Isotype

アイソタイプ / 1920s–1940s / Layout / Information Design

Translates quantity into repeated same-size symbols, making comparison readable before language.

Unified pictograms / Repetition of signs / Axes of comparison / Restricted color

Dictionary entry

Best used for: Statistics comparable without expertise · Basic guidance and education across languages
Type: Short labels and clear figures; prose stays outside the chart
Composition: Fix the unit per symbol; show change by count, never by size
Material: Few meaningful colors, equal line weights, aligned baselines
Caution: Never scale one big symbol to show a difference. Always show unit, base and source.
Further study: Otto Neurath / Gerd Arntz / Marie Neurath