Each should be identified clearly.
The best solution: combine creativity with clarity
Designers do not need to abandon artistic ideas.
They can use animal illustrations, unusual colors, or decorative shapes while adding clear written labels or familiar symbols.
For example, a restaurant could retain its elephant and giraffe artwork but include the words MEN and WOMEN underneath.
Another option is to use a small conventional pictogram alongside the creative illustration.
This allows the business to maintain its distinctive appearance without forcing visitors to guess.
The principle is simple: creativity should improve the experience, not make basic tasks more difficult.
Chapter 5: Should Restroom Signs Change? The Future of Public Bathroom Design
The discussion surrounding unusual restroom symbols raises a much bigger question.
Should public bathrooms continue using traditional male and female symbols, or should designers move toward more inclusive and universally understandable signs?
There is no single answer that applies to every building.
The best approach depends on the type of facility, local regulations, accessibility requirements, and the needs of the people using the space.
However, one principle should remain consistent: visitors should be able to understand where they are going without unnecessary confusion.
1. The growing use of gender-neutral restrooms
In recent years, more public buildings have introduced gender-neutral or all-gender restroom facilities.
These spaces may be designed as individual, lockable rooms that can be used by people regardless of gender.
Some buildings use a simple toilet pictogram instead of a human figure.
Others use the words RESTROOM or ALL-GENDER RESTROOM.
The advantage of this approach is that the sign describes the facility rather than relying entirely on assumptions about the person entering it.
A toilet symbol is particularly straightforward because it represents the actual purpose of the space.
Research into restroom pictograms has shown that designers and organizations use a wide variety of approaches, and there is still no single universally adopted symbol for every all-gender facility.
inclusivity.mijksenaar.com+1
2. Why simple toilet symbols can work better
Consider a public building with three facilities.
One is a men's restroom, another is a women's restroom, and the third is an individual accessible restroom.
Instead of using complicated artwork, the building could use recognizable symbols and clear labels.
The men's and women's facilities could retain their traditional pictograms.
The individual restroom could display a toilet symbol, accompanied by appropriate accessibility information.
This approach provides practical information without relying on abstract visual jokes.
It also makes it easier for international visitors to understand the available facilities.
3. Accessibility should come before decoration
A restroom sign should be visible from an appropriate distance.
Its symbols should have sufficient contrast against the background, and its placement should make it easy to locate.
For people with visual impairments, tactile lettering and Braille may also be necessary under applicable accessibility standards.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs, for example, includes guidance distinguishing between gender-specific facilities and single-occupant gender-neutral restrooms in its signage design manual.
Construction and Facilities Management
These details may not attract as much attention as an elephant or giraffe illustration, but they can make a meaningful difference to everyday users.
4. Should designers stop using humorous restroom signs?
Not necessarily.
Humor has a place in public spaces.
A restaurant with a playful identity may want its restroom doors to reflect that personality.
A themed hotel might use animals, fantasy characters, or decorative artwork to create a distinctive experience.
There is nothing inherently wrong with making signs entertaining.
The important question is whether visitors can still understand them.
A good compromise is to combine decorative artwork with a familiar symbol or written label.
This preserves the creative idea while ensuring that the sign remains functional.
5. What makes a perfect restroom sign?
A good sign should satisfy several basic requirements.
-
Easy recognition: Visitors should understand its meaning quickly.
-
Clear contrast: Symbols should stand out against the door or wall.
-
Appropriate placement: People should be able to find the sign without searching.
-
Cultural awareness: Designs should avoid relying on unfamiliar local jokes.
-
Accessibility: Information should be available to people with different visual and physical abilities.
-
Consistency: Similar facilities in the same building should use a coherent signage system.
These principles apply to restaurants, hospitals, airports, shopping centers, hotels, schools, and other public environments.
6. The elephant and giraffe mystery finally has an answer
Returning to the original photograph, the correct choice is the elephant.
The elephant marks the men's restroom, while the giraffe marks the women's restroom.
The explanation comes from a playful visual comparison involving the animals' urination patterns.
The unusual design became memorable because it replaced familiar symbols with something unexpected.
But the story also demonstrates how easily creative communication can become confusing when people do not share the same visual references.
A designer may understand a symbol perfectly because they created it.
Visitors, however, encounter the symbol without knowing the thinking behind it.
That difference is the reason good public signage must be designed from the user's perspective.
The final lesson: A beautiful sign is not always a useful sign
The elephant-and-giraffe bathroom doors are amusing because they make people stop and think about something they normally recognize instantly.
They remind us that visual symbols are not automatically universal.
Their meanings depend on familiarity, culture, context, and shared understanding.
A creative restroom sign can make a business memorable, but it should never sacrifice basic usability.
Sometimes, the simplest design is still the best.
The next time you walk into a restaurant and see an unusual animal, object, or cartoon on a bathroom door, take a moment to look carefully.
You might discover a clever piece of design.
Or you might find yourself asking the same question that confused the visitor in Taiwan:
Which door is the men's bathroom?