The shaving pictogram dude

For years, probably decades, I’ve wondered about the story behind this, to me, iconic pictogram.

Why? Because it is everywhere. I’ve never seen another pictogram representing what this represents; an electric shaver socket. It’s so ubiquitous that it must demonstrate some kind of perfection in pictogram design. Why change it?

Anyway, having wondered about it for years, a few days ago I finally decided to ask reddit. Sometimes a very silly thing to do, but sometimes, like this time, you get actual answers.

Turns out the man behind it is Werner Sramek, “Werner Sramek was a painter and graphic designer of global renown. During his international career, he received countless honours and awards. His artistic focus was on font, colour, and pictogram design, textile painting, and, in later years, free-style painting. His most famous graphic work is the direction system in the Vienna underground and the signature colours for lines U1 (red) and U4 (green). Sramek also created the graphic concept of the Naturhistorisches Museum and the colour system at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion.”

Apparently, this pictogram has only been in use since 2002, which confuses me, but then again I still think 10 years ago is 1990.

So there you go. My curiosity is sated, and you’ve learned something you didn’t think you would learn.