Cesco Reale

co-presenters Aiman Amine and Julie Blanchard

“IKON, language of icons: linguistic, graphic guidelines and ludic communication”

Icons have become essential in making digital interfaces user-friendly, aiding navigation in public spaces, enhancing healthcare communication, and supporting those with language impairments. They form a clear visual language that can surpass the limitations of words. The development of a structured icon system like IKON facilitates the creation of an international, cross-cultural language, blending elements of linguistics, graphic design, and IT. IKON employs culturally neutral signifiers and design elements to represent concepts and actions, improving understanding across different languages.

IKON's design uses visual contrasts and associations, such as exclamation points for commands, thought bubbles for mental processes, and arrows for actions, along with newer icons that clarify changes in states or processes. This addresses ambiguities in current user interfaces, like whether an icon on a button shows the current state or the state to be achieved.

Furthering our exploration of IKON, we discuss its application in scenarios like dentist-patient interactions and introduce Ludikon, a game designed to facilitate playful learning of IKON. This approach acknowledges that communication is inherently imperfect and proposes using icons in a less formal, more engaging context to ease language barriers. This presentation emphasizes the potential of a systematic iconic language in bridging the gaps between visual and verbal communication.

https://www.widgit.com/success-stories/tourism-leisure-arts/net.htm

Biography
Cesco Reale Scientific Communicator and founder of KomunIKON
Laura Meloni Linguist at KomunIKON
Aiman Amine Visual Identity Designer and Chief Graphic Designer at KomunIKON 
Julie Blanchard Graphic Designer at KomunIKON, PhD student in Ludic Communication (Universités Lorraine et Montpellier)

Biography IKON

IKON, language of icons: linguistic analysis, graphic guidelines and ludic communication

We present IKON, an iconic language designed to be international and cross cultural, as much as possible. We delve into IKON's visual system, at the boundary between linguistics, graphic design and IT, integrating cultural, semantic, and semiotic elements. We discuss contrastiveness and association in IKON’s icons, as well as processual and stative/transformative icons, the role of speech and thought bubbles, and arrows. Finally, we will present LUDIKON, a quiz where participants have to guess sentences in IKON, and we will examine its role for ludic communication under a semio-pragmatic approach.