Graphics tips: Pictograms

Pictograms: clarity without words

Icons and pictograms may seem like twins, but they're more like distant cousins

Pictograms are visual shortcuts: simple, literal images that help users recognize actions, warnings, or equipment at a glance. Think of them as the official, often safety-related versions of icons. While icons often represent abstract functions (like “save” or “settings”), pictograms are grounded in real-world objects or behaviors, like “wear safety goggles” or “exit here”. In technical documentation, they boost accessibility, reduce cognitive load, and support multilingual audiences, especially as they are also used outside of documentation, in the physical world. ISO standards like 7010 and 3864 ensure consistency and promote a safety culture in production facilities, construction sites, commercial buildings, and public spaces across all borders.