What is Isotype?

Isotype, International System of Typographic Picture Education, consists of a type of set standardized and abstracted pictorial symbols with specific guideline. Its main purpose is to disseminate information using pictorial means, in other words “picture language”. It was invented by Otto Neurath,  an Austrian who was one of the leading figures of the Vienna Circle influencing 20th century philosophy.

History

Before Otto Neurath, there was Gerd Arntz. Gerd Arntz was an artist that generally used black and white wood and lino cuts to create isolated characters without any text to guide the viewers. Thereby designing more of pictograms that contributed to the formation of isotype.

Principles of Isotype

“larger quantities were to be displayed by repetition of the same symbol and not enlargement of that symbol, as that was less accurate and more difficult to understand.”

Languages being transmitted to image makes it an easier way to understand and hence a universal language for all. These simplified pictures and are easier to remember and the short texts often provide a guide or a type of measure to quantity and scale of measure.

Horizontal arrangements are often preferred as compared to vertical or circular types of display. Colour was also used strategically and only for informative purposes instead of decorative purposes.

Modern Info graphics

Info graphics often uses the same principles as isotype but even more so with the varied use of text, information and data. It is an extension of isotype where it aims to do more than translate to universal language but be able to analyse trends and see patterns.

As the world becomes more complicated, the use of isotype evolves despite its basic principles still applied to the modern info graphics. With more information and content that is required to be relayed to the audience while ensuring higher retention rate, info graphics make use of varies arrangements to showcase as much information as possible. Despite isotypes minimizing the use of graphs and charts, they made their return in the use of info graphics.

Despite the little changes, the main purpose of info graphics is used for mass communication similar to isotypes that are early examples of info graphics conveying ideas and information quickly, ensuring that they are easily digested by the majority.

Change in Society Needs being reflected

From pictograms to isotype and to info graphics, the evolution of the three different yet similar modes of using imagery to convey a message suggests the different types of information our society looks for and how the society changes.

While pictogram often shows similarity to the object it represents, isotype focuses on using the representation for a greater purposes of showcasing a trend using image and info graphics combines the idea of text, statistical data and images together. The change suggests a surge in information that we must digest and put in while ensuring that it remains simplified. This poses as a challenge especially so for modern day context to create an impact and informative info graphic. At the same time, it also shows the growth in our society where we now understand not just images but also gaining the ability to identify patterns and at the same time to infer and define new trends.

 

References:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/exmgwz/isotype-the-proto-infographic-you-probably-didnt-know-existed
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/neurath/
The Isotype revolution

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerd_Arntz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictogram
https://www.informaticsinc.com/blog/2014/5-tips-creating-effective-infographic/amp