Symbol sourcebook
by Henry Dreyfuss · first published 1972
6mentions
1recommended by
6HN commenters
2013–2026first – last mentioned
17% recommend83% neutral
This book is an authoritative guide to international graphic symbols.
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If you are into industrial and globalized signage / semiotics, do yourself a favor and check out the Symbol Sourcebook -- https://www.amazon.com/Symbol-Sourcebook-Authoritative-Inter... Some of the symbolism they use for computer operations are fascinating
on “Typography of “Alien” (2014)” ↗I have by my desk Henry Dreyfuss's Symbol Sourcebook [1972 edition]. It contains symbols he collected over a lifetime - he died in '72. Rococo is the fad [Perlis says it comes before rubble]. Flat design dominates when clear communication becomes more important…
on “Flat design is great for mediocre designers like me” ↗There is an exhibit right now at the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum in NYC about the work of Henry Dreyfuss did with his Symbol Sourcebook (https://www.cooperhewitt.org/channel/give-me-a-sign/) which heavily influenced the design of most symbols we use today, including this one. You can view most of the exhibit online: https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/exhibitions/2318807647/…
on “The evolution of the On/Off power switch symbol” ↗I don't know, and I'd love to. If I had to guess, I'd guess Henry Dreyfuss's Symbol Sourcebook. It was published in 1972, and it seems plausibly the sort of book someone like Susan Kate might have had to hand in the early '80s. https://www.societyofsigns.com/projects/symbol-sourcebook
on “Swedish Campground (2004)” ↗Interesting. The left side of the slide at 15:43 in the video is definitely from page 27 of Symbol Sourcebook, but the detail of the ⌘ symbol doesn’t seem to be: not only could I not find the symbol, but also its caption (“FEATURE”) is set in Helvetica rather than Univers as used in the book.
on “Swedish Campground (2004)” ↗…dwarf/goblin/dragon/water/grass/etc sprites and so has to decide upon a stand-in. I can't find anything pointing directly to her using heraldic patterning, but it seems her primary reference was Henry Dreyfuss’s Symbol Sourcebook (1972) [limitted preview on archive.org, full available for sale and elsewhere]. And while the book does not specifically feature heraldry or the hatching specifically, several of the examples in the…
on “Hatching (Heraldry)” ↗