Using Symbols and Icons in Localization

Products designed for global markets have come to rely on the use of icons and symbols to communicate effectively with international markets. This practice has increased throughout all product assets including: user interfaces, packaging and labeling, documentation, and marketing materials. Through these graphical communications, developers and graphic designers are creating new sets of communications mediums that are transcending traditional verbal language, creating a set of localization issues that are not merely linguistic, but semiotic.