Language is that of a living record. It speaks of generations, trends, culture, and lives alongside us through words and symbols. Language is an isolated facet of the broader idea of communication. It is the means by which we go about communicating. When broken down to its key components, Saussure remarks language as “sign”, “signified”, “signifier”. The sound, word, or image (signifier) when combined with the mental concept or meaning (signified evoked by the signifier), generates the object (sign). When thought of like this, “language” in regards to design becomes much clearer. It’s a designer’s goal to generate a universal sign. A feat made possible when looking at well-known logos such as Nike, Disney, and McDonald’s. A designer breaks the chain of signifiers as the viewer must navigate to the sign themselves (ie. apple with a bite mark means the brand “Apple”).

Language can convey the abstract in a way that communication can not. You may communicate directions through pointing, yet you can not say “2 days ago I tripped while running in that direction.” However, this does not mean communication is a “less” successful form of conveying information. As J. Abbot Miller and Ellen Lupton of Design Writing Research suggest, words can be given multiple meanings. When looking at roman numerals, lines drawn into the sand, or the number of diamonds on a playing card, each of these symbols can convey quantities. A concept that can also be applied to the design process. As mentioned earlier logos can become synonymous with a brand, product, or phrase when applying the same notion. It becomes a way for designers to develop there own “signifier + signified” formula, and by succession, their own “sign”.