A few months back DnA met Edward Boatman and Sofya Polyakov (above), the creators, with Scott Thomas, of The Noun Project. That’s a web site and app that aggregates, catalogs and curates pictograms created and uploaded by designers from all over the world, for use by anyone that wishes to download them.
Now they’ve created this T-shirt to support KCRW, featuring black and white line drawings of some of LA’s architectural icons, including the Hollywood Bowl, the Eames House, the Theme Building at LAX, Norms and many other beloved buildings. Your last chance to purchase one of a very limited run of these T-shirts is Wednesday, November 18 — today!
These are just a sampling of 100,000 symbols assembled by the Noun Project, depicting masses of “nouns” (from hundreds of variants on a tree to child soldiers and drones) as well as concepts and adjectives (“too loud” is one, for example).
The icons were intended for architects and designers needing symbols for trees, people, bicycles and so on for their presentation drawings. As time wore on, the creators found their symbols had wide appeal; users include teachers wanting to make presentations to students, doctors needing visual aides for patients unable to communicate their ailments, and institutions including the United Nations.
The strength of a simple line drawing combining an idea and an icon was made evident in this Peace For Paris logo, above, that became an instant symbol of unity after its release by graphic designer Jean Jullien following the atrocities in France.
Find out more about the Noun Project in this DnA interview with co-founders Edward Boatman and Sofya Polyakov. Check out your knowledge of LA icons in the image below.
