Active at the Tokyo Olympics: All About Pictograms

Pictograms serve to replace words or supplement them simply through visual perception.
A long, long time ago, people were already thinking about how to convey information and expressing it visually. One example is the wall paintings in the Chauvet Cave, dating back 32,000 years. Pictograms are by no means a brand-new communication tool.

The system took its modern shape in the 1920s, created by Otto Neurath. He was a philosopher, sociologist, and political economist—not someone originally involved in graphic design.
The reason he invented pictograms was triggered by his efforts to convey information through visual impressions within educational settings.

At that time, English was not as widely spoken as it is today, making it difficult to communicate with foreign visitors to Japan. Therefore, it is said that a team of over a dozen designers, including Ikko Tanaka and Shigeo Fukuda, spent three months of deep deliberation to create them.
This marked the development of the very first pictograms in Olympic history.
As a result, pictograms became widely recognized across Japan during that year.
It is said that the "restroom" pictogram, now used universally around the world, was also created at this time.

Infographics present pictograms and diagrams in a more visually captivating manner.
Therefore, pictograms are simply one of the elements that make up infographics.
Surprisingly, few people might actually know the difference between the two.

In design, it is essential to clarify who will see it, in what kind of place, and for what purpose. The same applies to pictograms.
While keeping that in mind during creation, you should brainstorm as many keywords as possible based on the concept of the pictogram you want to create.

After that, let's draw plenty of rough sketches based on those keywords.
Once the draft is complete, use graphic design software like Adobe Illustrator to digitize it. Line up all the created pictograms to compare them and adjust the overall balance.

First and foremost, aim to make the pictogram stand out.
If it blends into the background, the information you want to convey won't get across.

Another key point is to strip away unnecessary details and keep it as simple as possible.
Intricate pictograms are fine when displayed at a large size, but when printed or displayed in smaller formats, fine details run the risk of getting blurred or lost.
Designing simply ensures the data remains effective even when scaled down.

Pictograms don't necessarily require you to be an illustrator to create them.
You can build a pictogram using geometric patterns and a few unique shapes.

By using basic shapes like circles, squares, and triangles to combine parts, you can establish a sense of visual unity across multiple pictograms.
For example, a building pictogram can look like a building simply by placing small squares inside a rectangle. Similarly, a human figure can be crafted using a circle for the head and rectangles as the base for the torso, legs, and arms.

What did you think of this overview?
When it comes to design-related trends, there is often an impression that something booming overseas eventually makes its way to Japan. However, pictograms actually spread across the globe thanks to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
It makes me feel both happy and proud.
With the Tokyo Olympics coming up in 2020, I can't wait to see how the city and its design will transform.