Re-contextualizing Symbols
A Study of Phenomenology
Re-contextualizing Symbols
A Study of Phenomenology
Graphic symbols are deployed throughout public and private spaces. They are integrated into every context imaginable, as ubiquitous as air. The goal of the symbol is to communicate complex information wordlessly, through formal graphic means. This form of global wordless communication is highly adaptable, able to perform effectively and efficiently within any and all points around the globe, across borders, regardless of language or culture. These forms of adaptive communication are highly suitable for societies undergoing profound change; effective for accelerated speed of life, increased multilingual populations, and progressively more visually-sophisticated audiences. The transportation sector, for instance, has benefited greatly through the implementation of a symbol system designed to relay complex information quickly and clearly. The facility that symbolic information systems possess in order to communicate rapidly keeps pace with the ever-increasing velocity of human life and culture.
The exploration into the re-contextualization of symbols was primarily a process-driven form of production. Both digital and analog forms of reproduction were incorporated into the process of mark making. Simple analog tools shaped the aesthetic of the final output; stencils were cut based on photographs of symbols located in public spaces. These stencils were then adhered to silk screens, transferring the graphics onto publicly-placed blank posters over a set period of time. An interest to move beyond the confines of the studio and to explore processes of ‘performativity’ in public spaces, influenced the form of the final output.
Symbols were photographed from both public and private spaces. They were then redrawn in vector form. These symbols were then printed in black, serving as guidelines for the cutting of stencils from clear acetate. Once the acetate stencils were cut, they were taped to silk screens and printed onto paper substrates, hanging within public spaces. This process of “printing in public” allowed for two things:
1) it allowed performative aspects of production to influence the final output of form: limited time available for the completion of each application affected the quality of mark-making, influencing the outcome of the final works;
2) it created a constantly changing printed medium that has traditionally produced static formal expressions.
These aspects increased overall engagement—both from the standpoint of the designer and the viewing public—influencing the outcome of the final form.
The work
Re-contextualizing Symbols—A Study of Phenomenology is a process-led investigation into the functional forms of global wordless communication as an exercise over my advanced degree in design and communication. The ideas gleaned from the research, expressed through the text, and visualized within the work, has provoked a personal interest for editing and rewriting the initial text. This project in development will ultimately lead to a redesign of the book, which will include the updated text.
The final article can be read on Medium.