Someone’s Paralympic pictograms unveiled

Someone’s pictograms for the 2012 London Paralympic Games have been unveiled, following on from a set of pictograms the consultancy developed for the Olympic Games.

They are being launched today to mark 1000 days until the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games. The pictograms, which are visual representations of each of the 20 Paralympic sports and disciplines, will have a wayfinding role during the Games, and also help transform London from an Olympic to a Paralympic city.

Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee, says, ‘In 1000 days’ time we will be welcoming the Paralympic Games home and we will deliver a spectacular showcase for Paralympic sport. This is a golden opportunity to raise awareness of Paralympic sport, challenge stereotypes about disability and secure a legacy which will have every disabled child getting greater access to sport.’

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, says, ‘This is a major milestone in the history of the Paralympic movement as London prepares to stage the best ever Paralympics in 2012.’

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  • D.L November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    There are so many fantastically talented designers and illustrators specialising in information graphics it is such a shame these have turned out the way they have. They seem like such a compromise, sitting uncomfortable between pictogram and illustration. As with the Olympic set they are inconsistent, clumsy and above all hard to read. Who ever is commissioning the design for the Olympics need to really start using designers who are talented as opposed to firms that can afford to take them to nice restaurants and back up their middle of the road design with armies of consultants, account managers and strategists.

  • jez November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Many months later and still none of the Olympic stuff is grabbing my attention.
    Wasn’t the logo and identity supposed to grow on us?

  • jez November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Many months later and still none of the Olympic stuff is grabbing my attention.
    Wasn’t the logo and identity supposed to grow on us?

  • David November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    It is all so very, very disappointing. Design is an area in which we are supposed to dominate the world, yet we are being made to look a laughing stock. I cannot wait until this humiliation has ended. I hope that the jobsworths who have been appointed to run this sham are feeling smug in their over paid, over here positions. Once again ‘like the Millennium Dome fiasco’ the real creatives have been pushed aside into the sidelines to cringe in observation at this rubbish.

  • emily November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Sadly agree with all the above. Also in this current age of equality and with so many exciting female athletes, the literal quality of these pictograms result in being very masculine. The best thing about pictograms is the androgeny and uniformity, Mexico 68 for example;

    http://olympic-museum.de/pictograms/Picto1968.htm

  • Natasha Kojokari November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    I wonder if the rest of the pictograms will follow the same style of illustration (if i can call it that) I’m assuming they used the cut out graphics to symbolize their disabilities? which is evident in the table tennis pictogram, looks like half an arm is missing, wonder if this was intentional. Also how will the “Paralympic Swimming” differentiate from the “Swimming” pictogram. We will have to wait and see I guess…

  • sue turner November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Terrible. Just plain bad. Did anyone on the client-side take a look at what has gone before? It makes you wonder what kind of bollo*ks this stuff was sold with. It all gets worse with each revelation.

  • Cassie Pryce November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Just like the 2012 Olympics logo, I feel that the pictograms let down the side somewhat. There’s so much hype about the games, and so much pressure to achieve perfection; yet it seems to me that the design-work seems to not reflect this to the same level. The whole identity of the London Olympics will be represented by the visuals, and I feel we could certainly ‘up our game’ when it comes to this field.

    http://www.cassiepryce.co.uk
    http://www.cassiepryce.blogspot.com

  • james November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

    Yes, sadly, the pictograms seem to miss the mark. Given the enormously broad exposure they will have, these pictograms must, as a minimum requirement, be clear, androgonous and instantly informative. And given the huge pool of talented designers in the UK, they should be more than this. But they aren’t. There is something odd about the missing hand of the picto shown, and something inconsistent between the trike and the figure. As for the ‘shattered’ pieces thing -it is sharp, angular, unfriendly -outrageously awful. Please make the designers think harder -it’s not too late.

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