<aside> 💡 “A design cannot be disconnected from the values and assumptions in which it was created, nor from the ideologies behind it. It can be difficult to see how visual communication and ideology are related because ideology is embedded in everything around us; we perceive it as natural.”
</aside>
Language and writing have developed independently across societies. Different cultures not only use different writing systems but also employ entirely different concepts and ways of thinking to formulate written languages. This varied approach to the same problem may have also contributed to our differences in thinking and culture.
It is fascinating how the digital sphere has created a need to communicate through pictograms, using 'emoji' in a way that resembles ancient pictogram alphabets.
Pictograms are iconic images representing the words they depict, while ideographs symbolise ideas. Some languages can be read and written bi-directionally, composed of unique blocks. Logographies may contain thousands of characters, while alphabets require only a small set of letters to convey any message.
Translating meaning between different cultures and languages can be fascinating. Global brands and messaging often struggle to achieve the same impact across different countries.
Language can become political. A cultural war can emerge between preserving traditions and simplifying languages to meet the needs of a global world. In China, for example, such a cultural conflict exists between traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese. Traditions define the culture and heritage of a country, yet simplification brings economic growth and improves literacy rates. In a global world, the ability to communicate and be well understood ultimately equates to power.
<aside> 💡 Is it a coincidence that the relative simplicity of the Western alphabet and the English language has contributed to the global dominance of Western culture? Simplicity often prevails over complexity—we are, after all, creatures of habit.
</aside>
“Proponents of traditional Chinese claim that those who write in simplified characters ‘have no heart’ because the traditional character for love (愛) includes the symbol for heart (心). In contrast, the simplified character (爱) replaces the heart with the symbol for friend (友). Proponents of simplified Chinese counter that those who use traditional Chinese ‘have no friends.’”
Celebrities and public figures interacting with a global audience can easily find themselves in the midst of gaffes and misunderstandings. For instance, when Taylor Swift toured the world with her new album cover “T.S. 1989,” it could be misinterpreted as a reference to Tiananmen Square, 1989—the year of the student protests in Beijing and the subsequent massacre. All mentions of this event were heavily censored in Chinese media, leading to censorship of Taylor Swift’s album cover when she toured China.
Certain calligraphic styles can become culturally associated with an ideology or movement over time. This occurred with “blackletter” in Nazi Germany. Although not officially embraced by the Nazis, it became a symbol of nationalism and Nazi affiliation. After World War II, the use of blackletter in Western Germany was considered taboo. As recently as 2005, blackletter typography in a worldwide Reebok campaign was replaced with a monospaced sans-serif typeface for the German market.
Sometimes, typefaces seem to have distinct ethnic associations, as is often the case with Greek, Russian, Chinese, or German scripts. The line between “authenticity” ( who’s authenticity? The creator or the created ) and “stereotyping” can be thin.