In the news: CCAD adjunct talks symbols with Slate’s Future Tense

As climate change increasingly becomes a topic of concern, it’s been the subject of worldwide demonstrations, and many of the people at the protests have held signs with a striking symbol: Two triangles set inside a circle.

Designed by a London street artist by the name of Goldfrog ESP in 2011, the circle represents the earth, and the triangles represent an hourglass, a striking reminder that “time is rapidly running out for many species,” according to a website for the extinction symbol.

Slate’s Future Tense recently tapped Columbus College of Art & Design Advertising & Graphic Design Adjunct Faculty Oscar Fernández to critique the extinction symbol.

Fernández told Slate the extinction symbol has staying power because of its classical forms and because it can easily be easily reproduced and recognized.

Plus, he said, “I’m not sure what ESP was thinking, but there’s a cleverness of putting that hourglass in the circular life-giving shape of the earth—like there’s a disease implanted. If he was one of my students, I’d give him an A.” 

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