Experimental Evaluation of Exit Directional Indicators

Abstract

The direction to a safe exit is a critical message to convey in built environments. As pictorial signs have been increasingly used, many exit symbols have been used or proposed, but none has been shown to be both well understood and optimally visible under potential emergency conditions. This report focuses on a narrower issue which parallels the exit symbol problem in general: that is, the selection of a directional indicator, or “arrow”, for use with exit signage. In one experiment, a set of arrows was tested for visibility under simulated emergency viewing conditions. In another experiment, arrows were evaluated for suitability on the basis of connotative meaning, uniqueness, and appropriateness of appearance. One arrow was identified as the preferred candidate among the set tested, and some general features were identified for use in selecting exit directional signage.