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A modular icon system that embeds accessibility features into a unified visual language. The set replaces fragmented, outdated symbols with clear pictograms that work across digital and physical media. Instead of treating inclusivity as an afterthought, the work embeds it into the core design language.
Addressing the lack of coherent iconography for disabled people, it seeks to create a universal set of pictograms that communicate inclusive services and accessibility features consistently across websites, apps, signage, and printed media.
At first I examined existing icon systems, including Olympic pictograms from Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968, and Munich 1972, and the work of Otl Aicher, whose strict geometric rules provided a scalable foundation. Susan Kare’s playful, pictorial Apple icons offered an alternative emphasis on immediate recognizability.
Established accessibility symbols such as wheelchair and hearing icons were noted as recognizable yet visually outdated and inconsistent in style. This highlighted a tension between learned symbols and intuitively understandable icons, and underscored the role of context in meaning.
The idea was to develop a coherent icon system built on recurring elements and a universal visual language, while integrating playfulness and approachability. The aim is to shift accessibility icons from functional add‑ons to integral parts of the communication system, combining established symbols with newly designed ones, and delivering a scalable, contemporary aesthetic suitable for both digital and physical environments.
The outcome is a modular, scalable icon system based on a strict 32×32 grid and uniform stroke weight. Recurring elements such as ears, speech waves, and document shapes are reused and recombined to ensure visual coherence across categories. The set integrates established accessibility symbols (wheelchair, hearing, visual impairment) with newly created pictograms (easy language, audio formats, inclusive communication).
Icons function across interfaces, signage, and print, maintaining legibility at various scales. The system reframes accessibility as a natural component of the visual language rather than an afterthought. Challenges included balancing the recognizability of long‑standing symbols with formal consistency, and using modular elements without sacrificing distinctiveness.
