AIGA/DOT Symbol Signs: Baggage Check-in
The pattern
This still is filed under Mark as compressed claim.
Define
The mark itself is the sentence: a monogram, a seal, a device that already means the claim.
Mechanism
Compression. Years of use, or a very sharp first use, load the device so it can appear without copy.
Verdict
The mark is already loaded, or we will spend to load it
Why it works
By isolating the most universally recognized object associated with the action (the suitcase), it removes ambiguity. The solid fill and rounded corners give it a friendly yet authoritative presence.
Steal this when
You need to communicate a service or location by reducing it to its most fundamental, universally recognized object. *Collection note: One of the 50 passenger and pedestrian symbols AIGA developed for the US DOT and released copyright-free; still the base layer of every airport wayfinding system* ---