INSPIRATION

In modern days, technology is changing the life-style of society. The impact is not within a specific region but world-wide. Mobile phones, digital devices and the Internet provide many new communication activities that are more visual-dominated. Icons, emoticons and symbols have become buzz words especially amongst the younger generation. Consequently, The Rabbitfarm project attempted to simulate the possible future scenario of using visual imagery as a main language in communication, creating a new experience to the audiences.

The inspiration of this visual experimentation comes from isotype’s founder Otto Neurath. Neurath has a mission to make pictures the main stream of communication. He attempted to develop a visual system which aimed to be a language system to help reduce the gulf between nations and language groups. His attempts were not realised because society found them to be unacceptable. Neurath made several influential and inspiring statements which are significant considering modern visual system developments:

Pictures are a better means of communication than words.
(Neurath. From Hieroglyphics to Isotypes, 1945: 92)

Communication of knowledge through pictures will play an increasingly
large part in the future. (Neurath, 1945: 92)

This is the goal of Isotype: to communicate knowledge by visual means as widely
as possible and so help to reduce the gulf between nations and language group.
(Neurath, 1945: 100)