This book has been put together to give an insight to people about this variation of image that is all around us, from obeying the law via road signs, to ancient scriptures and even on the internet. This book will help understand the importance of these icons and will also give an insight into their history and where they came from. With a section dedicated to one of todays modern-day pictogram artists, Viktor Hertz talks about his views on pictograms and his design process.
01
WHAT IS A PICTOGRAM? A pictogram, or a pictograph is an ideogram that suggests it’s meaning through it’s pictorial similarities to a physical object. Today we use the term casually for a huge range of icons, but it’s originally used as a reference to the flat styled, most often single coloured, simplistic portrayal of ideas and objects.
The Helvetica Man. Designed by Roger Cook and Don Shanosky as part of the Department of Transportation (DOT) pictogram set, 1974.
02
A HISTORY
OF PICTURES
While lately commercialised by handheld interfaces like the iPhones tab control, Pictograms have never been out of style. In fact, some of the earliest written languages where based on the idea of conveying meaning through simple pictures. For example; going all the way back from the earliest mesopotamian language of Cuneiform and Egyptian Hieroglyphs, The ancient civilisation of the Mayans, through to the coats of arms in the middle ages and all the way up to the invention of the printing press. All of which are contributing to the idea of icons and pictograms.
03
TODAYS USES Today we use pictograms in all sorts of situations. Looking for the toilet in the Airport? Or are you following laundry instructions? We decipher any number of pictograms every day without even realising. A very common pictogram we are all familiar with but may not know we are looking and deciphering it, is the ‘Home’ button featured on most web browsers.
The ‘Home’ icon found on the Google Chrome v.17.0.963.78 web browser.
THE INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD A set of pictograms was defined in the international standard ISO 7001, campaigned by Roger Cook and Don Shanosky in the seventies with their ‘Department of Transportation’ sanctioned (DOT) pictogram set of fifty universally acknowledged icons. Other known and recognized sets of pictograms include laundry instructions and chemical hazard labels. Many of the well established pictograms are acknowledged for being universally understandable, crossing language and culture boundaries.
WHAT ARE THEY
GOOD FOR? Pictograms are in many ways the core of icons. They attempt to communicate as clearly as possible by removing all possible details and focusing on the simplicity of the similarities between a physical object and how they are most easily recognized. This makes pictograms incredibly effective when it comes to delivering a clear message as long as the receiver understands the simplified representation. For the average graphic designer, this means that if you are looking for the most direct route to communicate a known convention then pictograms could more than likely be the right tool to get the job done.
CONTEXT
Pictograms have flourished in the physical world where the context of the message is obvious. Holding your sweater in your hand, the laundry instructions on the inside seems that bit more understandable. That little box with a circle inside crossed out, is fairly easily deciphered as being a warning that you can’t dry tumble this specific clothing item. The box with the circle obviously being a domestic appliance that dries your clothes through centrifugation. It’s all about context. The situation you are in helps you interpret the pictograms and their intended meaning. This becomes harder to decipher when taken out of the physical world, which brings us to some of the pitfalls of pictograms. Another example of this is the pictogram for ‘Highly Flammable Materials’, found in labs, garages and other similar places. Out of context it could mean anything because it is just a symbol for fire, but once put in context, inside a triangle with a yellow background and its accompanying typography which features below the sign, it becomes instantly recognisable. Pictogram styled icons are about peeling away layers of detail until the simplest recognizable shape remains.
Caution
Risk of fire Highly flammable material
AROUND THE WORLD A comparison between male toilet signs from various countries from around the world.
http://losu.org/world/the-many-different-types-of-toilet-signs
As designers, if the message fails, then you’re pretty much screwed.
moc.topsgolb.sgolbakrap ot knil tsuj ro ,morf s http://www.boredpanda.com/worst-logo-fails-ever/
t dedaolnwod uoy egap eht ot kcab knil esaelP
The black coloured road signs are original designs used in 1909 when they were first adopted by international agreement in Paris. The following pages compare and contrast the evolution which the road signs have gone through. The pictograms themselves have not changed very much where as the main change is the introduction of the triangle shape which represents a warning. and the colours.
http://www.brocketthorne.com/iWeb/gdone/links_files/pictograms.pdf
Are there cultural issues when designing icons? I guess there are, but nothing that I think of consciously. Icons and pictograms should be universal and easy to understand for everyone, so I think most of any cultural issues or problems are a bit under the radar, designing this kind of stuff. I don't really know what I'm talking about here, to be honest, I'm not an expert! I can only speak for myself, I guess. When designing an icon, is one considered at a time or is it designed as a set? Lately, with my personal projects, I've tried to think of it more as a whole, each icon being part of a bigger image. Also, with some of my freelance assignments, there have been sets of icons, all being different parts of a unified whole. Although, it's also important that each one is unique and doesn't repeat an idea (if it's not justified, hehe). I like to have all the work in progress in the same document, in the same work area. That makes it easy to always have a good view on how they work together. Have there ever been any plagiarism issues due to the fact there is a limited look to an icon? Well, I haven't got any reports on my work, anyway! It does happen that the same idea shows up at the same time, of course, we can't have 100% original ideas all the time, that would be ridiculous. I remember seeing a pictogram music poster for Florence + The Machine's 'Dog days are over', and it was exactly the same as a draft I had on my laptop, almost scary, I got a bit paranoid for a second. I do suspect he was inspired by my posters, though, because
the calendar he used had eight days; just like in my poster for The Beatles' 'Eight days a week'. : ) And, I don't really think there are any limitations to an icon; pretty much the same as with music. There are so many tiny details you can alter, making it different from the others. But, I agree on that it can be hard. I use lots of pictograms from thenounproject.com, for example. Most of them, I remix and change, but I borrow/steal whole symbols and shapes too. Is simple still the best, even given the software available now? I don't mind complex stuff, when it's good, but I feel that lots of work and designs lack of good and original ideas. It's so easy over doing things today. I mean, I feel a bit insecure already when using gradients, so in a way I'm happy that I don't know how to do complicated things on the computer! I have realized what I'm best at, which is simple objects with a small twist. Is there compromise between recognisability and originality? Hmm, good question. Most of my work consist of recognizable things, like logos or posters for famous movies and songs. I haven't done much 'original' work, I base almost all my images on already existing elements. But, I never let recognition go before originality or quality, it just happened to be images that people have a relation too, that I use in my projects. It's so much easier to charm people with images that they recognize, it's a bit manipulative in a way, a short cut even. I just happen to like pop culture and remix stuff. Hopefully, to entertain and to provoke some thought too!
http://www.speakerboxxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/viktorhertz.jpeg
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK A SONG BY THE BEATLES
Production / Design Michael Vinci Printing ISSUU - www.issuu.com Tutor Chris Venables Thanks Viktor Hertz Sources http://www.aiga.org/symbol-signs http://www.proshieldsafetysigns.co.uk/signs/4453_ signs.jpg http://losu.org/world/the-many-different-types-oftoilet-signs http://www.boredpanda.com/worst-logo-fails-ever http://www.brocketthorne.com/iWeb/gdone/links_ files/pictograms.pdf http://www.speakerboxxx.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2011/07/viktorhertz.jpeg