Graphic Design 2.2: Design Futures, Project 1: ‘Back to the Future’ Exercise 1
Exercise 1: Designs for Change
Based on your research so far, design a set of pictogrammes/symbols that can be used as screen and print based icons for each of the four industrial revolutions.
You will need to design four symbols for each of the industrial revolutions and your final design dimensions should be 512 x 512 pixels.
You will need to:
Research the design of pictogrammes, symbols, icons and signs in order to inform the initial development of ideas and visual concepts. Document your research in your learning log.
Generate a range of initial ideas that explore the abstraction and simplification of your visual elements in order to produce a clear, effective and scalable symbol.
Consider, explore and test a range of decisions relating to weight of line, colour, tone and composition before deciding on which of your visual concepts should be developed further
Once you have finalised your designs, post them to your learning log and evaluate your responses in relation to the examples you identified in your initial research from the start of the exercise.
Figure 9 shows a visual identity by ‘Out of Place Studio’ for The National Education Nature Park. The icons created for this identity are a perfect example of meaningful, simple, fun designs with a colour palette that only adds to the meaning of the designs.
I began this task by collating visual references of symbols, icons, logos and signs of various different styles and functions in order to have a broad set of visual inspiration to draw from.
Figure 15 is another visual identity I came across when researching which has some great pictographs/icons as well as colours and line work that I can take as inspiration.
Resources:
Figure 1: Siank (2020) Icons, pictograms and symbols, The Velvet Principle. The Velvet Principle Ltd. Available at: https://thevelvetprinciple.com/icons-pictograms-and-symbols/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 2: Boulevard beer hall – carpenter collective (no date) Carpentercollective.com. Available at: https://carpentercollective.com/project/boulevard-beer-hall/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 3: Behance (no date) Behance.net. Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/8299263/piktogram (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 4: (No date) Pinimg.com. Available at: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f8/30/b5/f830b584aa4cbedccab01c28f1329fc1.jpg (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 5: Packing and shipping symbols collection 6 (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/19492210988412857/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 6: (No date) Tumblr.com. Available at: https://yalegraphicdesign.tumblr.com/post/149549459818/lana-cavar-mfa-2006-and-narcissa-vukojevi%C4%87/amp (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 7: Andesigns (2019) Packaging Symbol Set vector image, VectorStock. Available at: https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/packaging-symbol-set-vector-23652626 (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 8: Sparebanken møre (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/158892693098483769/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 9: May, T. (2023) Out of Place Studio’s identity for nature education scheme hits all the right notes, Creative Boom. Available at: https://www.creativeboom.com/inspiration/out-of-place-studio-creates-playful-identity-for-the-national-education-nature-park/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 10: Bouldin Creek Cafe in 2025 (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/4081455907122634/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 11: (No date) Freepik.com. Available at: https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/handrawn-floral-graphic-element-collections_30137251.htm (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 12: (No date) Dribbble.com. Available at: https://dribbble.com/shots/24021353-Arbor-icons (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 13: Kindrove wholesome daycare (no date) Pinterest. Available at: https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/24418022975828935/ (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 14: Phthalo Ruth (no date) Phthalo Ruth. Available at: https://phthaloruth.com/?pp=1 (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
Figure 15: Behance (no date) Behance.net. Available at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/200096177/BLISS-Enhanced-Cacao (Accessed: July 27, 2025).
