Comments on: Is this the next language icon? http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/ Adventures in Web Globalization Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:16:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Frank http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-38371 Frank Fri, 19 Feb 2010 10:11:14 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-38371 There are issues not being dealt with: a) There are locations where multiple languages exist within political boundaries - in Spain, you have official Castilian "Spanish", but you also have "Catalan", "Galego" and "Euskera". So, tying the visual iconography to a map or global representation is going to get muddy. b) People are going global, and languages are spoken in various locations. So, even if there IS a visual representation of language linked to a geographical locale, whether its a globe or a tree or a cup of coffee, you still have to decide to which geographic location to indicate for each language. Would English be the US or the UK or Canada or Jamaica or Belize or whatever? c) OK, the icon selected looks like a floppy (and true, most kids don't remember floppies), but that doesn't kill the concept if everyone agrees that now it represents a language choice. What kills the concept for me is the use of variations in colour that are too minute to detect in some cases. Also, it's easy for each individiual to remember his/her colour code, but I'm not a mariner, I don't want to remember 200 colour combos if I'm designing. There are issues not being dealt with:
a) There are locations where multiple languages exist within political boundaries – in Spain, you have official Castilian “Spanish”, but you also have “Catalan”, “Galego” and “Euskera”. So, tying the visual iconography to a map or global representation is going to get muddy.
b) People are going global, and languages are spoken in various locations. So, even if there IS a visual representation of language linked to a geographical locale, whether its a globe or a tree or a cup of coffee, you still have to decide to which geographic location to indicate for each language. Would English be the US or the UK or Canada or Jamaica or Belize or whatever?
c) OK, the icon selected looks like a floppy (and true, most kids don’t remember floppies), but that doesn’t kill the concept if everyone agrees that now it represents a language choice. What kills the concept for me is the use of variations in colour that are too minute to detect in some cases. Also, it’s easy for each individiual to remember his/her colour code, but I’m not a mariner, I don’t want to remember 200 colour combos if I’m designing.

]]> By: Dave http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-34264 Dave Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:36:57 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-34264 I think the languageicon.org people might be trolling web developers: http://languageicon.blogspot.com/2009/02/flag-as-symbol-of-language-stupidity-or.html They offered up a 1997 article that says "It is usually bad practice to use images as anchors of links" as supporting the use of this icon. I think the languageicon.org people might be trolling web developers:
http://languageicon.blogspot.com/2009/02/flag-as-symbol-of-language-stupidity-or.html

They offered up a 1997 article that says “It is usually bad practice to use images as anchors of links” as supporting the use of this icon.

]]> By: OMC Design Studios http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-28517 OMC Design Studios Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:30:28 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-28517 why don't you submit your design ideas to omcdesign@gmail.com .. I am not a strict guy, we will have a PR campaign for the icon after we finalize it, but this is what we have atm. and globe or map is totally out of question because come on it is select region, it is nothing to do with languages, also when you say it, I agree it looks like a floppy.. but if it can be a tree, it can be a floppy? and the new generation do not know floppies anyway. a talking mouth or tongue would be way better then globe, what we had in mind was to have a mouth (the square) and the tongue (the inner square).. well I will work on it when have more time, thanks for the feedback :) why don’t you submit your design ideas to omcdesign@gmail.com .. I am not a strict guy, we will have a PR campaign for the icon after we finalize it, but this is what we have atm. and globe or map is totally out of question because come on it is select region, it is nothing to do with languages, also when you say it, I agree it looks like a floppy.. but if it can be a tree, it can be a floppy? and the new generation do not know floppies anyway. a talking mouth or tongue would be way better then globe, what we had in mind was to have a mouth (the square) and the tongue (the inner square).. well I will work on it when have more time, thanks for the feedback :)

]]> By: Jen Hofer http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-26760 Jen Hofer Wed, 29 Apr 2009 04:04:28 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-26760 How about a very simple map compass image? It's mappy without being specifically tied to a place, and is universally recognized. If you're interested, check out my post: http://webglobalization.lionbridge.com/2009/04/28/language-icons/. How about a very simple map compass image? It’s mappy without being specifically tied to a place, and is universally recognized. If you’re interested, check out my post: http://webglobalization.lionbridge.com/2009/04/28/language-icons/.

]]> By: Zac Craven http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-26705 Zac Craven Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:15:11 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-26705 Disagree with the Tree idea, too obscure (sorry). How about two characters next to each other, such as a regular "A" character followed by the German one "Ä" Something like this: AÄ or A->Ä I also think the Globe idea is fine because language is almost always tied to location. Disagree with the Tree idea, too obscure (sorry).

How about two characters next to each other, such as a regular “A” character followed by the German one “Ä”

Something like this:

AÄ

or

A->Ä

I also think the Globe idea is fine because language is almost always tied to location.

]]> By: Don Osborn http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-26495 Don Osborn Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:47:33 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-26495 Interesting post and replies. Hi Daniel, As you know, the speech bubble is used in similar concerns also such as localization - Translate.org.za is among them. Another possibility might be a tree - as in tree of language, or palaver tree (or in Indian mythology, a speaking tree). The idea of a tree image figured prominently in the National Museum of Language's contest for design of a flag for language(s). Interesting post and replies.

Hi Daniel, As you know, the speech bubble is used in similar concerns also such as localization – Translate.org.za is among them.

Another possibility might be a tree – as in tree of language, or palaver tree (or in Indian mythology, a speaking tree). The idea of a tree image figured prominently in the National Museum of Language’s contest for design of a flag for language(s).

]]> By: Daniel Yacob http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-26494 Daniel Yacob Thu, 23 Apr 2009 18:20:39 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-26494 Before reading the posts here I arrived at the same thought as James -that of the speech bubble. Within or without characters inside its much more intuitive than the proposed icon which has no discernible mnemonic association with speech or language. Before reading the posts here I arrived at the same thought as James -that of the speech bubble. Within or without characters inside its much more intuitive than the proposed icon which has no discernible mnemonic association with speech or language.

]]> By: Tuxster http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-26479 Tuxster Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:02:48 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-26479 Well, this just doesn't make sense. And I think they realize it doesn't make sense either. Their only explanation for why they use this icon: "because it doesn't mean anything else". Huh? First of all, I agree with you that it looks like a floppy. So, that already kills their argiment. Next, how about finding something that actually will remind people about cultures and languages? I don't think it should be a random globe or a map, but a stylized and simplified globe would certainly work much better than this icon. Well, this just doesn’t make sense. And I think they realize it doesn’t make sense either. Their only explanation for why they use this icon: “because it doesn’t mean anything else”. Huh? First of all, I agree with you that it looks like a floppy. So, that already kills their argiment. Next, how about finding something that actually will remind people about cultures and languages? I don’t think it should be a random globe or a map, but a stylized and simplified globe would certainly work much better than this icon.

]]> By: James http://www.globalbydesign.com/blog/2009/04/23/is-this-the-next-language-icon/comment-page-1/#comment-26476 James Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:18:06 +0000 http://www.globalbydesign.com/?p=1563#comment-26476 I agree with you on all your points... yes it's a good idea, and yes it's something we need, but unfortunately as an icon it just doesn't work. The globe is good for regional content but if you're presenting different languages to local users it doesn't work. For language-specific content (not country/region) I think something like speech bubbles/different characters (i.e. a combination of Asian, latin etc.) probably works best. I agree with you on all your points… yes it’s a good idea, and yes it’s something we need, but unfortunately as an icon it just doesn’t work. The globe is good for regional content but if you’re presenting different languages to local users it doesn’t work. For language-specific content (not country/region) I think something like speech bubbles/different characters (i.e. a combination of Asian, latin etc.) probably works best.

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