'World Without Words' Research

Fukuoka Underground Rail System:

These designs are for Japan's Fukuoka underground railway system. They are considered a colourful introduction to local culture and history. They are specially made to benefit foreign visitors and therefore work without words.

The physical layout of the symbols is fairly artistic, despite their practical purpose. You can see the Japanese style influenced in some and others are quite playful. Simultaneously they are effective in directing visitors and have powerful impact. The apocalypse symbols could be more subjective and random rather than being purely objective, they could adopt a futuristic style. 

Up to 625 by Matt Mullican

This work by Matt Mullican is an attempt to duplicate the mental links, imagery and visual references that form his view of the world. Naturally this makes the signs quite subjective, they're communicating a mental view of a concept- not what is objectively there. Despite this many of the designs are related to commonly accepted symbols, such as the paint pallet or the theatre mask; they are made unique by their relationship with each other. In some of them Mullican has extended the objective symbol to such an extreme is has become subjective (for example the figure dancing.)

For my own designs I hope to maintain Mullican's flare and powerful symbolism behind such simple blocks of colour.