A new series of pictogram-based infographics shows cultural and social differences between men and women’s thinking and behavior. Man Meets Woman is a series of simple pictograms by Beijing-born, Berlin-based designer Yang Liu that address gender issues in a lighthearted, yet eye-opening way.
Simple illustrations on green and pink backgrounds dividing the ‘male’ world from the ‘female’, underscore important social elements in society like the perception of self, expression of opinions, and mood. These informative and concise pictures seem to be more useful than many articles on psychology; however, fun as they are, it would not be unfair to say they often veer into hackneyed stereotyping. Indeed, some might call them sexist.
“We are living in an age of constant social change, in which the subject of the sexes, in particular, is rapidly evolving in people’s consciousness,” Liu writes. “Each new generation re-assesses and questions the role models currently in place. … It is interesting to see how Man/Woman clichés have indeed changed in our daily lives and to what extent the attributes that were assigned to the sexes in the past, often centuries ago, are still relevant in today’s society. And to consider which desirable role models are already rooted in our thinking but are still in the process of transformation.”
A complete book of the graphics will be released in October by Taschen. The publishing house states: “Combining age-old stereotypes with topical discrepancies, this fresh approach to the roles and relationships of men and women is above all an effort to synthesize a notoriously thorny issue into a fun and refreshing graphic form, and so to lighten and enlighten our mutual understanding and tolerance.”
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