Interaction of Symbols

Interaction of Symbols is a book for everyone engaged with icon design. It presents a theory of how icons work: symbols in an icon interact to evoke meaning. From this theory flow design principles and practices based on evidence from Design and other disciplines such as Psychology, Perception, and Cognition. The theory, principles, and practices impact how all symbol-based communications are conceived, designed, and applied.

The book focuses on icons that elicit a concept without any previous training or use of language. Findings from twenty years? worth of empirical design research studies explore, illustrate, and support each principle, process, and recommendation. The book begins with a review of icon research from various fields before laying a conceptual foundation that grounds the theory of the book. After and elaborating on that theory are chapters that demonstrate how to Establish Contexts to Guide Comprehension, Glean Which Symbols to Draw, Learn How to Draw Understandable Symbols, Clarify Metaphor, and Use Icons to Decipher Icons in Icon Systems. Written and carefully designed for a broad audience, the book?s scholarly level is elevated while the presentation is approachable. Scholar or professional can skim, scan, or dig, it?s up to them.

Heavily illustrated and supported with ample citations, it is not only a book for students and professionals within the field of communication design, but also for anyone who communicates with visual symbols, from healthcare professionals to software engineers, affecting all kinds of graphic communications from advertisements to assembly instructions.

"This glorious project positions the word muse in the larger word amusing. Nigel?s modesty and the extent of the publications and innovations that he has brought uniquely to the profession of graphic design, information design, information architecture, explanation design and illustration is certainly enough to put him in the pantheon of the finest graphic designers of the late 20th and now the 21st century. He is one of my muses."

-Richard Saul Wurman, Architect, Graphic Designer, Author, and Founder of TED

"This is essential reading for information professionals, academics and students. Arguments about the way that information should be presented have been going on for decades. This subject resonates with anyone in the field, professional or academic. When presenting information, the balance between a serious approach and a lighter one is always a factor. It is all about engaging the intended audience. "

-John Grimwade, School of Visual Communication, Ohio University, USA

"Nigel Holmes has helped shape the standards of modern infographics like no other. His infographics are easily accessible, well-structured and - of course - fact-based.?Nigel's body of work spans all types of infographics: charts, factual representations, and maps. They are memorized quickly and their information can be remembered accurately: this is mainly because they are designed to be light-hearted, humorous and confident. How Nigel plans, develops and designs infographics is a lesson par excellence. That's why Nigel Holmes' infographic work is not only required reading for my students: Understanding Nigel's approach to infographic design and his infographics' internal structure must be understood by my students in order to pass the course. This book will be in our library."

-Michael Stoll, Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany"

Nigel?s fantastic work feeds the need to learn from the past in order to create more work like this today. It is a fantastic guide that informs as much as it entertains."

-Jason Forrest, Editor-in-Chief, Nightingale: the journal of the Data Visualization Society

"One of the best things with Nigel?s graphics is his approach, the stories are always smart and contemporary, with a good balance of information and humor. Readers will be inspired to read information in this positive way." 

-Fernando Gomez Baptista, National Geographic

"Few things are as important for designers now as being able to effectively translate big data into memorable, meaningful, and concise graphics. Nigel Holmes has spent decades fostering human connection and understanding through joyful infographics. In this book, he applies his world-renowned brainy and playful approach to teach the next generation of graphic communicators how to master his craft."

-Amanda Hostalka, Dean, School of Design, Stevenson University, USA

"I am a huge fan of Nigel Holmes? ability to infuse joy and humanity into science graphics. He even managed to inject life into an explanatory diagram about group theory and the mathematical underpinnings of symmetry, providing brilliant design details that acted as a welcoming gesture for folks new to the topic."

-Jen Christiansen, senior graphics editor, Scientific American

"Sign and symbol languages appear to be enjoying a 21st century renaissance as part of the expanding universe of digital data visualization. New ways of presenting the floods of data on literally everything has made it necessary to increase data literacy. What better way than through humor? Who better than the data viz pioneer, Nigel Holmes?" -Steven Heller, Author, co-chair MFA Design, School of Visual Arts, USA

"Nigel Holmes is terrific."

?Tim Harford, Author, Senior Columnist, Financial Times