Its meaning has become so universal that major world religions such as Christianity and Judaism have used the symbol as the truest representation of peace, grace and divinity. The dove is often associated with peace, tranquility and grace. Visual communicators of all types can use the symbol to foreshadow death and disaster or create an atmosphere of doom and gloom. The symbolism of ravens is so common that modern audiences identify it with a bad omen. The narrative poem “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe is one of the most notorious examples of the use of this mysterious and macabre bird, which is often associated with its cousin, the crow.Īs an animal that feeds on dead bodies, the raven has cemented itself as a sign of death and doom in the human psyche. To help you create meaningful content that triggers the right associations in your audience, here are 40 symbols all storytellers should be familiar with.

Whether you're a designer, a filmmaker or a writer, all communicators must resort to symbolism to communicate a message. After all, who doesn't immediately associate an owl with wisdom, a dove with peace or a red rose with romance? Some symbols, however, have become so ingrained within our cultural sphere that they carry an almost universal meaning. Whether it’s in the stars, drawn on a cave wall or in the newest visual content, we add such meaning to our communication through the use and interpretation of signs.īecause we look for meaning in everything around us, anything can become a symbol as long as people interpret it to mean something other than its literal definition. Symbolism, or semiotics as it’s known in technical circles, plays such a large part in human communication because people are constantly looking for deeper meaning. Why Are Symbols Important in Graphic Design? Create visual summaries like this in minutes with this drag-and-drop tool.

Serenity symbol vector image