Pictogram/Icon Editorial

The pictogram communicates. But doesn't all art communicate. Connotations and denotations are experienced when we look at anything. When a person made what we look at though, we as people always tend to, or at least try to, see what they are conveying in the piece. Expressional, conceptual, theoretical, realistic. All convey a message. However, pictograms don't just communicate an idea, they communicate the idea in its simplest, but still readable form. The pictogram captures the essence of what it signifies. And we people read the essence. We don't look at the pictogram for exactly what it is. We see the forms, which is what a pictogram comes from. There are no conceptual relationships between a pictogram and an object. No concept to the essence of an object, unless made that way. In some cases, a style choice may allow for a conceptual tie to the object, but its essence will remain the same across any style and will not inform any beyond the interpretation of the image. It is seen for what it is. However, when placed in a context the meaning can change or a concept may be drawn. Language is a little like this too. We have words that represent things (even though, as far as I know, in most cases the words don't conceptually relate to the object. When we hear or see words, we receive some kind idea. If the word is by itself then all we understand is the reality behind the word. We only see the the object or thing represented by the word. However, when words are place in certain areas or are used in writing the meaning can change or an extra layer of meaning can be added.

I appreciate the comparison to typefaces that Lupton makes in Design Writing Research. She even gives some examples of a man pictogram with serifs, in italic and in cursive. Really I hadn't thought about type in this way. The sans serif fonts capture the essence of all letters, while serif typefaces fail to do so. Historically, serif type is the original lettering used in the western world. Then the sans-serif type came about to simplify letters and allow for quicker reads that don't allow the details and serifs to get in the way of a quick read. This is the objective behind the pictograms. A quick read. We read pictograms fast and without confusion. They are stripped to the bare essentials needed to convey their idea. No extra detail is present or needed. The essence is conveyed, read, and therefore successful (as long as its read quickly and clearly).