Helvetica Man: How The Universal Symbols For Escalators, Restrooms, And Airports Were Designed

“Today, travelers rushing through an airport or pausing at a roadside rest stop barely notice the standard symbols that direct the flow of human traffic. The little rounded man indicating the restroom and his female partner with her triangular dress are too familiar to think twice about. The same goes for the ubiquitous No Smoking logo and the knife and fork symbol that point towards dinner.” Their origin goes back to the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976.