dot core

Gender Neutral Symbol

ICON DESIGN

“It’s time that we all see gender as a spectrum instead of two sets of opposite ideals.”

—Emma Watson

A non-conformist solution

The design of a gender neutral icon has posed a challenge for a long time as the symbol needs to be a universal one that embraces a diverse set of people with respect. We studied varied expressions that have been generated over time, and found that none had quite hit the mark. Many were also unacceptable as a democratic representation. Since these past symbols did not offer any authentic representation of the gender-neutral community, we felt they were inadequate as references in the process of creating a new symbol.

We took a fresh path to create a pictogram that is relevant, truly inclusive and respectful. Importantly, we wanted to make a humane symbol at par with the prevalent male and female icons. We adopted the circle into the symbol to make it both universal and exclusive, at the same time with a clear differentiator.

Anatomy of the icon

We retained the head and body as the primary recognizable features of the human figure. The binary elements were eliminated to render an inclusive pictogram that is non-conformist. To ensure clarity, the use of the new icon in India will be accompanied by the text ‘Gender Neutral’ in both English and Hindi. This emphasis on Gender Neutral is intentional: it caters to all people who identify themselves as binary, non-binary, transgender, agender, genderqueer, pangender, gender non-conformist and others. The dot in the centre signifies every individual’s choice, and therefore, gives open representation to varied gender entities. Our simple and unique design ensures an immediate memory imprint, high recall value and universal acceptance.

Asset-10

Lopez Design has come up with a superbly designed proposal for labelling gender-neutral WCs. Derived from the existing male & female icons, the new sign does away with the binary elements that affect only the lower half. The upper half has been retained, making the accustomed form more recognisable. A dot in the middle makes the new sign an icon in its own right. Although an additional written note regarding the gender-neutral meaning is still recommended in the beginning, the sign was so clear and simple that the public learning process means that an explanation will become less and less necessary over time since the sign is self-explanatory. A strong inclusive contribution.

Team

Era Namjoshi
Namita Jain
Mohan Godwal
Anshul Kapoor
Anthony Lopez

 

© 2023 Lopez Design Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved

View