Symbol Signs

To the human mind icons and pictographs are symbols of cultural representations of our daily life, to be more exact, reality. Every culture has its own set of icons, pictographs and symbols that are associated with different experiences and perceptions. An icon or a pictograph’s meaning is neither instinctive nor automatic. The members of the culture must interpret and over time reinterpret the icon. An icon or a pictograph is an important and enduring symbol because it is a picture that represents a person or a thing regarded as a symbol of a community, cultural movement, belief or a nation as a small graphic image. In Computer Science it is a picture on a screen that represents a specific file, directory, window, option, or program. International Icons are a very interesting subject; because, they combine all the languages in to one language that has been understood by everyone, even the children. “Pictographs and icons are used in writing and graphic systems in which the characters are to be a considerable extent pictorial in appearance.” To simplify it icons and pictographs are graphic symbols that give us information when written words can’t be display and it will be easer for the people to see and understand it.

 

In 1936-1947, in the early modern ages, was the first example of the great amount of use the icons or pictographs have been seen in the maps in the London suburban timetables of the London and North Eastern Railway and George Dow designed it. “The variety of pictographs was used to indicate facilities available at or near each station. Pictographs remain in common use today, serving as pictorial, representational signs, instructions, or statistical diagrams. Because of their graphical nature and fairly realistic style, they are widely used to indicate public toilets, or places such as airports and train stations.”

 

 The first 34 icons that were published in the U.S for the public was in 1974 by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and it got the first Presidential Design Award. In 1979, 16 more symbols were added to the list or set if the first icon, the copyright is free and it has become one of the standards for the off-the-shelf symbols in the catalogues of U.S. sign companies. This company is one of the world’s biggest developers of voluntary International Standards and that give the state of the art specifications for products, services and good practice. By doing that it helps make the industry more efficient and effective. “Developed through global consensus, they help to break down barriers to international trade.” The company story began in 1946, “when delegates from 25 countries met at the Institute of Civil Engineers in London and decided to create a new international organization ‘to facilitate the international coordination and unification of industrial standards’. In February 1947 the new organization, ISO, officially began operations.” And then it was founded in 1947,“and since then have published more than 19,500 International Standards covering almost all aspects of technology and business. From food safety to computers, and agriculture to healthcare, ISO International Standards impact all our lives.” Today the company have members from 161 countries and 3,368 technical bodies to take care of standard development and more than 150 people work full time for ISO’s Central Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland. The company goal is to provide people from all over the world a coherent set of graphical symbols to help overcome language and other barriers. “A technical committee, ISO/TC 145, Graphical symbols, has defined internationally accepted requirements for designs, colors, content and shapes of graphical symbols. These symbols convey important messages about product features, directions and other aspects of daily life – whether at work, at home, or for leisure. Critical areas include health and safety- related warnings, prohibitions and mandatory actions.”

The symbol signs system in the company started with 50 icons, which they design for the use at the crossroads of modern life, for example transportation, airports, and at large international events. “Produced through collaboration between AIGA and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), they are an example of how public-minded designers can address a universal communication need.” Internationally, symbol signs can be very tricky and hard to design because everybody should see and understand it immediately, the age should not matter, or the culture. “Prior to this effort, numerous international, national and local organizations had devised symbols to guide passengers and pedestrians through transportation facilities and other sites of international exchange. While effective individual symbols had been designed, there was no system of signs that communicated the required range of complex messages, addressed people of different ages and cultures and were clearly legible at a distance.” The journey of designing the symbol signs is not easy, so for them to develop such a symbol signs system, the AIGA and DOT decided to put on together an inventory of symbol systems that had been used in various locations worldwide, for example airports and train stations to the Olympic Games. “AIGA appointed a committee of five leading designers of environmental graphics, who evaluated the symbols and made recommendations for adapting or redesigning them. Based on their conclusions, a team of AIGA member designers produced the symbols.”

In conclusion, This Company has been able to develop some of the greatest and most well known symbol signs. I believe that having such an international signage system that is known worldwide by people is very effective. Signage attracts the eyes as having a visual element to it and having icons, as identifications in places such as subways or usual places would be very helpful. It unites people and thus lessens the amount of confused travellers in for example airports and stations. It is not an easy task but producing more international symbols will prove to be much effective to the people worldwide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/icon

http://www.iso.org/iso/graphical-symbols_booklet.pdf

http://www.aiga.org/symbol-signs/

http://pic-com.jp/

http://capl.washjeff.edu/

http://www.pictopen.com/

http://thenounproject.com/

 

Science World

Science World is a place that is committed to give and provide children of all ages and their parents the opportunities to go explore and learn about the wonders of science. It was established in 1987 along the shore False Creek of Vancouver. This center provide their visitors the chance to come face to face with all the interesting imagination, creativity and the wonders in an approachable and informal way having to do with science. The center also provides an hourly live science show presented by facilitators and they are very passionate on science. There are different exhibits that come alive with the physics of water, light and sound. Also there are live animals and insects, illusions to test your creativity and logic, mental puzzles and a gallery that is devoted to fostering the natural curiosity of preschoolers. Also this center is doing Community Science Celebrations that encourage students to see the value in studying science and technology and consider it as a career for their future, and with this, parents can also be assured on their children’s safety and security. The structures of the Building took careful planning in order to make it very safe and meet all the needs of humans in which it doesn’t collapse or fail in any way possible. “It is the job of the structural engineer to analyze and study the way in which buildings support loads. They are expected to invent creative ways to work with the environment and building materials to address the tasks of construction.” Also the structures of the Building can say everything about what’s in it so that why the combination of the building is perfect because of the scientific experimentation, innovation and creativity.

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This center is the perfect and safest place that any parent can take their children and have fun in it, but some parent sometimes they feel very bored and they don’t have much fun like there children but in this center they will have fun and also their children sometimes will need their help in explaining something and some will play with the displays and enjoy them. This center’s main focus is to make their visitors have fun in science and be creative about it so it is also applicable for parents because maybe they didn’t have the chance to experience it in their childhood. When I went there last week, all I was thinking about is that I am going to find very simple displays with simple drawing for the kids to enjoy but I found the opposite. This center is providing a very family and safe environment for all the family to enjoy it and I really felt that when I was there.

Going to an exhibit with your child can in the eyes of many be considered as dull or not exciting but at the science world there is so much interactivity that you too, as a parent, will enjoy the wonders of science. The thought of science never amused me to the point that I would think the exhibition will be amazing but experiencing the world of science with interactivity opened my eyes. It led me to interact with how science works, which made the experience a lot better. As I walked through the pathways of the different exhibits I focused on the relation of parents and their kids, as well as the displays and how me as an adult can interact with them. What I came to notice in the first exhibit was there being a couple of displays that were interactive but at the side, there was a big wall that hosted a water gun game for the kids; but, at the same time, the kids were being guided enthusiastically by their parents. At times, the parents would also help guide the water gun while they shot it. This interactivity is not just between the kids and the game but also more between kids and education or the parents with their kids and quality time for the both of them.

Quality time for parents and their kids is a very important issue. Now a days most parents work either outside or at home which makes their quality time with their kids less. By being somewhere like the science world where there is interactive education, a parent could spend time with their kids and also educate them.

Throughout the exhibition with arrays of vibrant color the displays hosted games and interactive designs where the kids could play with but for example there was a place where on the wall their was an interactive screen with information on it for parents to be able to read and right beside it there was an interactive education game for the kids. This meant that while the children can play, there are also interactive displays for the adults to focus on. There is also an area on the main floor where there is a stage and a mini auditorium where parents and children can sit and there is a spokesman talking about science in interactive fun games. He also chooses volunteers from the children in the audience in order to educate them through fun games. This is a very good interactive way to educate the kids and provide the family time with the parents.

In conclusion, by coming to a place like this where there are so many different methods to learn and educate children as well as adults, it can be very beneficial to the children’s futures. It was where technology and science came together and that is basically where the future lies. This is a very good way for a family to spend quality time because there is a sense of wonder and excitement. It makes science fun while using great technological advances. Science world has been known for a truly good experience it will take you to another world and it will be very educational and fun at the same time.

week10

finally its my last week in this quarter … am so happy its finally over all the stress and the hard work 🙂 and most important that am going home 😀 seeing my family and all my friends .. just thinking of that makes me really happy.. anyway  this is my last post to this blog .. and am happy 😀 because i dont like to share with someone that i dont know .. but it was a nice experiment .

week9

it’s my last weeks in this quarter am so happy for that 🙂 i really need a break .. but right am working know on my final projects .. having a hard time but hopefully i will do good on them .. hope this will end up fast and smooth .

week8

this week was not that bad … i had fun working in some of my projects and i didn’t at the same time .. but hopefully i will get good marks out of it .. but am excited because this will be my last 2 weeks in this quarter after that i will go home and see my family 🙂

week7

this week was good for me .. finally i sleept more hours than always .. i went out with my friends & i really had fun but i wish that i had the time and went out with my other friends camping because i never went camping in my hole life so i was looking forward to it but i didnt go ,, hope next time i will join them and go camping .

week6

this week was the worst ever !! i got a could and am tired of all the projects that am getting from school .. really i need i break and a long one for shore because if i didn’t my head will explode … i wish this will end soon !

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week5

Another stressful week during this semester, no sleeping at all and i think am getting sick and tired of all this pressure. Eventually all this hark work will help me in my future, but am really looking forward for the summer break , going home 🙂 seeing my family … hoping this semester will end soon.

week 4

Never explain yourself to anyone because the person who like you doesn’t necessarily need it , and the person who dislike you won’t believe it !!! nowadays, people tend not to care about respecting others because they simply believe it is cool in someway !!! That was my experience of this lively week.