Hieroglyphs and Dreams

Both these articles were extremely entertaining to read, partially due to the visual elements presented. Deciphering the images was just as important as the words, creating unordinary interactions in comparison to other textbook readings. I think one of the most important points from both articles is cultural impact in visual language development and how pictograms must be learned. As Miller would say reacting to Lupton’s discussion of bathroom signs, the pictograms of men and women have “seeped into the pores of our culture.” The signs do not have the silhouetted people using toilets but we all still understand them as bathroom signs because of their rich conceptual and historical development. This same idea applies the understanding of language, especially homophones, and how the English spelling system will never become rational because society is already deeply accustomed to its irrationality. This brings us a challenge as designers of a visual language in our current assignment. Symbols that we already know, we know because they have been around for years, but we must somehow create new semiotics that are highly communicative without rewarding them the time to become familiarized in society.

To continue discussion of the male and female bathroom signs we have all become so familiar with, I am currently taking a Gender Women’s Studies course and on the first day of class we briefly discussed them. My professor took a poll to see exactly how many women were wearing skirts to initiate a discussion on gender role expectations and if these silhouetted females and males were still appropriate. Today’s society creates gender more so then genetics. There is no longer a clear distinction between male and female and who can wear skirts and who cannot, but that is for a different class discussion. The point I am trying to make is that even those these pictograms are no longer correct, are they editable or are they like the English language were they will never be rational because it is embedded in our culture. This could also bring up an interesting discussion on Chief Illiniwek and how the same symbol communicates a wide variety of meaning and if this is enough support to keep or retire him.