Salome Mindiashvil : Design is a form of visual communication that aims to either educate, inform or inspire people with ideas or actions. A good designer is the one that communicates those ideas in the clearest way possible. It is also highly aesthetic and uses color theory and principles of good layout.

Darriel Bleasdille: One important aspect when speaking about design is the community. Good design is supposed to improve the lifestyle and standard of living of the community; an easier way of communication and living. I believe good design also should shed light on problems around the world and issues within the community. Moreover, it has a duty to help with the advancement of society (from the good old days of riding horses to now having street signs to govern auto vehicle movements). My personal opinion on what makes a good design is as follows: “An unselfish form of communication’’ (for the betterment of society).

Daniel Rodriguez : when it comes to design after taking classes with other student designers we might be given the same product or idea but each person can create a design and speak to them or how they see things.

Jasmine Domena: Language seems to be kind of sexist. In the reading it talked about how by default they used the male figure by default and the female figure would be used to show a person providing a service to the male. This instantly reminded me and I connected it to Spanish language. In Spanish ellos is a group of boys, ellas is a group of girls, but if a group has a mix of boys and girls the default and expected term to use is ellos. This is also similar to the argument of using the term latinex

Language is a system of communication . There are many forms of languages. Language is distinguished by other forms of communication by being somewhat arbitrary.  Language can be somewhat arbitrary because the relationship between “signified and signifier” are constantly being shifted. Symbols and icons are related to language because it is considered a signifier and visually one can associate with what is being communicated.

Signs, signifiers, and the signified are demonstrated in general communication and graphic communication as a concept and sound-image. Language has shaped design historically because with time there is change and the shift between signifier and signified is affected. 

Design can accomplish things that language cannot because design can be communicated visually and verbally without using the word of language. Language itself isn’t completely universal since its constantly being changed. The relationship between language and design in today’s culture is trying to communicate to people what they need to understand. With design its more of a communicative message and with language its more of a speech.

Language is typically viewed as a verbal or written method used to express something. Not only does language express actions, items, emotions; but different people around the world express it in different ways, which is why there are multiple languages. A word can have a meaning in one country but another meaning in the next country, same with gestures. Which makes me wonder, is Sign Language taught the same universally or differently according to the popular gestures in each country?

Symbols and icons are tools that relate people whether they share the same language or not. Most of the time humans are able to understand symbols universally, like traffic signs and emojis. Wherever you live these things hold similar meanings. This is why learning to make icons are is important for designers to accomplish. It’s a skill you can incorporate in a design project that will be viewed all over the world.

The relationship between language and design in today’s culture can determine how successfully your audience reacts to your design project. Just like with symbols and icons, if your design features a character preforming certain hand gestures that Americans will find funny, the design will be successful in America. However the same gestures may be viewed as offensive by people in Japan because the two have separate cultures with separate languages. In the design world, it goes a long way to have consideration about language barriers and thinking in context of who your target audiences are.

As designers we should be aim to be socially aware of any issues and problems that are going on around us. We should strive to inspire those who will come across our work and get them to question the known. It is also our responsibility to know what is relevant and how we can make a difference with our work. It is our duty to appeal to the public and inform people of what’s going on in the world.

 Environmental safety, is one field that can and should intersect with design. To inform and communicate the importance of climate change and encourage people to be socially conscious is not only relevant but the right thing to do. It is our duty to appeal to the public and inform people of what’s going on in the world. The fine arts is also a field that should intersect with designs, as they can share the same elements and be inspiring. Fine art tends to focus on aesthetic, while we believe programming and engineering is based on functionality.

Design is related to language since both are based on communicating ideas or messages. While design can be more visual, they’re both a form of communicating. To be visually pleasing, legible and successfully convey an intended message or idea constitutes a good design. We believe a concept that may be viewed as offensive, biased and/or difficult to understand constitutes a bad design. Design is a visual language that communicates a well-thought out concept and inspires those who may come across it.

I think that language is a form of art. A living and breathing collective and unconscious entity/ system that exists that we all as a community contribute to in order to function and survive as humans. As mentioned in the reading “Design as an Art” by Munari; good language helps us communicate and express the realities of our surroundings but it is also a reflection of our environment; which is why I think it has changed over the years and what might have been a well understood symbol in 1960 may not be understood now. The use of words structured in a particular way or sound as a human experience separates it from other forms of language. For instance, signs are a visual but not verbal form language that helps relay a message in order to communicate.

I think in the structure of language when a community collectively relates a particular image, symbol or icon to an idea; it becomes part of language. In graphic communication a symbol or design is able to relay a particular message or even be used in place of that message to be understood by a community. This really is how signs, signifiers and the signified are employed in general communication; the sign being the image, the concept being the signified and the sound image as the signifier.

Language has shaped design in a significant way; I believe this is true because language came before design and set a foundational stone where design was able to grow and flourish. in the on going years. After the readings, I have a high understanding that they both work hand in hand together. In the past, art can be depicted as a selfish form of expression, as opposed to design. Design is a social activity; it was made not just for the use of singularity but for the advancement/ enhancement of our community. I believe design can accomplish things that language cannot do, it helps solve/ address problems and shed light on everyday practices of the world.

Language is a system in which connections are made through shared messages or ideas. The universal system of language consists of verbal, written and symbolic methods that are used to communicate. In order for connections to be made, all participants must be familiar and understand the specific words that are being used. Without that familiarity or mutual understanding, communication is lost and conflict can arise. What separates language from other forms of communication, is the fact that you truly have to understand the meaning of the words that the language consists of and how to correctly use them. 

Essentially, language is the basis behind symbols or icons. We understand common symbols or icons by connecting what is being depicted or represented to the words of our specific language, yet we do not have to speak the same language to use the same symbols or icons to communicate. Words that form a language are unique to that specific language, while icons or symbols can be seen as more universal and easy to comprehend. Icons and symbols tend to be literal and depict exactly what it represents,. For example, we can assume that an icon depicting a flame is expressing that something is very hot. Two people do not have to speak the same language to both understand that the flame equates to that surface or object to being hot and that they should proceed with caution. 

Signifiers, the signified and the sign are the main components of successful communication, they work together to get spread ideas and messages. The signifier is the sound associated with that idea or concept, while the signified is the actually concept. The sign combines both elements of the signifier and the signified to create an object that represents something unique. In relation to design and graphic communication, this is the root of logo design and branding, to construct a concept that is so unique and specific, it can be easily recognized. 

Language has shaped design historically, being one of the main components of sharing messages or ideas. Through language, communication can be made and brands can appeal to the masses. In today’s culture, where social media is dominant and everything is shared at a fast pace, language does play a key role, but we are continuing to stray away from the use of use of words. Logos, icons, easy to understand visuals is what is works in today’s culture, where popular trends and technology continues to advance rapidly and people continue to have short attention spans. 

What I found to be most interesting from the readings was given that language is something that inherited, the question that lingers is whether or not the laws of the language that are passed down can be modified. I do think as time progresses and advances are made through generations, these laws that shared do change in some ways, whether intentional or not.

Prior to the readings I just never gave language much credit. I guess because it’s so natural. You either have an interest in learning another language or it’s taught to us from birth, where we naturally overtime grasp onto words, sounds and images. From the readings, Language is a combination of various forms, part inherited and part environmental. It is a set of rules that changes per generation, but it is not living. Only contains the potential life because of time, which is based on the principle of continuity.

Language is distinguishable because it is the system/tool used to communicate. Communication is a way to exchange information. The signified is the concept of the thing, and the signifier is the auditory image association. I associated signs to icons and logos because the language of symbols is silent. It’s viewed not spoken; no matter the size, you need to be able to distinguish what it represents. In addition language influences design. Symbols and Icons are used to convey the communication in a simplified form. Some becoming timeless and universal. For example a pictograph of man and women, is an ideograph of toilets. If/when traveling those same symbols are in airports, hotels and restaurants regardless of the native language. I believe we can accomplish what language can not through design, for example Braille is designed for those blind.

What I found interesting was how writing is assumed to be graphic design because it consists of lines drawn on a flat plane. This was interesting to me because we all have a different handwriting. We learn the same language/system of letters but it has its own individualism by the way we apply pressure to the pen and paper.

For todays complex world language and design are still are the forefront. As humans we have a need for communication. Universal design allows for language barriers to be broken down. Design is forever changing; but just like language there is a foundation of basics traveling through generations. [However there will always be someone judging the design and asking is the design ethical to their culture?]