Brands, and the logos that represent them, are pervasive in our culture. In order for designers to prevent misunderstandings, as well as misuse, they must have a global awareness of the meaning of shapes. Despite diverse languages and cultures, symbols can transcend boundaries; for example, the arrow figure. In both Western and Eastern cultures, people perceive this configuration to mean direction. This research presents a survey of radial shapes by well-known brands using information design, and creates a guideline for branding as it relates to constructing meaning through shapes. I research and analyze the radial shape from different perspectives including Gestalt psychology, historical cultural meaning, and brands that use these marks today. 

 

 

The radial shape is not only ubiquitous, but has been used for many centuries. Ancient people believed in nature and worshiped an idol. Interestingly, many objects in nature consist of radial shape, so they conveyed meanings or deified natures such as suns, stars, or flowers. For example, in many centuries, they draw the shapes in their social environments or created ornaments, which have the shape because they believed that it would bring luck or happiness to their lives. Since they did not have enough information and knowledge, the phenomenon of nature may have been special to them. It is unknown who started to use the symbol first, but it has obviously been used in different areas by ancient people. Here are some radial symbols that have been used throughout the world.