Literature review

From time and memorial signs and symbols have played and integral part in the life of human beings. Early cave paintings of primitive people were used to depict their way of life and is the main recordings of what it was like to live in those days. (Meggs and Purvis 2006) put it into its basic form:

"This was not the beginning of art as we know it. Rather, it was the dawning of visual communications, because these early pictures were made for survival and for utilitarian and ritualistic purposes."

In other words, if comparison is made to modern times, traffic signage, for example, is part of one's way of life today. It not only helps to keep traffic flowing but to save lives as well by introducing a set of rules of how to use the roads safely.

Both of these examples can come under the heading of visual communication. There are no written words, only what the eye sees and the brain, at the same time, interprets. The dictionary (Collins 1979) defines "communication" as "The act or an instants of communicating; the imparting or exchange of information, ideas and feelings." When this is interpreted into visual communication it is by definition the imparting of information, ideas and feelings by using the eyes.

Return to ancient history, early language such as Egyptian Hieroglyphics was developed through the use of pictures or "pictograms" as they are called today, which were given ideas by their shape and design. These are still in use today as signs in airports, railway stations and many other places. This also led onto the "rebus" which was a system of using pictures for sounds to write the word required. The rebus became famous when Paul Rand (1914-1996) a well known American graphic designer adapted it to developed his famous logo for "IBM" in 1981.

"Rebuses - images that can be read as words or letters embrace the linguistic and pictorial functions of trademarks. The image of the eye is one of the most effect of these visual puns."

(Per Mollerup 1997)

Trademarks and logos are a very important means of identification in modern life, particularly of companies in business, this is an extension of the very earliest development of the trademark, which was thought to be designed by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia around 2900 B.C.

"Mesopotamian cylinder seals provided a forgery - proof method of sealing documents and proving their authenticity." 

(Meggs and Purvis 2006) 

They were used for over 3000 years. It can be seen therefore, that signs and symbols have slowly evolved over thousands of years.

There are other signs which have had a profound effect on the way people feel. The Swastika, for example, to many religions such as the Hindus, Buddhism and Taoism is a symbol of fertility and good fortune. However, this change dramatically when it was adopted by the Nazi party in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s and became a symbol of fear a dread. The cross to has had many different identities over the centuries. (information supplied by O'Connell and Airey 2005 "The illustrated encyclopedia of signs and symbols").

Another important aspect of signs and symbols is how they are effected by their shape and colour. In particular, different colours can invoke different feelings and emotions. Red, for example, as the colour of blood is associated with blood. In Paleolithic times red ochre was ground into powder and was thought to have been endowed with life-giving powers and later in Anglo-Saxon times red was believed to protect against evil. In modern times, red is today linked with loved, for example, a single red rose given to your partner is a symbol of undying love in today's society. However, red is also associated with danger. A "red alert" for example, is a high state of alert in political and security terms. The red light on a traffic symbol is a sign its necessary to stop otherwise there might be danger. Green, on the other hand, represents nature, plant life and new awakenings. In political terms it is a recognition that the environment must be protected. The green party is the one that opposes to much building in the country side and wishes to protect the air, water etc from too much pollution. Other colours such as blue and yellow have other properties that are important and have to be taken into account when planning any new signs and symbols.