Tag: design

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Let’s All Be Champions with Pictograms

–The universal appeal of pictograms, as shown during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Introduction:

As a big fan of pictograms (I wrote my master’s thesis on it), I explore in this post the story behind the 2020 Olympic pictograms, as well as the huge success of the performance during the opening ceremony. I also argue that pictograms can play a bigger role in our everyday communications: by embodying common human experiences that go beyond nationality, ethnicity, gender, and more, pictograms may be easier to use than people emoji in this increasingly interconnected world.

下記の投稿では、私が以前から強い関心を抱いてきたピクトグラム（修士論文のテーマでもありました）について取り上げました。2020年東京五輪のピクトグラムが作られた経緯を辿り、開会式におけるパフォーマンスが世界的に評価された理由を分析しています。また、国籍、人種、ジェンダー等にとらわれることのないピクトグラムは、世界中の多様な人々が瞬時につながる今の時代、日々のコミュニケーションにおいても、人型の絵文字以上に使いやすいのではないか、と論じています。

From the pictograms performance of the opening ceremony: emulating the skateboarding pictogram

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics has shown us some amazing athletic achievements so far. But for me, the most memorable performance has been the pictograms show during the opening ceremony. It was a great tribute to the previous Tokyo Olympics in 1964, where Olympic pictograms were first officially designed in order to overcome language barriers. As the first Olympic pictograms to be animated–and of course, the first to be performed live by people in blue and white bodysuits–the 2020 pictograms made history in their own way.

I wrote my master’s project (the equivalent of a master’s thesis in journalism school) on pictograms, and have always been interested in these little symbols as a form of language and communication. Based on how much the Olympic pictograms have evolved, as well as the huge success of the performance during the opening ceremony, I feel that we can better incorporate pictograms into our everyday lives. These universal symbols appeal to everyone in an increasingly interconnected world, and allow us to be more mindful of our commonalities regardless of our backgrounds.

The 2020 Olympic Pictograms

The story of the 2020 Olympic pictograms has several layers. At its foundation is the 1964 pictograms, which in itself carry older Japanese traditions of ukiyo-e (flattening three-dimensional images into two dimensions) and crest designs (little uniform symbols). Every Olympic host city has since used its own version of pictograms, from bright tones that reflect the country’s vivid colors (Mexico City, 1968; based on my interview with designer Lance Wyman for my master’s project in 2010), to universal and inclusive figures that deliberately moved away from Nazi-era history (Munich, 1972), to symbols inspired by ancient carvings in a Norwegian cave (Lillehammer, 1994), and characters inspired by old seals (Beijing, 2008).

The 2020 pictograms were a nod to the original 1964 version, according to a Japanese magazine (Katei Gaho) interview with Masaaki Hiromura, who designed the 50 Olympic pictograms and 23 Paralympic pictograms. While he initially played around with elements such as hiragana, Choju Giga, and Astro Boy, he ultimately decided to use the 1964 pictograms as reference, focusing on the athletes’ physical movements. Studying hundreds of photos and videos for each sport, he aimed to make the pictograms appear as realistic and dynamic as possible. He obtained not only the approval of the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee, but also the associations of each sport–which resulted in redoing more than half of the designs.

These pictograms were animated for the first time so that they can be used for event broadcasts, digital signage, and social media. An interview with Kota Iguchi, who created the animation, reveals the challenges of working from static images. Instead of forcing the pictograms themselves to move, he animated how they appear onto and disappear from the screen, and suggested that the flow be paused on the pictograms so that audience members could appreciate them for a few seconds. He, too, spoke with athletes to ensure that the movements looked natural, and animated in different speeds to highlight signature moves of each sport. The animation process was very challenging, but he says he “want[s] the baton to be passed” to future Olympic games. “I’d like to make it open source so that parts can be changed and the movements can evolve . . . and am happy to provide any data for that purpose” (translation my own).

Tokyo must have been searching for a way to honor the history of Olympic pictograms, and I believe that animation (the full sequence of all 73 pictograms is featured below) was the perfect update. The moving figures are endearing, and even though they are animated through technology, they even seem more human than the static versions. And if, as Mr. Iguchi offers, the data becomes open source, the pictograms could have a lasting legacy that impacts users worldwide.

The Appeal of the Pictograms Show

Despite all the work that went into the pictograms, they would not have garnered as much attention if not for the performance during the opening ceremony. Many of the comments on NBC’s video clip of the performance call it “the best part of the ceremony.” The Washington Post wrote that it “stole the show,” and The Cut called it a “hot new sport.” I think there are several reasons for its wide appeal:

  • Cuteness: While the pictogram illustrations have grace and poise, the people in bodysuits seem to scurry around clumsily with their big heads. After a while, the tacky outfits start to grow on us and begin to look adorable.
  • Imperfection: Their limbs tremble when they strike poses, and their postures are always somewhat less cool than the original pictograms. The blue man drops the badminton racket, and with the taekwondo posture, needs help bringing his leg up. It almost seems doubtful that they would manage to get through all 50 pictograms–making it seem all the more special when they succeed.
  • Emotion: With no mouths or eyes, they show emotion through body language alone. Their joy when they complete the fast-paced routine is palpable, drawing a sigh of relief from all of us.
  • The “analog” humor: Hiropon, the comedian who created the segment and starred as the main blue man, later commented on how “analog” the performance was. And it truly is: from the basketball hoop headband to the badminton shuttle signage, everything looks handmade. It is somehow both an elevated version of the digitally animated pictograms and a nod to the physical dynamism that inspired the pictograms to begin with.
Hiropon’s humble Instagram post that briefly reveals that he created the pictograms sequence. He later made an appearance at a press conference in the blue bodysuit.

Analog humor has long been appreciated in Japan. People have commented that the opening ceremony performance reminded them of Kasou Taishou (“Masquerade”), a Japanese show in which amateurs compete by enacting various aspects of life using their bodies and homemade costumes. One example is the below performance by two men emulating an athlete on a pommel horse, which won first prize in 1997. No one is expected to be a superb actor, stage carpenter, or costume maker. Family members often compete together, brilliantly executing silly but hilarious ideas.

Another commonality the pictogram performance had with Kasou Taishou was the supporter wearing white, who would often blend in the background and help with various props. This, in turn, comes from a long tradition of kabuki and bunraku (puppet theater), where stage hands (called kurogo) dressed all in black (or white, if it’s a snowy scene) carry props or puppets. The Olympics opening ceremony did feature a real kabuki performance by renowned actor Ebizo Ichikawa. But the pictograms performance was so much more accessible–no knowledge of history or culture was needed to appreciate it.

Anyone and Everyone

I think the biggest appeal of the pictograms performance comes from this last point: it can be understood by everyone, regardless of language, nationality, or background.

This spirit comes from the pictograms themselves. Mr. Hiromura says in the Katei Gaho interview that “the simpler the pictograms are, the more open to interpretation they become. Unless they are designed in a way that anyone can see themselves in them, they won’t be appreciated by everyone” (translation my own). The set of pictograms is uniform, only distinguished by the poses and items unique to each sport (be they bats, balls, or boards). The gender, age, or any other characteristic of athletes is invisible. Every swimmer and skateboarder who’s not yet at an Olympic level may see themselves in the pictograms, dreaming of someday competing among the best of the best.

I believe the pictogram performance brought this accessibility to another level. As a clumsy person whose worst grades were always P.E., I could never relate to athletes. I only watch games and competitions in awe of stars who possess skills I could never attain. But striking a pose or two with some props? That seems doable. The whole speedy routine must have taken so much practice, talent, and coordination–but with trembling limbs, handmade signs, and finger puppetry, the people in bodysuits make it seem as though any of us could give it a try. And when they manage to finish the routine, they seem like the ultimate underdogs who barely scrape by, huffing and puffing. Even their victory, unlike those of Olympic athletes, is relatable.

People Emoji: Too Detailed, Too Many

Mr. Hiromura, Mr. Iguchi, and Hiropon each had a huge challenge in bringing these pictograms to life. But one thing that I think makes their work somewhat easier is that the designs had a framework: they were limited to sports that were part of the Olympic and/or Paralympic games.

Having a framework and using simple designs work. I think this point is evident when we compare two types of emoji: smileys and people emoji. I’m a big fan of the round yellow smileys that only show facial expressions. Cute and fantastical, they are a simple representation of how I feel. I know they are abstract, and don’t expect any visual resemblances with my face. Like pictograms, they are uniform (yellow circle, a mouth, two eyes) and have a straightforward design.

I love these smileys (courtesy of Apple) because they are a fantastical representation of how I feel

But I have never felt comfortable with any of the more realistic people emoji that show body language, professions, family, and more. Those turn me off because I subconsciously look for (and fail to find) myself in them. I appreciate the recent diversity in skin tone, but five tones is not enough, and I am more than my skin (for starters, maybe I wouldn’t want to wear such a bright purple shirt every single time).

These people emoji (also from Apple) now come in various skin tones, but I still don’t see myself in them

Customized tools like Apple’s Memoji are meant to resolve this issue, but even those seem strangely over the top with exaggerated expressions. No matter what tweaks I make, I can’t identify with the little avatar.

People emoji and Memoji fall into the too-realistic-but-still-unlike-me trap

I–and I suspect many others–can never be satisfied with people emoji because people are endlessly diverse. Yes, it is very exciting that we may soon have emoji for pregnant men. But it also brings up new questions about many others who are not represented. I’m sure it’s a quagmire for developers and other authorities, who are likely contending with one complaint/request after another (here’s the list of emoji requests made to Unicode, not limited to people emoji). The more representation there is, the more problematic it becomes for those who are not represented, because we cannot help but wonder: How long does it take to get to my turn? How is my identity taking a back burner to zombies, mermaids, and twin bunny girls/boys? And from a practical standpoint, if, many years into the future, there happens to be a single emoji that comes close (say, a Japanese American woman interpreter), how many hundreds would I have to sift through on my phone to find it? People emoji seem to be trapped in a difficult situation where they will have to continue to grow in volume, which in turn will decrease their usability.

I think this is all because pictures that are too detailed end up highlighting differences. Indeed, as Mr. Hiromura said above, “the simpler they are, the more open to interpretation they become.” That must be why pictograms have such a strong appeal. Since the opening ceremony, many Japanese people have been designing their own pictograms and tweeting them. Here’s one that’s been particularly popular (dubbed “2020 Mamalympic (Papalympic) Sports”), even prompting media coverage. I think it’s clear to anyone, even without reading the Japanese captions, what “sport” each pictogram represents. These are universal struggles for many parents, regardless of language or culture.

So here’s an idea for those people emoji. How about designing them as pictograms instead? Olympic pictograms were originally created to reach an international audience for a special occasion celebrating top athletes. But now that our world is so interconnected, all of us need to communicate with diverse audiences everyday. Symbols that are more vague, where we do not have to worry about skin tone, facial or physical features, gender, etc., would appeal to more users, ostracize fewer people, and clutter less space on our phones.

And more importantly, with pictograms, we would have an easier time seeking our own identity. Instead of focusing on what we look like, we can perhaps focus on what we do, like playing basketball, raising babies, or writing. People of different backgrounds may use the same pictograms, which in turn helps us find commonalities with and compassion for others. We don’t want a competition where only a few people are represented, and others have to vie to have their likeness preserved. With pictograms, all of us can be champions in our own unique way.

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Visualizing data without misleading or stereotyping

Introduction:

In the wake of the presidential elections that revealed a nation that remains highly divided, this bilingual post explores how we might visualize data in a way that doesn’t mislead audiences or stereotype different types of people.

今月初めに行われた大統領選挙では、米国でまだまだ分断が続いていることが明らかになりました。この投稿は、誤解を招かず、ステレオタイプを強化しない形でいかにデータを可視化できるかについて模索しています。英語の本文の後に日本語が続きます。

Earlier this month, we witnessed one of the most dramatic presidential elections in history. These past four years, the U.S. had been unrecognizable to me. As a woman, quasi-immigrant, and minority, I felt that I was unwelcome on all three counts. I was in a state of disbelief as racist remarks and actions were normalized, and many laws that I had been proud to associate with the U.S. were rolled back one by one.

It is a huge relief to have a national leader who seems rational, calm, and mindful of the growing diversity of the U.S. demographic. I am ecstatic that we now have the first woman vice president–who also happens to be Black, Asian, and the daughter of an immigrant. That fact alone allays my concerns about criticism over the president-elect’s treatment of women.

A Divided Country

But as we all know, this was no swift victory. The “blue wave” touted by pundits never came. Instead, we had a handful of swing states that flipped, one by one, from slightly red to barely blue over the course of four days. I kept taking screenshots of the close race (at one point a difference of 1,000 votes, or less than 0.1%!) and sending it to friends. I pored over the news analyzing the developments in each state, from which counties’ votes were being counted first, to why Nevada seemed to take its sweet time, to legendary figures like Stacey Abrams and the late John McCain affecting the outcome in Georgia and Arizona.

The state of the swing states as of the morning of Nov. 6. With 99% of votes reported, Georgia had a difference of 1,000 votes, or less than 0.1%. Screenshot from Google based on results compiled by the Associated Press.

Maps

With all the election results readily available online, it has been really fascinating to be able to zoom into any state and look at the results in each county. Maps like this one (for Virginia) show islands of blue cities in a sea of red.

Election results by county in Virginia. Screenshot from Google based on results compiled by the AP.

But this year, the way maps show election data seemed to undergo an important and fascinating shift. With the slogan “Land doesn’t vote; people do,” several maps came out to show votes in proportional circles based on how people voted in each county, as opposed to coloring in the entire area of each county. Since fewer people live in rural areas, this was a much more accurate representation. Based on how much recognition these newer maps received, I suspect future elections will be represented in this way.

Either way, the fact remains that we are a deeply divided country, mostly reflecting whether we live in urban or rural areas. So how do we heal as a nation? One way, I think, is to avoid stereotyping others as much as we can.

Visualizations that Reinforce Stereotypes

The below illustration is called “What it means to be a typical Democrat or Republican, based on everyday items.” A translation of the words that appear throughout the illustration are in the chart below (all translations are my own).

From this website of The Asahi Shimbun. I added the numbers in purple for the translations provided below.
DemocratsRepublicans
Prius; Volvo❶ CarsHummer; Porsche
MSNBC➋ TV stationsFOX
Comedy; Romance❸ MoviesWar; Action
Jazz; Rap❹ MusicCountry
Tennis; Soccer❺ SportsRodeo; Motor Races
Women: Silky smooth; Men: Long with beards❻ HairstyleWomen: Voluminous; Men: Short and neat
Casual❼ AttireBusiness Suits
Sushi; Vegetarian❽ FoodFried Chicken; BBQ
Starbucks❾ BeveragesCoors Beer

This was apparently first published in The Asahi Shimbun about 10 years ago. It came up on its website this past March (with the explanation that “trends have not changed that much since then”) as part of an article that helps young job applicants / recent college graduates understand current events.

When I first saw this, I couldn’t help but laugh. It’s wonderful that Japanese audiences are paying close attention to the U.S. elections. I think visuals are very important, especially to a younger audience. But I also think we need to be careful not to generalize too much–precisely because we are shaping young minds.

To start with the basics, the data comes from mixed sources. This illustration is apparently based on “data from advertising and research firms, as well as the voices of American voters.” That’s at least three sources that probably use different methodologies, samples, dates, and collection methods. While I don’t expect the entire methodology to be part of the picture, I’d at least like to know the names of the companies that collected this data.

The illustration is full of points I want to ask more about. For example (and I am also making big generalizations here), the “Republican” category seems to combine several types of people: the military type (short, neat hair), the wealthy type (Porsches), people living in rural areas (fried chicken; country music), etc. More minor examples show weird combinations too, like Starbucks (likely coffee) with sushi for Democrats. It is very confusing because all these mixed data is illustrated in the same picture.

And while the variety in music tastes and hairstyle is certainly interesting, I don’t see how it makes a big difference. The only thing I thought was truly relevant here is the type of media consumed (FOX vs. MSNBC), which other sources also indicate. I would rather know about the difference in opinion on topics like education, immigration, and religion. And, at least in terms of food, there’s evidence that we can’t associate them with political thought: The New York Times recently published a quiz asking readers to look at photos of fridge contents and guess whether they belong to a Trump supporter or Biden supporter. As of today, readers have made 25 million (!) guesses, and were correct 52% of the time–it’s 50/50, even with that huge sample.

Caricatures

To me, the most egregious point that could be corrected is that all four people depicted here are white. According to data compiled by the Pew Research Center, as of 2019, 40% of registered Democrats were non-white (even back in 2010, when this illustration was made, it probably would have been more than 36% (2008)). The Democratic party clearly states that “diversity is a strength,” and its support for immigrants and minorities is clear. So it seems especially odd to represent 100% of the Democrats here as white people.

But I also see how it’s extremely hard to visualize people “correctly.” Take, for example, the controversial NHK video that attempted to explain the BLM movement in June. If Black people or other minorities were added to the Asahi Shimbun visualization of Democrats and Republicans, would it have made things better? I doubt it, because it’s hard to illustrate someone without resorting to caricatures, especially if you do not know them well.

A screenshot (from here) of the controversial NHK video that illustrated Black people who wore tank tops and Afros, lighting the city on fire, and saying that they were resorting to violence because they were angry about the income gap (with no mention of police brutality)

And the truth of the matter is that there’s an inherent difference in illustrating someone who is already in the majority versus someone who is not. The former has already been drawn in many different ways, and one additional illustration is just that–a collection to add to many different images that readers may have in their head. It won’t skew the audience’s minds in either direction. Someone who is rarely drawn, on the other hand, automatically becomes a representative of their entire group because they are rarely seen. It’s similar to how movie characters used to be caricatures. The token Asian characters in older films were stereotypes (Mr. Yunioshi in Breakfast at Tiffany’s or Long Duk Dong in Sixteen Candles), whereas now we are seeing diverse backgrounds and personalities (from Crazy Rich Asians to The Farewell) because there are more films and more characters.

Visualizing Content in Better Ways

A lot of the data in the Asahi Shimbun illustration is interesting, even if not necessarily relevant. I think this could be improved by 1) listing its sources by name, 2) not showing people in the illustrations, and 3) instead of showing the top one or two in the same big picture, perhaps choosing the top five in each category and turning them into separate charts. Illustrations are so powerful, helping us understand and remember things better–but without the full context, they can also be misleading.

Media have to work with quick deadlines, and it’s easy for me to be an armchair critic. But as people pointed out with the BLM video, I believe there are ways to find consultants. On a deeper level, I believe we all need to have a better understanding of each other, so that we don’t stereotype others, and know when we are about to create caricatures.

These take long conversations, better education, more reading, stronger media representation, and so much more. But to circle back to the original discussion, at least we know that we are politically divided. At least we are beginning to learn, in the past six months, how much pain Black people have been experiencing. I hope that we can strive to understand each other. After this election, the only direction to go is onwards and upwards.

ステレオタイプを強化しない形で情報を可視化するには

今回の大統領選挙では、大好きな米国がようやく少し戻ってきた気がします。2016年の選挙以降、移民、日系人、そして女性として、ずっと緊張や不安を抱えてきました。国のリーダーがアジア人に差別的な言葉を使ったり、移民に対する大統領命令を発したり、女性蔑視の発言をするたび、心身ともに疲弊し、いつも少し怯えながら過ごす日々でした。今回、バイデンが大統領となって心から安堵しましたし、初の女性・黒人・アジア系の副大統領が誕生したことを、本当に誇りに思います。

ただ、選挙の結果を見て、国の分断がまだこんなにもひどいことに驚いたのも事実です。スイングステート（激戦州）では、最終的に民主党が勝ったところが多いものの、一時期は数千票、0.1%以下の僅差だったりもして、結果が分かるまでの数日間は本当にやきもきしました。地図を見ても、驚くくらい、都市部と田舎とで政党が真っ二つに分かれています。これからこの分断をどう乗り越えていくかが大きな課題となります。

ステレオタイプを強化する恐れのあるイラスト

そんな時にたまたま、上記の「身近な品々に見る『民主らしさ』『共和っぽさ』」というイラストを友人が送ってくれました。もとは10年前に朝日新聞に掲載されたのが、最近になって「今でも傾向は変わらない」と言う解説とともに浮上したようです。

これを最初に見た時、ツッコミどころが多くて笑ってしまいました。興味深い視点ですし、分かりやすく可視化している姿勢が素晴らしいと思います。でも、可視化するからこその危険性も多分にあると思います。

まず、情報源は「広告会社と調査会社のデータおよび米有権者の声」とありますが、そうすると、少なくとも3つの情報源から得たデータとなり、それぞれ異なるサンプル、日程、調査方法であると想定されます。それをすべて一つの絵にまとめていること自体少し不思議だと思いますが、そうであれば、少なくとも広告会社や調査会社の名前を掲載した方がよいかと思います。

細かい点を見ますと、たとえば「共和党支持層」は、いろいろなタイプの人たちが混じっているように見えます。それこそステレオタイプに基づいて例を挙げると、軍人（「整えた短髪」）、富裕層（「ポルシェ」）、田舎に住む人（「フライドチキン」「カントリー」）がすべて一緒になっています。民主党の方でも、スターバックス（のおそらくコーヒー）を寿司と飲む、という不思議な構図になっています。これも、いろいろな情報源から集めたデータが同じ絵にあるから違和感があるのかと思います。

共和党・民主党支持者が視聴するメディア（「TV局」）はとても重要であり、FOXとMSNBCが両極端にあることは他でも立証されていますが、映画や音楽など、それ以外の点に関しては、それほど重要だとも思えません。むしろ、教育や移民政策、宗教等に関する考えを取り上げた方が興味深い気がします。さらには、少なくとも食べものに関しては、政党との関連性が低いことが分かっています。最近ニューヨーク・タイムズ紙は、冷蔵庫の中身の写真を見て、トランプ支持者かバイデン支持者のものかを読者が当ててみるというクイズを発行しました。現時点で読者は2500万回（！）推測してきましたが、正解率は52%。それだけ巨大なサンプルでも、まだ五分五分なのです。

人物のステレオタイプ

私が最も残念だと思うのは、この絵に描かれている人が4人とも白人だということです。2019年の時点で、登録している民主党支持者のうち、40%が非白人でした（このイラストが描かれた2010年でも、36%（2008年）以上だったと思われます）。また、民主党は「多様性は強みである」と明言しており、移民やマイノリティを支持していることも明らかです。したがって、民主党支持者の100%が白人として描かれているのは残念なことだと思います。

同時に、「正しい」形で人を可視化するのは大変難しいことです。6月にBLM運動を動画にし、物議を醸したNHKのビデオがよい例だと思います。黒人や他のマイノリティをこの朝日新聞の民主党・共和党のイラストに入れたところで、状況は改善しなかったかもしれません。あまりなじみがない人たちを可視化しようとすると、ステレオタイプに基づいた滑稽な絵になってしまいがちです。

多数派の人とそうでない人を描くことには、本質的な違いがあります。前者は既にいろいろな場で、様々な形で描かれており、一枚の新しいイラストは、読者の頭にあるイメージのコレクションに足されるだけであり、これまでの印象を大きく変えるわけではありません。一方、めったに描かれない人は、その人が所属するグループ全員を代表するような形になってしまいます。これは、映画の登場人物にも言えることだと思います。古いアメリカ映画のアジア系の登場人物は、ひどいステレオタイプに基づいていましたが（『ティファニーで朝食を』のユニオシ氏、『すてきな片思いの』ロンなど）、最近はアジアを中心とした映画や登場人物が増えてきているおかげで、多様な背景や個性が描かれています（『クレイジー・リッチ』や『フェアウェル』など）。

より良い形での可視化

朝日新聞のイラストには、興味深いデータが満載です。もし改善するとしたら、1）情報源の会社名を明記し、２）人物は描かず、３）上位1~2位だけを同じ絵の一部として描くのではなく、たとえば各カテゴリーのトップ5などを別々の表にして出す、といったことができると思います。イラストは、物事を理解し記憶する上で素晴らしいツールとなりますが、全体像が見えないと、誤解を招くことにもなりかねないと思います。

メディアは締め切りに向けて急いで作業を行わなければなりませんし、私がこうして後から批判するのは簡単なことです。でも、BLMのビデオに関して他の人も指摘したように、コンサルタントなど、何かしら事情に詳しい人に話を聞いて確かめることはできたのではないかと思います。より長期的な話で言えば、こういったステレオタイプを行わないように、私たちそれぞれがお互いへの理解を深める努力をすべきなのかと思います。

そのためには、対話を続け、教育を改善し、より多くの本を読み、映画・テレビ・本等における登場人物をより多様にしたりと、様々な課題があります。しかし、私たちは少なくとも、政治的な分断が続いているという事実、黒人の人たちが今も苦しんでいるという事実などを学びました。今回の選挙を受け、私たち皆で一緒に前に進み、相互理解を深めていけることを願っています。

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7-Day Book Cover Challenge (Day 6): “Book from the Ground”

Introduction:

This bilingual post was originally written for social media, and is part of the “7 day book cover challenge.”

「7日間のブックカバーチャレンジ（6日目）：『Book from the Ground (地の本)』」

この投稿は、もとはSNSのブックカバーチャレンジのために書かれたものです。英語の本文の後に日本語が続きます。

The cover of “Book from the Ground“–which is very brief and to the point, literally! By the way, I found out while working on my master’s project that this man is called “Helvetica Man” 🙂

7???（?6）：?←?

The sixth book is Book from the Ground by the Chinese artist Xu Bing. This is a novel that’s written entirely in pictograms! I love pictograms so much that I wrote my “master’s project” (the equivalent of a master’s thesis at my journalism grad school; essentially a long article meant for publications in magazines) on it.

I feel very lucky to have learned about Xu Bing from my dear friend Kieu, an artist who also loves languages. I was fascinated by Bing’s renditions of English words that are made to look like Chinese characters. Then, a few years after, Bing happened to come to my grad school to speak–and that’s how I learned about this book, which he was still writing at the time. 

From inside “Book from the Ground.” By the way, the exit sign (on the left page) was invented by a Japanese individual!

The back of the book contains Bing’s quote that says: “Twenty years ago I made Book from the Sky, a book of illegible Chinese characters that no one could read. Now I have created Book from the Ground, a book that anyone can read.” Indeed, the pictograms make the story accessible–but I also find that it takes a lot longer to read! The story is essentially about a day in the life of one man, and has lots of humor (including slapstick bathroom humor).  

I’d always been fascinated by kanji, and love how they are essentially little pictures. They are so concise in conveying meaning. I especially love the series of characters that belong to one family, like fish names (who *hasn’t* tried to read all the characters on tea cups at sushi restaurants??), tree names (like fish, you can kind of guess what “hard tree,” “white tree,” etc. each refer to!), and types of weather (especially poetic with the droplets in the “rain” portion). 

From the exhibit “Chinese in the Information Age” at the Museum of Chinese in America (February 2019), a panel that shows how the character for “mountain” evolved over time

When I attended Bing’s lecture, emojis were just becoming popular. Facebook wasn’t as big, Twitter was just gaining traction, and Instagram didn’t even exist. But texting was huge, and lots of shortened words (like LOL and TTYL) were being used. I began to wonder if that was the direction were going–will words continue to be shortened, eventually giving way to pictures? I talked about this with my advisor and fellow advisees, and one of the advisees pointed out that letters like hieroglyphs came from pictures–so perhaps we were actually coming full circle.

I really, really, really enjoyed working on this master’s project. I got to interview lots of designers, including the designer of the sports icons of the Mexico City Olympics (1968), and a designer who was commissioned by the Department of Transportation to create airport pictograms (the first of its kind, including bathroom signs). I also got to interview other professionals, including a computer programmer who crowdsourced the translation of Moby Dick into emoji, as well as the founder of an NPO that facilitates virtual communication among children all over the world using emoji. (I didn’t get to meet Bing himself, but visited his studio in Brooklyn, where his assistant provided me with many resources.) Some showed me drafts of their designs, and many welcomed me into their home, reminiscing about their past projects or sharing their ideas for the future. Others were kind enough to meet me for tea–on one occasion at a station in Tokyo, when they were about to jump on a bullet train to go home for the holidays.    

It is truly one of my biggest regrets in life that, while I submitted this article to my school, I did not get to publish it in a magazine. While I was pitching it, I was very excited that one major magazine that I’ve always loved expressed interest–but they asked that it be cut to 300 words (less than 1/20 of its length). I felt that was too short, and while I was being indecisive, I missed my timing. Now I fear it is too late, since the interviews were done ten years ago. I think back to all the kind interviewees who were generous with their time–especially the then-79-year-old designer who not only picked me up at a train station and drove me to his house, but gave me a two-hour long interview over tea, kindly brought out his hand drawn designs, and even gave me a rare copy of a poster that has his pictograms. I would still very much like to revisit this project, especially to repay his and other interviewees’ kindness.

Anyway, I continue to be fascinated by kanji, emoji, and pictograms, and look forward to exploring this topic more!

At a special exhibit at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna (May 2019). I love the beautiful waves!

*****

6冊目は中国人アーティストの徐冰（Xu Bing）による 『Book from the Ground（地の本）』。すべてピクトサインで書かれた（描かれた？）素敵な本です。

私は子供の頃から漢字が大好きです。割れた卵にそっくりな「卵」や木がたくさんある「森」は小さな絵ですし、「雪のように白い魚＝鱈」、「堅い木＝樫」のように、ちっちゃいスペースにたくさんの意味を詰め込んでいる字も素晴らしい。友人を通じて徐冰のことを知ったのですが、彼は、アルファベットを漢字のように書いたりして、もとからよく字で遊ぶアーティストのようです。

私が大学院にいた時に徐冰が講演しに来たのですが、その際に知ったのが、当時まだ執筆中だったこの本。そこで私もすっかりピクトサインに魅了され、それを修士論文（といっても、ジャーナリズムの大学院なので、雑誌に載せることを意図した長文記事です）のトピックにしました。ちょうど絵文字の人気が出始めたころだったので、どんどんコミュニケーションが短く速くなっていく中、言葉はどんどん絵に取って代わられるのかを調べたいと思いました。

I thought this sign was hilarious and so straightforward! I’m sure Bing (whose book includes bathroom humor ?) would love it! (Found in the streets of Vienna, May 2019)

修論を書く過程はものすごく楽しいものでした。メキシコシティ五輪のスポーツのアイコンをデザインした方をはじめ、多くのデザイナーと話す機会があり、他にも、クラウドソーシングで『白鯨』を絵文字に翻訳したプログラマーの方、絵文字を使って国が異なる子供たちにコミュニケーションを促すNPOの代表の方もインタビューする機会がありました。

今悔やまれてならないのは、修論を学校に提出した後、雑誌に投稿することができなかったということです。300ワード（全体の20分の１以下）に縮めたら検討してもよいと言う雑誌もあったのですが、あまりに短いので悩んでいるうちにタイミングを逃してしまいました。インタビューした方々は本当に優しく、今でも思い出して一番胸が痛くなるのは、運転して私を駅まで迎えに来てくださり、ご自宅で２時間以上インタビューに応え、自分がデザインしたピクトサインの珍しいポスターまで下さった、当時79歳だったデザイナーのおじいさまのことです。論文が書かれてちょうど10年経ってしまいましたが、彼のため、そしてインタビューに応えてくださった多くの方のためにも、いつか何らかの形で世に出せることを心から願っています。

At the National Archaeological Museum in Athens (May 2018). I would love to learn more about Egyptian hieroglyphs at some point!

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Diversity in pedestrian lights

–Thoughts on pedestrian lights around the world

Heterosexual (top) and LGBT (bottom two) pedestrian lights in Vienna (June 2019)

When I was in Vienna, Austria from the end of May to early June, I fell in love with their adorable pedestrian lights! First I found a cute heterosexual couple–and was even more delighted to see the couple of two men (although from a distance it also looks like friendly strangling :p) and two women (hearts beating in unison). At first I thought the lights were related to Pride Month–but it turns out that they were a temporary project in 2015 that soon became a permanent fixture! 

I love anything related to symbols and tiny illustrations (my master’s thesis was on pictograms) so I wanted to take this opportunity to write further about pedestrian lights. 

Diversity in signage

Signage like these are extremely important, I think. We talk a lot about diversity in literature, media representation, and political office. But these simplified little guys, gals (and non-binary figures!) are everywhere–and while they are subtle, they’re seared into our unconscious mind. I still remember that time I first saw a non-binary bathroom sign years ago, and while I was initially confused–why is her skirt titled?, I thought–learning about it made me appreciate the design.

Germany

Austria’s neighbor, Germany, is even more famous for its pedestrian lights. The beloved Ampelmann figure with the hat, originally used in East Germany, has remained even after the unification of the country, and is now an icon of Berlin. The website of a store that sells Ampelmann products explains the history of how the lights came to be: they were first designed by a traffic psychologist in 1961; and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when everything in the former East Germany was being torn down, another designer helped save the unique little men. (The latter designer, Markus Heckhausen, now runs the company to which the above stores belong.)

The “stop” Ampelmann in Hackescher Markt, Berlin. I love the straight lines in this photo, as well as the contrast of the walking pedestrians and the stop sign (June 2018)  

The United States

When I visited Berlin in 2011, I came across a very cool exhibit on pedestrian lights around the world. They had actual lights that periodically switched between green and red, with descriptions underneath. What struck me was that the U.S. had two lights: one with “Walk/Don’t Walk” spelled out, and another with a red hand and a white man. While I don’t read German, I think the signage says “Walk/Don’t Walk” was used in Los Angeles and the other in New York, but I’m pretty sure the “Walk/Don’t Walk” is actually the one that was in New York. As a child growing up in Hawaii, I remember being confused how the lights I saw on “Sesame Street” were so different from the LA-type lights around my house. Now those are gone from NY, too, apparently replaced by the other type in 2004. While I completely agree with the importance of universal pictograms, it’s sad that the iconic lights of letters have disappeared.

Lights from around the world were displayed at a pedestrian lights exhibit in Berlin (December 2011)

When I first moved to DC in 2004, I was really impressed by the countdown of the pedestrian lights. They are so useful, especially in crossing wider roads. Apparently that was brand new back then (just started in 2003), and has now been implemented in other cities, too.

Pedestrian lights in San Francisco (it’s just a coincidence that Uniqlo happened to be in photos of both Berlin and SF!) (April 2015)

Japan

I have always been bothered by how green traffic and pedestrian lights in Japan are called ao (blue). (It’s not unique to lights, as green apples or green nori are also called ao–apparently that word traditionally referred to both blue and green). As a precocious nine year old who moved to Tokyo from Hawaii for the first time, I purposely made a point to call the lights midori (green). I also sometimes felt like the lights looked blue-green–and sure enough, apparently there has been an effort to make the lights more blue, in order to match the terminology. How interesting–I’m sure this is a rare phenomenon even among the many different lights around the world.

Pedestrian lights in Tokyo (September 2015)

Let’s go!

Traffic lights, especially the “go” version of it, are so symbolic (literally) in encouraging us to proceed forward, like wind in our sails. I’m guessing that green Ampelmännchen products are much more popular than the red ones. I love how sometimes the “pedestrian” figures are on bikes or horses. But usually, the figures are all by themselves, regardless of whether they are going or stopping. What I love about the Vienna ones are that they are not alone. (Well, upon closer inspection, the heterosexual couple one I saw looks a bit like the woman is running away from the man who’s grabbing her (ummm…) but that’s another story.)  This journey called life, whether we decide to go or stop, is much more fun with company–opposite gender or not. 

‘Go’ Ampelmann symbol at the Ampelmann cafe in Berlin (December 2011)