“The symbol is the essence of the expression...”

Social anthropologist Edward T. Hall claims that 60 percent of all communication is non-verbal.

The first graphic images that evolved in our Western system of writing were pictograms. Pictograms were generally simple shapes which represented a basic vocabulary of objects and

ideas.

Some basic pictogram images included those to man, woman, fire, food, tree, and shelter.

•PICTOGRAMS are simple symbols which universally represent objects, actions, processes or concepts

PICTOGRAMS

Successful pictograms are judged on their- Legibility (Is the design easy to understand)

- Internationally Recognized (Could anyone worldwide understand it)

- Simplicity (Is the image unmistakable)

CASE STUDY

Take a good look at each of these five pictograms.

Determine what they represent.

Determine which you feel is the best representation & why.

Which one was determined to the be the most specific?Which one was determined to the be the most specific?

• The bearing of the person displayed is completely different than in any toilet symbol.

• The vertical layout of the push buttons with the person selecting one of them supports the associations with elevator.

• The presentation of the cabin within a shaft enhances the definition.

• The size of the arrows and their placement indicate directions of cabin movement without giving rise to misinterpretations.

First, what does it represent?First, what does it represent?

•An Elevator

• Symbols including standard representations for man and woman as they are used for toilets without any modifications are in danger

of being misinterpreted as symbols for toilet (one of the primary misinterpretations).

• Large size arrows, used to indicate the direction of movement of the cabin, frequently are misinterpreted as directional arrows

within a guidance system.

• Abstract variants (such as the third one) are rated as incomprehensible.

What’s Wrong With These?

Some Other Visual LanguagesTake 1 minute to think of as many kinds of visual languages

as possible.

SIGN LANGUAGEA language which uses manual

communication instead of sound to convey meaning

BODY LANGUAGEPosture, facial expressions, gestures

and eye contact.

Some Other Visual Languages

WEB DINGSA True TypeTrue Type Dingbat Font Developed in 1997 and included in all versions of

Microsoft Windows

Some Other Visual Languages

WING DINGSA typographical symbol or ornament

Some Other Visual Languages

EMOTICONSA sequence of printable characters such as :), ^-^, or :-) that is intended to

represent a human expressions and convey an emotion.

Some Other Visual Languages