An ideogram is a conventional image that represents an idea.
An ideogram is the conventional symbol or image that is used to represent an idea , without including words that mean it. Its economy, the speed with which it is perceived and the universality are the main characteristics of these elements.
The peace symbol consisting of a circle with three lines inside is an example of an ideogram. Nowhere in its structure does it include the term “peace” but, by convention and tradition, currently anyone who sees it can understand what it represents.
The yin and yang graphic , where black and white are combined, is another ideogram. In this case, the symbol allows the representation of the duality that Taoism attributes to what exists in the universe. Generally yin and yang are summarized in the expression “In everything bad there is something good and in everything good there is something bad.”
Differences between an ideogram and a pictogram
Many times confusion arises between this concept and the pictogram . While the ideogram is the representation of an idea, the pictogram uses a drawing to figuratively represent an image. A woman drawn on the door of a bathroom is a pictogram that indicates that said bathroom is for female use.
It should be noted that the notion of pictogram is also used to refer to the symbol used in certain languages that means a phrase, a word or a morpheme, but does not represent a phoneme or a syllable . In Chinese and Japanese, to mention two languages, ideograms of this type are used.
The yin and yang graph reflects the duality that, according to Taoism, exists in all elements of the universe.
Its importance in communication
Communication based on this type of symbols has its advantages and disadvantages. As mentioned in a previous paragraph, economy when drawing them is one of their clear advantages: in most cases, it is much easier and faster to draw an ideogram than to write the sentence to which it refers. If we return to the drawing of a woman on the door of a public bathroom, it goes without saying that this graphic is considerably simpler and requires fewer strokes than the phrase "Bathroom for the exclusive use of women."
Another advantage of ideograms is that they can be learned and understood by people of all ages and, much more importantly, from all over the world regardless of the language they speak. Linguistic differences are one of the least possible barriers for our species to penetrate, and this can make an experience abroad especially difficult for someone who wants to build a better future through work and effort. There are many cases of immigrants who do not know a word of the local language, but it is at least possible for them to understand certain signs thanks to the use of ideograms.
In the case of children, since they generally learn to read and write by the time they are five years old, their first relationship with written language usually occurs through logos and ideograms . It is common for very young children to recognize the logos of their favorite brands before they can read, even if they are made up of words.
Some disadvantages of using ideograms
On the other hand, there are the disadvantages of ideograms. Although it may seem contradictory to what was expressed above, in the absence of knowledge of a given ideogram it may be easier to understand the sentence to which it refers.
Let us not forget that not all of them are of international use and that some may be very typical of a particular region: if we arrive in a foreign country whose language we speak quite fluently but we do not know an ideogram that has recently become fashionable , it is likely that We do not understand it even if we know how to say the phrase it represents.