As someone who hopes to one day work in both graphic design and film, and maybe even web, it is my job to make sure that whatever products I create in any of these industries don’t send the wrong message to people from say a different culture than mine. Being from the US, we have many different meanings for various different things than other countries. Also, our signs and symbols might look like different signs and symbols elsewhere. In this blog, I am going to review the differences in color as well as hand gestures and signs that symbolize different things in different cultures.
Color: In the US, red symbolizes love and passion. In India however, it means purity. The red dots often worn by women are to symbolize purity, engagement or recent marriage, depending in the caste. In the US, yellow symbolizes hope and happiness, while in Japan it means courage. In Thailand, purple is the color of mourning, while in many western cultures, it has always meant royalty.
Hand gesture meanings: In Iran, a thumbs up is a very vulgar and rude sign. In Lebanon, raising a closed fist in the air is seen as rude, while in most American countries, including South America, that is seen as a victory gesture. In Egypt, to ask “will you sleep with me” of someone, you should take your two pointer fingers and put them together side by side. In America, someone might POSSIBLY think you were asking them on a date if you made such a gesture. MIGHT…
The most famous hand gesture of all though, is the “V” symbol. Many different cultures give it to say “f-off”, particularly in the UK and Australia. During a soccer (known to them as football) game, Victoria Beckham knew that she was getting a picture taken of her and her husband from behind. To flip off reporters, she gave them the V-Symbol right behind her husbands head.
Sources:
http://webdesign.about.com/od/color/a/bl_colorculture.htm
http://soc302.tripod.com/soc_302rocks/id6.html
http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/11/09/up-yours-louis-walsh-and-the-top-ten-celeb-v-sign-flashes-115875-21808843/