The Running Man: How Japanese Designers Created the International Evacuation Sign

The history of the world-famous evacuation symbol dates back to 1975. Following a series of tragic fires in Osaka and Kumamoto, the Japanese Fire Department initiated the development of a universal visual language for emergency situations. The goal was to create a sign that would be instantly understandable to anyone, regardless of their native language or cultural context. As a result of a competition, the 'running man' design proposed by Yukio Ota was selected. This simple yet effective graphic symbol evolved from a local Japanese initiative into the international ISO 7010 standard. The article details the design process, selection criteria, and how this design became an integral part of global safety infrastructure, demonstrating the importance of intuitive design in critical situations.