PUSH & PULL MAN
Symbol and Pictogram Design Story
Ever Pushed a Pull Door or Pulled a Push Door?I don't know if you've ever walked towards a shop, and found yourself struggling with the doors, trying to figure out
whether it was a PUSH or a PULL?
Whenever I ask people "Do you ever mix up push and pull?"
They often reply: "All the time!"
What are the benefits of picture signs?
You don't have to know the words PUSH and PULL
Easier to notice
Makes doors safer to use
For Education to learn the words PUSH and PULL
The first ideas and sketches...
I was talking to Jean Taylor on the 4th February 2011.
She put forward the idea of a figure leaning forward for pushing and leaning back for pulling.
I drew a sketch and emailed it to John Szwenk.
Conveying the energy of pushing and pulling.
A Push Character with Arrows and Doors
Combining Arrows and Doors with the Yellow Man
Taking photos to Generate Ideas
I Went over to see Charles Kumi where he took a number of photos of me pushing and pulling doors.
Almost unconciously, I drew curves with a biro over the door frame of the printed photos.
During an appointment to see a patent agent, Harry Lamb, of Marks and Clerk in London, I showed him the push and pull photos.
He said "Mmm Bowed Doors!".
Push Sign Pictogram with a Bowed Door
Various Digital Designs with the Push and Pull Character
Bowed and striped Yellow and Black Doors
This is a good illustration of how my drawings by hand were polished up by John Szwenk, also based in Slough, UK.
Down to the Last Three Pictograms
It was decided to choose only the image with the "bar type handle" as it made the pulling pictogram clearer.
The Images Have a "Bit of a Belly"
John noted that the images had a bit of a belly, with the question of making the tummy smaller.
Chatting about it we agreed that the larger tummy made the images look more friendly.
Trimming Down the Doors and Moving the Foot Up
We were into the final "detailing" of the push and pull characters.
The arc of the doors was too long.
They were cut down at each end.
I went to see Tom "the hypnotist" and showed him different lengths of doors and chose the length he liked.
The two pictograms were completed in February 2011.
Trademark for "PUSH & PULL MAN"
Wikipedia Page "Pictorial Push Pull Signs for Doors"
The Wikipedia page was created in July 2011.
"Pictorial Push Pull Signs for Doors"
Primary Schools
The first customer to buy the signs was Mundella Primary School in Sheffield 2011.
Schools have to teach "push and pull" for key stage one and having these signs also makes the doors safer.
International Languages
Oxford Brookes University Research
I met Professor Angus Gellatly in Corsica and we started chatting about the signs.
Prof Gellatly was keen to run a study on the signs.
Final year student Meera Dulabh undertook and completed the study in 2012.
The result was the helpful conclusion that the colours would be better changed from Yellow to Red and Green.
Stickman and Rounded Man, Green and Red
Slough Borough Council, Slough, United Kingdom
Slough Borough Council emailed a purchase order for s