Analysis on the Influencing Factors of the Comprehensibility of Graphical Symbols

With the development of modernization and urbanization in China, more and more buildings develop into a huge collection group with massive functions. People often have to face difficulties and anxieties in locating their destinations. As a non-verbal presentation of information, graphical symbols are often used to help people in wayfinding. It’s comprehensibility that determines the effect of information transmission of graphical symbols. This research collected comprehension data of thirty-two symbols in China. To explore statistically significant relationships between symbol comprehension and influencing factors, Pearson’s Chi-square tests, logistic regression analysis, and correspondence analysis were conducted. From the test results of two different variants of rental bicycle, it shows that concrete symbols are more likely to be understood correctly than abstract symbols. Furthermore, the respondents with higher education level have less difficulty than those with lower education level in comprehending graphical symbols.