Designing Symbols For A Change

What I learned about the evolution of the accessibility symbol is how it became much more clear and obvious of what it meant. The accessibility symbol is supposed to indicate the access for people with handicaps/wheelchairs in an area. For instance doors may have a button with an accessibility symbol to portray a service they provide for them (like automatic doors). Parking lots have preserved spots for handicapped/wheelchair people, usually it's done with the sign of an accessibility symbol and a blue highlighted parking space.  The original accessibility symbol was static and seemed mundane, it didn't depict the urgency and struggle of a person in a wheelchair. However the latest version improves on those aspects by having the person in the wheelchair seem like they're moving by having a leaned upper body and arms out. To add on, they have the wheels with a diagonal cut to most likely show the motion of the wheel going forward. The latest version of the accessibility symbol is far superior than the old version when it comes to conveying the message and situation of people in wheelchairs.

During the symbol exhibition of Olympic sport symbols, I learned how simplicity in some cases is better. Especially when it comes to pictograms, signs, and symbols. Symbols are a universal language, in this instance they're used to guide coaches and athletes from all over the world in the Olympics. The first year of the symbols were ambiguous because of the detail they contained. As the international tournament progressed, the symbols have become more simpler, however then they had changes that made the symbols unclear. Such as the third year when the sailing symbol seemed like the the picto- person was laying down. The second year of the Olympics had a wrestling symbol with two arms locking each other. It had just seemed so odd and confusing, in my perspective. Even so they would keep evolving until the symbols are simple enough to be understood universally.

This entire exhibition was just mesmerizing, the sculptures had so many unique and abstract subjects. In the photo above it is simple sculpture of a person with poker cards, specifically a women because a projection would display the fingers having painted nails. A neat add on was the cigarette in between her middle and marrying fingers. It's really the sculpture captures the movement of the cards and start to wonder how is it done? the cards don't seemed to be molded with the hands and roam freely in the air. However the two photos below this paragraph are prime examples of abstract sculptures that really have no intended meaning. They're simply amusing visuals for the tourists to look at.

The photo collage here was great too, it's accompanied expertly with the messy desk  seen in the lower image.