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What makes these beautiful to you? Such stark, spare design is not what I personally consider beautiful. Educational and clear? Sure. Beautiful? I don't think s

• dredmorbius 10y ago
  Design should serve its purpose. Here, the purpose is to clearly and effectively convey that there are hazards which can maim or kill. And the design has to both convey that message and not get in the way of it. As models of effective, and yet elegant design, I think they're worth studying. The general concept of messaging and how various systems for it work is a quite general one. E.O. Wilson in his book Letters to a Young Scientist talks of his own work with ants, and in determining that danger signals were small, light, volatile molecules -- they spread quickly and dispersed relatively quickly (no use in spreading alarm after the danger's passed), but might also be detected by other species (not a real concern -- alarm is alarm). More complex messages -- food trails or colony identity, were larger, more complex molecules, which didn't spread so far (you don't want your "the trail is this way" signs pointing off in all directions or getting moved to where they don't belong), and are more specific to species (no use telling the competition where the gold is buried). It's something of a molecular grammar. There are times for highly ornate graphics. There are times for something blunt and to the point. Knowing when (and how) to use either is the mark of an accomplished graphic artist.