This site was established with two objectives: to advance historical research on pictograms from the perspective of graphic design history, and to explore how the findings can be applied to contemporary pictogram design issues. To achieve these goals, the site comprises two sections: Historical Research and Design Studies.
The first section, “Historical Research,” focuses on a very limited time and region: North America during the 1930s and 1940s. During this period in North America, particularly in the United States, a design trend utilizing “pictorial statistics”—statistical graphs employing pictograms—flourished under the strong influence of ISOTYPE (International System Of Typographic Picture Education), conceived and implemented by Austrian socio-economist Otto Neurath (1882-1945). This trend emerged against the backdrop of the Great Depression, triggered by the stock market crash at the New York Stock Exchange on October 24, 1929. As the 1930s progressed, unemployment soared and the socioeconomic crisis deepened. To overcome this, there was a growing need to investigate and analyze the social and economic situation, and to communicate these issues to the public. Pictorial statistics gained attention as a technique capable of meeting this demand. This trend eventually expanded beyond pictorial statistics, evolving into a unique expressive domain that incorporated contemporary American visual culture—illustration, comics, and animation. The historical research section traces this development.
The second section, “Design Studies,” explores pathways to apply insights from historical research to the present. Considering that historical research could contribute to the development of pictograms aimed at supporting communication for people with intellectual disabilities, we have collaborated with pictogram researcher Mao Kudo (Faculty of Design, Kyushu University), who specializes in disability studies, to conduct foundational research and design prototypes for this purpose. We are attempting to draw out the potential to complement the limitations of modern standardized pictograms from pre-standardization pictograms, which were intended for use in comics, animation, and other media. We plan to add documentation sequentially going forward.
Hisayasu Ihara (Graphic designer, Design historian, and Pictogram researcher)
*This website was created with support from JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number 19K12660, 22H03887, and 23K25141).