2D surfaces and meaning

Delivering experiences in two dimensions is the principal realm of graphic design, typography, and software user interfaces for the web and mobile apps.

The origin of the word "graphic" is from the ancient Greek, "graphe", meaning writing and drawing--two means of communication that are executed on and are experienced via surfaces--may they be pages of a magazine, the screen of a smartphone, or the fabric of a dress. The brain is capable of making sense out of the markings on those surfaces, and a common cultural agreement on the meaning of the various markings, makes it possible to distribute compact messages that can be understood by wide audiences.

Tradition is extremely important to the development of typography and graphic design. Until 200-300 years ago, most people were illiterate. Reading and writing were limited to a relatively few people, mostly men who were members of the upper classes or clergy. And so there has been a gap between written and verbal language...