Q. What’s the difference between a sign and a symbol? 

A. Both signs and symbols are a form of visual messaging with images. A sign, like the road sign below, provides quick visual information, in this case, telling a driver that a curvy road is ahead. A symbol communicates ideas that are more complex and may be abstract, like the laurel branches above which symbolize peace.

You probably run across symbols everyday and understand the complex meanings they carry without having to think through them.

This seems like a good place to take a moment to talk about primary shapes (circle, triangle, square). Both symbols and signs are often easy to understand, in part, because they frequently reference primary shapes. Donis Dondis discusses the vocabulary of primary shapes in, A Primer of Visual Literacy. According to Dondis, basic shapes have significant meaning based on line direction and our need for visual stability (essential to human survival since we must stand vertically on a horizontal plane to interact successfully with the world). Based on line direction, the circle is associated with continuity, warmth, protection, encompassment; the square with stability and balance; and the triangle with instability since it is tipped and off-balance. The wreath above is based on the circle; the road sign is triangular; and the red cross, below, is based on the perfect square. The meaning of these symbols (and sign) is consistent with our intuitive associations with these fundamental shapes.