ericsson-siliconvalley:

Japanese Typography Gets Redesigned with Illustrations

Japanese designer Masaaki Hiromura combined Japanese typography (Kanji) with symbols.

In the Kitasenju Pictograms, specific portions of Kanji words are replaced with illustrations that the word embodies.

The redesigned words communicate the idea of the word, without a need for its readers to understand Japanese—making the words recognizable to both Japanese and non-Japanese speakers.

Hiromura designed the type “by looking at the meanings of each kanji letter”.

“The ideal signage system is the one which doesn’t need any signs,” he said.

“I always think about ‘how information is conveyed’ rather than ‘how to convey information’,” Hiromura said.

“The most important thing to achieve is not expression but to find out essence. I want to continue thinking about the relationship between information and people.”

Text From DesignTaxi