Overview
ISO 19027:2016 - "Design principles for communication support board using pictorial symbols" specifies basic configurations and design guidance for communication support boards that use pictorial symbols to facilitate interaction when spoken or language-based communication is limited. The standard covers common elements across media (single-page boards, book-style formats, and digital media), presents practical layout and typographic guidance, and introduces principles for designing pictorial symbols. It does not mandate specific symbols or visual designs; rather it gives principles and examples (Annexes A–E) to promote clarity, consistency and cross-cultural usability.
Key topics and requirements
- Basic configuration
- Board size and material (paper, plastic; lamination recommended for paper)
- Supported formats/media: single page, book-style, digital
- Background guidance (white recommended; contrast considerations)
- Indication items (layout and metadata)
- Title placement (upper area; first screen for digital)
- Typeface guidance: sans-serif or minimal serifs; regular/bold weights (examples in Annex E)
- Language: use official local language(s); optional English; max four languages per board
- Publisher information and contact placement (lower or back; last screen for digital)
- Pictorial symbol design
- Consistency across symbols on a board and with widely used societal symbols (harmonize with established standards where applicable)
- High contrast, clear, crisp, bold silhouettes; photos must be high quality
- Layout rules: category grouping, appropriate symbol count per page, priority placement for safety/emergency symbols (uppermost section)
- Captions: positioned above or below symbols
- Blank space for notes
- Support for combinations (symbols + photos + illustrations) and digital animation features
- Design principles for pictorial symbols
- Simplicity, contrast, natural depiction of living things, motion expression (arrows/animation), selective detail for disambiguation (e.g., bicycle vs motorcycle)
- Line thickness (minimum recommendations, see Annex A) and framing/basic pattern guidance
Applications and users
ISO 19027:2016 is practical for:
- Designers and graphic teams creating communication boards and icon sets
- Assistive-technology and digital app developers (augmentative communication interfaces)
- Clinicians, speech-language therapists and educators who select or customize boards
- Publishers, public service providers and transport/health facilities seeking inclusive signage and communication aids
- Policy-makers and accessibility program managers implementing low-cost visual communication tools
By following ISO 19027, stakeholders can create usable, culturally-aware visual communication aids that improve inclusion and reduce language barriers.
Related standards
- ISO 17724 (graphical symbol definition)
- ISO 7001 (public information symbols) - referenced for harmonization
- Work overseen by ISO/TC 173, Assistive products for persons with disability, SC 7 (Accessible design)