Proliferation of imagery.

How do you think the proliferation of imagery in the world at large, has changed the way people think and/or process information? I believe that in some ways, the art of visual communication is coming full circle. Think about this, the earliest written languages, such as those developed by the Sumarians, were made up of easily recognizable and universal symbols. These universal images were used in order for people of various linguistic capabilities to be able communicate with each other in a non verbal way.

Once again, thousands of years later, it is becoming more and more important for people of various linguistic capabilities to be able to communicate. Todays reasons are certainly different from those of the Sumarians, yet the techniques are still very similar. Today, people from every corner of the earth are exposed to one another's cultures on a daily basis. Hundreds of languages are spoken by travelers, business people, and humanitarians that need to be able to understand the basics when they are away from home.

Another important factor in todays visual communication is in advertising and product branding for a global market. Each and every day, more and more products and companies are being exported globally. If these products and companies hope to thrive or even survive in a global market, they absolutely have to have a universal recognizability and appeal. I've only scratched the surface here, but as you can see, visual communication through imagery is perhaps more important now than ever. Has imagery made a global community possible or has the global community pushed the proliferation of imagery?