Constructing Meaning

A shared language is the basis on which all communication is built. For a reader of Chinese, the flowing brushstrokes form characters that communicate specific ideas. For those of us who know no Chinese, the calligraphy is visually enticing but conveys no specific messages.

Huai-su, Detail of Autobiography, Tang dynasty, 7th-10th centuries. Ink on paper.

A stereotype is a fixed generalization based on a preconception. On a benign level, we ignore individual characteristics and emphasize group characteristics. Stereotypes require little thought. In some situations, the viewer responding automatically is ideal.

Roger Cook and Don Shanosky, images from a poster introducing the signage symbol system developed for the U.S. Department of Transportation, 1974.