I've always loved the look of Chinese and Japanese characters for the way look more than what they are trying to communicate linguistically. I love the space between the letter forms and the shape of the characters. I love black on white. Nick Currie writes for the AIGA about the meanings of a cross-section of Japanese signs.

"Communicating with graphic design is complicated enough when you're operating within your own culture, using the 26 letters of the English alphabet. But imagine having to design in a country with three totally different writing styles; for instance, Japan, with its hiragana, katakana and kanji. For a foreigner who doesn't read Japanese, even just consuming the visual chaos can be stressful. But it's also a fascinating way to find out how many meanings can cross cultural boundaries and stay intact, and just how much, when the literal contents of signs are stripped away, the tactile qualities of "look and feel" alone might be able to communicate across cultures. "

AIGA - How Was It For You?

Categorized: Design

Tagged: 2, Typography