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.”
Gallery label from Never Alone: Video Games and Other Interactive Design, September 10, 2022–July 16, 2023
