In healthcare, just as every message has a purpose, so too does every visual. Whether you are explaining how to take a medicine, collecting outcomes data from patients or guiding someone through a medical form, the type of visual that you choose can dramatically aid the process of comprehension, trust and behaviour. Wrong choices, however, can pose an unintended barrier to lay understanding.

This article suggests how icons, emojis and pictograms can function across some of the most common patient-facing communication formats.

Patient Information Leaflets or Medication Guides

These are documents that explain how to use medications, manage side effects and follow treatment instructions. In many countries, they are legally required and tightly regulated. In some countries, readability testing is mandatory, but, if visuals are present on the leaflet, are these also tested? They need to be.

Best visual type: Pictograms, with some icons

·       Pictograms are ideal for warnings, dosage timing and general instructions, such as: “⚠️ “Do not take while pregnant”, “🧼” for hygiene.

·       Icons can reinforce instructions: 💊 for “take one pill,” 🕖 for “in the morning”, but this must be clear and thoroughly tested.

·       Emojis should not be used due to their informality and lack of standardisation.

Why this matters: These leaflets are accessed by people with limited literacy or may have limited linguistic competence. The visuals could help with comprehension of key messages. The goal should be clarity and not expressiveness.

Health Promotion Campaigns

These campaigns are regularly used, in various forms, in public health with the express aim of encouraging behaviour change. Examples include smoking cessation, vaccination awareness, sexual health and nutrition.

Best visual type: Pictograms + Emojis (used strictly according to the context).

·       Pictograms are used for impact, especially in signage and posters, for example no-smoking signs or handwashing pictograms.

·       Emojis can be useful in digital or youth-focused campaigns, especially on social media.

·       If you use emojis, then design with, and not for, the target audience: do not use emojis that also may have negative connotations amongst this age group, such as emojis used to depict topics of sex, violence or humour. You may not be aware of this. This is why designing ‘with’ is important.

·       Emojis work best when the campaign tone aims to be informal, inclusive or emotionally driven. But with high-risk messages, use with caution.

·       Icons could be used in app or web-based campaigns, but less so in physical posters.

Patient-Reported Outcomes

These tools are for patients to self-report symptoms, mood, treatment effects and daily experiences. These experiences tend to be subjective and driven by emotion. They are used in clinical trials, chronic care and mental health.

Best visual types: Icons + Emojis together.

·       ✅ Icons support self-reporting, such as 💊 = medication, 🛌 = sleep, 🍽️ = meals.

·       ✅ Emojis can allow patients to express feelings or identify individually experienced pain intensity, such as ‘😃🙂😐☹️😫’ on a pain scale.

·       ❌ Pictograms are not commonly used here, as they are too rigid a format for subjective reporting.

Why would this work? Emojis can provide an emotional shortcut, while icons give structure. Especially effective for children, older or non-verbal patients.

Informed Consent Forms

These explain procedures, risks, rights and responsibility before a patient agrees to take part in treatment or research.

Best visual type: Icons (carefully), Pictograms

·       ✅ Icons can be used to break up complex text, e.g. ⛔ for risks, ☑️ for agreements.

·       ✅Pictograms can support safety warnings or process diagrams.

·       ❌ emojis are not appropriate and can undermine the seriousness and legal weight of the form.

Why it matters: Consent is a legal and ethical process. Visuals should aid understanding, not soften the message or add ambiguity.

Mobile Apps and Digital Health Tools

Visuals are constantly used on apps and tools, such as symptom trackers, diaries and chronic disease management tools.

Best visual type: Icons + careful and appropriate use of emojis.

·       ✅Icons are essential, as they help users navigate, log actions and understand functions

·       ✅ Emojis can support mood tracking, quick reactions or personalised interfaces.

·       ✅Pictograms may be used for accessibility or safety reminders, especially in regulated devices.

Digital health apps are fertile ground for visuals to evolve, be combined to convey short messages and eventually develop its own visual grammar. The sequencing of icons can communicate rich instructions, such as: ⏰ ➝ 💊 ➝ 🥛 for “take medicine with water at this time”.

Context Is Everything

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to using visuals in healthcare. However, understanding the unique roles of icons, emojis and pictograms is the first step towards intentional, inclusive and safe communication.

·       Use icons for structure, interactivity and step-by-step clarity.

·       Use emojis for emotional engagement, especially in informal or digital contexts.

·       Use pictograms for standardised, safety-critical messages in public or clinical contexts.

Thank you for reading.

Mark Gibson

Leeds, United Kingdom, April 2025