ADDING MOVEMENT WITH THE CHILD REACHING TO THE MALE AND TUGGING ON THE WOMEAN’S DRESS
THE NO PHOTOGRAPHY AND NO PETS ICONS USE AN ELEGANT SLASH DESIGN THAT ALLOWS THE ICONS TO BE USED IN ONE COLOR BY ELIMINATING THE MORE COMMON RED-COLORED LINE THAT IS BULKY AND DISTRACTING
WE ADDED SOME HUMOR TO CREATE THE CHILDREN ICON BY CREATING A SELF-SUFFICIENT TODDLER PUSHING THEIR SIBLING THROUGH THE MUSEUM
IN ORDER TO CREATE A SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION OF THE TERM ART WE CREATED A DEEPLY FOCUSED EYE THAT IS FRAMED IN PHOTO CORNERS
A MODIFIED VERSION OF OUR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS SYMBOL FEATURES THE USER HOLDING THEIR WHEEL FIRMLY IN PLACE AS THE LIFT MOVES UP OR DOWN
THE FAMILY INFORMATION ICON USES A CLEVER OPTICAL TRICK BY USING THE CHILD’S HEAD AS THE DOT OF THE QUESTION MARK
WE DESIGNED THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER ICON TO BE AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE DUE TO ITS IMPORTANCE. THE SYMBOL LOSES ANY UNNECESSARY TUBES OR HANDLES AND OUR AX-SHAPE FORM ON TOP BOLDLY STATES THAT THIS IS EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT.
A SAMPLING OF OUR ICON DESIGNS FEATURED ON A WALL MAP IN THE MUSEUM’S PUBLIC SPACES
THE MEN’S RESTROOM ICON REPLACES THE OUTDATED AND BULKY INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL WITH A SLEEK AND FASHIONABLE RUNWAY MODEL
THE SHOP AND RESTAURANT ICONS ARE DESIGNED TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH MOMA’S CUSTOM FRANKLIN GOTHIC AND TRADE GOTHIC TYPEFACES
OUR WHEELCHAIR ACCESS AND FAMILY RESTROOM ICONS USED JOINTLY ON ONE SIGN
OUR BABY CHANGE ICON USES SUBTLE MOVEMENT IN THE LEGS AS IF THE BABY IS PREPARING FOR A DIAPER CHANGE
A DIMENSIONAL WHEELCHAIR ACCESS SYMBOL USED ALONGSIDE THE CUSTOM FRANKLIN GOTHIC TYPEFACE
A SAMPLING OF OUR ICON DESIGNS FEATURED ON A WALL MAP IN THE MUSEUM’S PUBLIC SPACES
THE HOLD CHILD’S HAND ICON CONTINUES OUR THEME OF CAPTURING MOTION BY SHOWING THE CHILD’S LEG STRETCH AND ARM REACHING FOR THE MOTHER
THE LARGE VERSION OF THE NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ICON USES A UNIQUE GEOMETRIC FORM REPRESENTING THE FLASH THAT PROMPTS VISITORS TO PREVENT USING IT IN THE GALLERIES
THE FILM ICON IS MINIMAL FOR USE BOTH IN SIGNAGE AND IN PRINT FORM
TELL A FRIEND IS A CLEVER ICON THAT USES AN OPEN-MOUTHED SPEAKER WITH VOICE BUBBLE COMMUNICATING WITH A QUIET, MOUTH-CLOSED LISTENER
THE ESCALATOR UP ICON PLACES THE RIDER NEAR THE TOP WHILE THE ESCALATOR DOWN MOVES THE RIDER CLOSER TO THE BOTTOM