Language, by definition in the Oxford Dictionary, is a “system of communication used by a particular country or community”. Language develops from symbols, to writing and eventually words and speech. All of these aspects create a language for sentient beings such as humans to use. Of course Language has its outliers such as Jargon and Dialect which varies in different parts of a civilized country or world. In some rare cases, language can be used silently in the form of gestures such as sign language for the hearing impaired, dance and even chants for rituals or festivities. In ancient times, civilizations depended on symbols rather than letters to communicate via writing with such examples such as The Egyptians, The Sumerians and The Aztecs. These symbols or icons were called Hieroglyphs, a writing form composed entirely of pictures. This was the point were icons and symbols become extremely important as Hieroglyphs were one of the first forms of writing before humanity developed Phonetic Written Languages and thus was a way to communicate with other people in the most simplest way.

Some civilizations would often depict important events via murals, statues or scrolls to preserve it as history for future generations. In that same respect, designers create their designs as a means to symbolize the time period they came from and the common tropes found during its existence. According to Ferdinand de Saussure, he states that “The linguistic sign unites, not a thing and a name, but a concept and a sound-image.” With that logic, a sign would be the material in the current world, the signifier to be the details of that material and the signified to be the relevance it poses to others. De Saussure goes on to state that in order to understand a word one must have the concept of the word and the sound or image that goes along with it. For Graphic Design, the sign is the image shown the audience, the signifier is the details of the time period included in the work and the signified is the meaning or reason why it made in the first place.

Language shapes design in two ways, culture and perception. These two concepts are what ultimately either allow people to comprehend what is presented to them or not. In short, Understanding is crucial to form a connection between the facts of the time period or the thoughts of the writer. However, There are some things that Design does that Language cannot and that is simply, breaking the language barrier. Images were always the common thing most people understood and has been the core to create languages to this day. For instance, Some people may not speak Russian, Italian, German or Japanese but they all understand what a stop sign is based on the shape and color alone. In a sense, design is somewhat of a psychology that continues to be used in the modern era. Language and Design are both expressive, that much is true, hence the phrase “Culture creates civilization”. What is important is the way we express it so that is iconic and valuable,
leading to plentiful thoughts circulating upon viewing a work or be able to recognize it’s form, color or texture instantly with a glance. This is the connection and fine-line between language and design.