Chapter 12Symbolism
Shapes can be symbolic in their use; whether that is to nudge occupants to ‘walk on’ instead of stand still, or nudge a specific behaviour to happen in a certain way or to symbolise and express themes such as constancy, movement or a sense of adventure. The effect of a shape will be symbolic due to resemblance of a natural or manmade item or because it has emotional weighting due to our association with it personally or historically.
Certain shapes and colours have different cultural links and symbolism, and further studies need to be conducted to record social norms around them that can assist designers working internationally to follow, or evolve within context, a culture specific design. For example, using dark green in ...
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