A quarterly Review of International Visual Communication Design Issue number 8, 1974 icographic 8 Price per issue 1 .5 US dollars Contents include Stamp on it-some aspects of Easier than ABC-some experiments postage stamp design with a 'plastic' language Published in London by the One writing for one world­ Communication in an environment Six thousand years of writing International Council of Graphic the pioneer work of CK Bliss and by an environment How to design in Chinese (without Design Associations TyposAsia 74 The roots of the problem really being able to read it) icographic A quarterly Review of International Introduction Visual Communication Design icographic 8, 1974 Executive Editor Patrick Wallis Burke Almost all of our contributors to Communication in an environment this issue draw our attention to ways and by an environment Contributors to issue number 8 Patrick Wallis Burke of writing other than that of our Peter Kneebone Hartford Davis familiar Roman alphabet. Sato Keinosuke And it is salutary for most of us to The author makes a plea for a much Peter Kneebone recognise that there are some �ystems broader consideration of the many Rene Ponot of writing, such as Chinese or Arabic, factors that are involved in inform­ Stuart Rose that are used by a large section of ative signing within a human Henry Steiner the world's population-millions of environment. Peter Watson people, to whom our alphabet is Countries, cities, towns and villages completely unfamiliar. each have their own corporate Published quarterly by The International Council of idnetities, however irrationally they Graphic Design Associations One writing for one world-the may have been acquired. But they all correspondence to pioneer work of C K Bliss also have to contain a great deal of 7 Templeton Court Patrick Wallis Burke public information, usually in the Radnor Walk, Shirley form of signs. Croydon CAO 7NZ, England The author discusses the differences Much more skill and knowledge is between alphabetic and pictographic required to ensure that the visual Paper supplied by courtesy of Culter Guard Bridge modes of recording human experi­ identity of the information system Salisbury Square House ence. In alphabetic systems, words satisfactorily relates to the visual Salisbury Square, London EC4 come first, ideas second, whereas in identity of the environment. Cover printed on ideogrammatic forms of writing, the Hi-Fidelity Art Board 280g/m idea is paramount. Each ideogram is The roots of the problem Text printed on a thought-picture, not merely a unit Hartford Davis Hi-Fidelity Art Paper 118g/m in the systematic dissection of the sound-structure of a language. Following a visit to Sweden, the Printing of issue number 8 Pan Litho Sales Limited And since ideogrammatic writing is author gives some disturbing facts 172-176 The Highway not linked to speech-sounds, it can about the Swedish paper-making London E1, England achieve a universality that is industry, which is now reaching its impossible with.a phonetic system. 'limits to growth.' Design and layout of issue number 8 Patrick Wallis Burke The author believes that the work of Yeung Wai-tung C K Bliss is important because he TypoAsia 74 forces us to consider whether there Sato Keinosuke Acknowledgements to School of Graphic Design might not be entirely new ways of Ravensbourne College of transcribing language-ways that The author gives a brief account of Art and Design could lead to one language for one the first meeting of typographical world. experts from Asia, which was Subscription rates sponsored jointly by the Asian 'Stamp on it' -some aspects of Cultural Centre for Unesco, and the Countries within Europe US Dollars 5.00 postage stamp design Tokyo Book Development Centre. Subscription rate for 4 issues Stuart Rose (including postage) Six thousand years of writing The author, who is Design Adviser to Rene Ponot Countries outside Europe US Dollars 10.00 the British Post Office, gives a short Subscription rate for 4 issues historical survey of British postage The author surveys the development (including postage 2nd Class Airmail) stamp design, from the first-ever of the art of writing from its earliest stamp (the Penny Black of 1840), beginnings, and demonstrates the Recommended price per copy 1.5 Dollars (USA) to the present day. clear relationship between the 60p (UK) He then goes on to discuss the various appearance of a writing system and We deeply regret that rising printing 5.25 OM (FGR) difficulties that accompany the design the materials and tools used in its costs, rising paper costs, and of the many commemorative issues production. His article is generously increased postal charges have made Subscriptions must include four that are now produced in Britain. illustrated with examples of writing it necessary for us to raise the cost issues. Unless the publishers are He believes that too many people taken from the Engraving Room of of this journal. notified immediately after the look at stamps as works of art and, the French State Press in Paris. Alf existing subscriptions, however, appearance of the fourth issue that in so doing, fail to appreciate the will be completed at the old price. a subscription is to be discontinued, skill of the designer in solving the it will be treated as renewed. many difficult graphical problems posed by the subject. The text, or extracts from it, and the illustrations, can only be Easier than ABC-some experiments reproduced with the Executive with a 'plastic' language Editor's consent. Peter Watson No responsibility for the loss of MSS, photography or artwork can be The author briefly describes the work accepted. of Dr Hodges of California State University, who has been studying the problem of how to help low-IQ, non-verbal children to develop their ability to communicate. She has achieved some remarkable successes by means of a plastic language kit, made up of various coloured, shaped pieces of plastic, which the children use to symbolise various objects or actions. We show here a sample tourist folder adapted from one published by CK Bliss. It should be pointed out that his system is copyright (1942-1966), and that further information can be obtained by writing to him at the following address: Seman tograph y- Blissymbol ics Publications (Non-profit), 2 Vicar Street, Coogee, Sydney, Australia Read the symbols line by line, not haphazardly here and How to use the "line letter." there, and see how quickly you can combine them to new meanings. Children succeed in their first lesson. Alphabetical letters are formed by lines. By adding one horizontal line to F we get the different sound E. Here are 30 international symbols already used all over In much the same way we can use the "Line Letter" the world for the forming of hundreds of pictorial symbols as shown below: 1234567890+ X > NUMBERS AND MATHEMATICAL SIGNS f7 __. O D * t ELECTRIC STAR 11 DIRECTION SUN MOON LINE REPEAT LIMITS LJ D MARKS I I OPEN. OPENING CLOSED. ENCLOSURE lightning line repeated, copy, print special openings see below The symbols for open and closed can be used for banks, consulates, etc. together with symbols for time and days E:Jll d / 1i -wm (see below). MAIL SAFETY MUSIC CROSS OUT MEDICAL TRADE letter international note obliterate Aesculapius sign Mercurius sign sign cancel simplified simplified Here are 29 Blissymbols ! ® 6 (9 LUGGAGE ENTRANCE-fl WHEEL TJME r-1-+ EXIT A DOOR MAN EXIT FIRE WOMAN GROUND DOOR \r-r MAN n An earth, basis dial special opening flame /'.. C) � h r, � ::J CHAIR TABLE ROOM ROOMA::J WAITER ROOM MAIO ::JtLIFT STAIRS BED !::J lA ll ROOF HOUSE LIFT ::JATIENDANT cabin steward V � V p 6 WINGS FIRE WATER VESSEL SHIP FLAG :Jh 2 � of bird :J :::( :J WAITING :::1, flame wave basin. held ROOM WRITING ROOM BAR ROOM WITH 2 BEDS outline outline (airplane) lounge (chair) pen drink glass outline Some of these symbols are already combinations, as for instance: a house can be symbolised by roof over ground, a ship by vessel over water, etc. But it is simpler to use an auxiliary Outline Symbol for house, ship and other meanings as shown throughout this folder. 0 (:) 9-- "" :E � <:::::J <\> 10 '1 WATER BOWL L PLANT WATER SHOWER BATHROOM HOT PULL PAPER MOUTH ? NOSE EAR EYE HANO speech hearing sight smell touch see later wave coming down tub t)asin and/01 flame TOWEL vegetable, fruit toilet radiating heat By putting the Action Symbol on top of the symbols above, we indicate the Action (verb) of these pictured ::J_____.::] .a. _::J? things, as to see, to smell, to touch. STREET SHOP TRAVEL BUREAU FLOWER SHOP With this, children wrote whole sentences in their first pointer at ground room open to shop for travel flower bulb outline lesson. next to house street level D A PEN PAPER EMOTION REASON CONSCIENCE POST OFFICE LETTER BOX AIRLETTER TELEGRAM writing page heart skull higher reason house of letters wings electric letter The higher mind above the individual mind (skull outline) indicates God, parents, teachers, who instill TSl<g conscience in us. [9 -ct [] A�POSTMAN POSTCARD poSTAGE STAMP PARCEL WEIGHT messenger usual location of stamp scales outline A.a.. TRAVELLER HOTEL MOTEL Please continue to the top of the next column. man, wheel, ground house for traveller hotel plus garages 2 icographic 8, 1974 One writing for one world­ the pioneer work of C KBliss Patrick Wallis Burke Experiments conducted by teachers have shown that Why are the symbols so simple? And the Lord said, behold the children grasp these pictorial quicker than Blissymbols Because the I ine elements can be put on any typewriter people is one, and they have all one words.