Prologue (Module 2)

Early in the first chapter, I was struck by the statements that discussed early drawings for communication. Here, ancient cave drawings were indicated as "the dawning of visual communication" (Meggs and Purvis, 2012, p. 7).  This reminds me of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), which is an important area of my field.  AAC is communication through means other than the voice (alternative communication).  For those who have some speech capability, but who are still difficult to understand in certain situations, AAC can be used to supplement the spoken word (augmentative communication). For many reading, their exposure to the subject may be rather limited; however, most people have at least heard of Stephen Hawking.  The famous physicist is perhaps the most well known AAC user in the world.

Stephen Hawking

Now, Hawking's communication device is not particularly related to the use of pictures for visual communication.  His device is simply a form of text-to-speech, where he uses a switch (a button or sensor that allows him to type with a body part other than his fingers) to write out the message that will be spoken by his computer (Hawking, n.d.).  I mention him, only to give the reader a point of reference for the concept of AAC.  Hawking's system would be considered high-tech AAC, as it includes the use of speech output and electronics.  Systems that do not use electronics are often referred to as low-tech.  The aforementioned quotation from the book reminded me of low-tech AAC  users, who often rely on the exchange of pictures or pointing to pictures in order to communicate (Communication Matters, 2013).  The centrality of pictures as a form of permanent communication in the ancient world relates to the centrality of picture use in symbolic communication for many AAC users.  Additionally, the history of pictures  as a springboard to the development of writing, parallels the way picture communication systems can facilitate the development of spoken language in children who exhibit speech delays (McDaniel, 2012).  Below, I used a common special education program, Boardmaker with Picture Communication Symbols (PCS), to demonstrate the progression of a child's growth in language complexity through picture communication.

Those of us who are very familiar with PCS symbols could usually interpret the meaning even without the word printed on the icon/picture.  However, the words are there so that communication partners who are unfamiliar with the system, and its symbols, are still able to understand the child's message (Communication Matters, 2013).  This is akin to our need, as new graphic design history students, for captions in order to understand the ancient examples of visual communication.  For both picture exchange systems and textbook examples, these printed explanations becoms more important as the symbols become more abstract. Someone unfamiliar with PCS symbols might easily interpret the "bird" symbol without the word, while demonstrating difficulty with "is" symbol without the printed word.  In the same sense, I easily identified the concrete examples of the fish and deer carved into the antler (Meggs and Purvis, 2012, p. 7-8, fig. 1-4).  However, without the captions as a guide, I certainly would have been unable to interpret the abstract symbols for the words "sheep" and "goat" in the early pictographs (Meggs and Purvis, 2012, p. 9, fig. 1-6).  Perhaps more parallels between ancient visual communication and present visual communication will be apparent as the text moves closer to modern times.

Works Cited

Communication Matters (2013). Low-tech Ways to use Symbol Systems. Retrieved from http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/page/low-tech-aac

Hawking, S.W. (n.d).  The Computer. Retrieved from http://www.hawking.org.uk/the-computer.html 

Mayer-Johnson (2009). Boardmaker Plus! (v.6) [computer software]. Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh.

McDaniel, J. (2012, April). No-Tech and Low-Tech AAC for Children with ASD. Retrieved from http://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_files/AACChildrenwithASD-April12.pdf

Meggs, P. B., & Purvis, A. W. (2012). Meggs' History of Graphic Design (5th ed.).  Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.