Clever Pictogram Images Show the Values We All Live By

If you could boil down the values we all live by into simple, easy to understand images, what would that look like? London-based designer Genis Carreras's latest series answers this very question. Carreras first came under our radar with his Philographics project, where he took complicated philosophical theories, like Existentialism and Idealism, and turned them into simple shapes. Philographics became UK's most funded graphic design project ever on Kickstarter, earning 65,217, which was well over its goal of 15,000.

Now, Carreras plays with the art of pictograms, turning universal values like Love, Creativity, Curiosity and Friendship into cleverly designed cards. The Values deck is a set of cards that makes visible the invisible drivers of human behavior. Included within are 58 value cards with identical backs for use in games, exercises and activities, 6 activity cards that feature games to play with friends, and 6 fact cards, that offer information on the different sets of values.

Carreras created the series in collaboration with the Public Interest Research Centre (PIRC). It is based on the psychological research of Professor Shalom H. Schwartz. “This research shows that we are all driven by surprisingly similar things, but differ in how we prioritize them.” The project was influenced by Otto Neurath and Gerd Arntz, pioneers of information design.

“Thanks to the various activity cards included in the deck, this product is not just a beautiful piece of design but also a useful tool, with diagrams, explanations and exercises that can help people get a better understanding of themselves, their communities and their society,” writes Carreras.

You can read more about this project over on Kickstarter. Though he's already surpassed his goal of 10,000, Carreras is aiming to reach 20,000 to unlock new rewards for all the backers.

Now, courtesy of the designer, here's a sample of the series.

Values on Kickstarter

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