The power symbol is the brilliant result of evolving technology. Originally, power controls and binary switches were denoted with the words on and off. As technology evolved, the words were replaced with the line “I” for “on” and circle “O” for “off,” meaning a closed electrical circuit (device on) and an open circuit (device off). In 1973, these two symbols were combined into one icon, initially referred to as “standby.” Thirty years later, an international committee of scientists and engineers recommended that this combined symbol should stand for its more commonly accepted understanding: power.
Pirouette: Turning Points in Design, January 26, 2025–November 15, 2025
Gallery label from Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design , September 10, 2022–July 16, 2023
The earliest binary switches were marked with an I and an O to denote, respectively, a closed electrical circuit (device on) and an open circuit (device off). In 1973, these two symbols were combined into one now-familiar icon, initially referred to as “standby setting.” Thirty years later, an international committee of scientists and engineers undertook a research project, ultimately recommending in 2002 that this combined symbol should stand for its more commonly accepted understanding: “power.”
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