Thread by @IvaCheung

Last day of this conference! I had to miss the first session, but now I'm in "Best Practices for Communicating through Imagery" with speakers Kathleen Walker and David Pearl. #ihahlc21

https://twitter.com/IvaCheung/status/1397205651974152198

Pictograms vs. icons—what's the difference?
Pictograms must be a literal representation. Icons may be literal or abstract.

Pictograms convey a complete idea with no additional explanation needed. #ihahlc21

Pictograms have a lot of different applications—e.g. with COVID-19: showing steps to wash hands, show symptoms, give instructions, showing social distancing. #ihahlc21

Pictogram best practices
1. Reduce cognitive load (how much info a person can process at a time)
2. Use literal representation—avoid abstract symbolism
3. Incorporate realistic details to help understanding
4. Tailor to your audience #ihahlc21

To reduce cognitive load, instead of mixing it up, use a consistent visual style (e.g., same character throughout your illustration). #ihahlc21

When we're designing materials quickly, it can be tempting to grab whatever images are freely available (e.g., clip art), but if they aren't a cohesive style, that can confuse people. #ihahlc21

Break complex actions down into steps (e.g., how to wash your hands properly). #ihahlc21

Main purpose of pictograms is to communicate the heart of your message through the image, which is important for people who don't understand the written language being used, so any text explanations should be brief. #ihahlc21

Create an obvious path for the eye to follow. Pictograms with multiple steps are often laid out in a comic-book style; the order of the steps or the order in which the images should be read should be clear. #ihahlc21

Be especially conscientious if you're creating for audiences more used to reading right to left. #ihahlc21

Avoid icons that show more than one concept at a time. #ihahlc21

If possible, focus on what to do, but when you must show what people should NOT do, use symbols to make that clear, like a big X or slash directly on the image. #ihahlc21

Even if you have a great header and even if the information is in the language you speak, your eye is naturally drawn to the image first, so if your image doesn't have an X, it's easy to interpret the image as what you *should* do. #ihahlc21

If you use characters, include facial expressions. You don't need a lot of detail, but the eyebrows, eyes, and a mouth are usually enough to convey that something is a face. Key example: pictogram showing proper mask wearing needs nose and a mouth. #ihahlc21

Use photos that are relatable, authentic, and actionable—but not to the point of scaring people (e.g., image of child getting upset at a needle). #ihahlc21

Stock images can overdramatize situations, and they can cause confusion or fear. Often they are also inaccurate (e.g., people using hospital wheelchairs), #ihahlc21

Instead of ambiguous visuals (person with a thermometer next to them to depict a fever), give details (person visibly sweating with a thermometer in their mouth). #ihahlc21

Use realistic colour. Colour that is more abstract can take viewers an extra minute to understand what's going on. #ihahlc21

Show realistic details when showing specific objects (e.g., show a shower chair next to a shower). #ihahlc21

Limit the use of numbers, but when you have to use numbers, provide them in context. #ihahlc21

Who is going to use your pictogram? Choose images that represent your priority audience. #ihahlc21

Using English plus whatever language your priority audience uses can help bridge communications—for example, between a health care professional and a patient. #ihahlc21

Communicate Health developed pictograms that were meant to help people identify and report COVID symptoms and tested them with people who didn't speak English as a native language and asked them to describe what the pictograms depicted in their own words. #ihahlc21

The user testing identified pictograms that people had trouble understanding and allowed the team to revise them based on feedback. #ihahlc21

Key takeaways—use pictograms to
•show recommended behaviours, symptoms, and other health concepts
•reach users who speak English as an additional language, limited literacy, limited English proficiency
•reinforce key messages #ihahlc21

David Pearl suggesting Boardmaker as a resource for people wanting to create accessible pictograms. #ihahlc21

The Noun Project is a good starting point for mock-ups. #ihahlc21