Wordless Stories
The way the world is going, there’s going to be less and less need for words. There are pictograms at airports, railway stations, stores, where else? They are usually easy to understand. More difficult are road signs, at least in the beginning, when you are learning them. And have you seen Ikea’s instruction sheets? You know what I’m talking about.
Another example: my car was having its annual wash in a suburb of a French provincial town and as I was waiting, I looked around. I can understand/decode five out of these six signs, not sure what the bottom right one is supposed to tell me, cars can’t go on fire as they are being washed, I suppose.
Are words going out of fashion?
And, would you know this picture was taken in France, if I didn’t tell you?
PS. Thanks to Teeg Bramhall for a little help with the photo.
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August 7th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Hi Nadine. Love your Clio!
I think the bottom right image is supposed to tell you that they will blow dry your car.
I know your car is licensed (matriculated) in France, because of the yellow and blue plate with the F in the blue section.
August 7th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Moi je trouve on dirait qu’on lui fait un shampooing dans celle en bas à droite… mais vu qu’on l’a déjà lavée au milieu a gauche peut être que c’est effectivement du blow dry…
August 7th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
My guess for the bottom right: after washing, shampooing, blow drying and waxing, your car is ready; you can start the engine and go!
Pictograms are used, as you pointed out, in situations requiring that some information is immediately conveyed (e.g. an airport, a railway station) or when giving instructions by showing what is to be done is actually a more productive strategy. Nevertheless, I don’t think words will go out of fashion so easily; rather - and also considering the recent raise in popularity of graphic novels - I would see it as an interaction between these and other visual ways of expressing concepts.
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