While tsunami messages are well designed there are situations where the message may fall short in attracting the attention of viewers, portraying all the signs of impending danger, or delivering a call to action. We test the ability of stakeholders in designing their own sign that would be meaningful and informative. Hazard warning signs are an exercise in marketing. The message should incorporate new communication tools, symbols and terminology.

1. Tsunami Hazard Messaging
Using Emoticons, Emoji and
Graphical Lexicons
Michael Kozuch, PhD
2015

2. The 2004 Indonesia Earthquake generated
a tsunami that reached beyond Thailand.
Few knew the warning signs.

3. Tsunami hazard signs on the west
coast of the US are simple and visual.
While the sign
is effective,
it does not
warn of tsunami
created remotely,
nor inform
viewers about
receding sea
levels.

4. An effective sign in an Australian Zoo uses
pictograms to warn against swimming.
Photo by Phasmatisnox,, CC by 3.0 (creativecommons.org)

5. ancient cultures
religious
modern
symbols
Symbols have been used by mankind
throughout history.

6. Social Media is giving us new
tools to communicate through
emoji symbols and graphics.

7. you can see how modern emoji symbolism
evolved from pictograms developed for the
1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
More recent emoji designs are seen
in the National Park Service icons.
every culture has used symbols, but
Source: Olympic Games Museum

8. pictogram that predates modern emoji
Traffic signs and symbols are another important

9. Is a picture really
worth 1000 words?
blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah
vs.

10. We put social media lexicons to the test by
asking university students to design a
tsunami hazard sign.
Students are stakeholders
as much as the public.
Why not try designing a
sign in their own
language?

11. Signs that don’t work
Sign should not be too alarming (if not justified)
or users will not use a beach out of fear.
RUN !!

12. The results are interesting and
show a broad range of solutions
that we can group as follows:
• Graphics and text
• Color and design
• Emoji and symbols
• Emphasis on text

13. IGNORING inaccuracies,
elements to look for include:
• Simplicity in the message
• Key action points
• Design or symbolic elements
• Messages that include the
concerns of the public

14. Informing through
graphics & text

15. Rachel Kim
a simple but effective
message

16. Sara Rae Dominguez
a concern that showed
up in numerous signs

17. Deepthi Gopinath

18. Joseph Encinias & Cierrah Sherman
interesting graphics can
encourage further reading

19. Joshua Ocampo
straight forward instructions
with graphics and text

20. Erika Castaneda

21. Bianca Magallon

22. Steven Tanner

23. Bernard Juan P.
effective combination
of graphics and text

24. Cesar Alvarez

25. Attracting readers
with COLOR

26. Atia Walker
Bright colors
can stop a
viewer in
their tracks

27. Maria Fajardo

28. Bertha Cardenas
A hallmark of
good design is
simplicity as long as
the message is clear.

29. Using emoji
& symbols
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
#####################
ooooooooooooooooooo

30. 100% emoji
message
Devin Withoft

31. Laura Bean &
Sarah Cortez
another emoji
message

32. Chris Vincent

33. Jasmine Kharma,
Sam Mammo &
Arianna Mazzarini
emoji, graphics,
& text

34. Jesly Esparza

35. v
s
k
Emphasis on text
A
Nq
8
2 L
f
u
c
ox w

36. Pratik Patel
Dawn Nordstrom
text allows to communicate
a thorough message

37. Andrea Salvador

38. Gabriel Concepcion
a succinct but
effective message
with minimal text
and minimal graphics

39. The Take Away
Hazard signs are a marketing
exercise to get attention and
convey your message.
marketing
exercise

40. Signs that are too
formal, ill placed, or too
wordy might not grab
the attention of all your
stakeholders.
The Take Away

41. The Take Away
Attention grabbers for all ages combine
• color
• hand drawn graphics
• social media lexicons
1

42. The Take Away
2
More graphics, less text
keeps the sign “international”

43. The Take Away
3 Sign location is critical, at a height and
location that is visible to all ages.

44. The Take Away
4 Stakeholder designers
are invaluable on the team.

45. The Take Away
Keep the message:
• Simple and accurate
• Effective for a range of age groups, literacy
abilities, and gender
• On target with action points

46. References to iconographic design:
Kim, J. 2012, Trends in Olympic Pictograph Design: A comparitive
study using Olympic Games’ Sports Symbols, Parsons Journal for
Information Mapping, Vol. IV(4) p. 12.
http://blogs.walkerart.org/design/2014/03/20/lance-wyman-
mexico-68-olympics-tlatelolco-massacre
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-history-of-the-
olympic-pictograms-how-designers-hurdled-the-language-barrier-
4661102/?no-ist
____________________________
Only a few of the student designs are presented here, but I am
grateful to all the Cal State East Bay students who participated in
the study. – M. Kozuch