By Erica and Karen

Symbols have been with us since we arrived on earth. We need to understand how they work, for and against us.

One person who can explain them to us is Debbie Millman. If you don’t know who Debbie Millman is and what her podcasts are, you should. Millman is a well known design critic--design in the broadest sense. Her podcast series is called Design Matters. The podcasts not about decorating or fashion. They’re smart interviews about the power of ideas and ideals. 

Millman struck a chord with us at the Ted Women conference when she spoke about the history of brands. She discussed how a symbol can be used as the manifestation of an idea, and as a catalyst for change—good or bad. She made us think differently. About history, the world, and how symbols can play a part if the kind of world we, as older women, want to inhabit. 

Symbols and brands are, of course, nothing new. Religions have invoked them for thousands of years both to congregate around ideas and to fly the flag in battle. Christians--the Cross. Jews--the Star of David. Muslims--the crescent moon and star. Hindus--the aum and the swastika. These symbols were manifestations of, and rallying cries for, belief systems. They were created by believers to unite other people with similar beliefs.

The swastika, about which Millman has a most provocative podcast, was an appropriated symbol. It had been used for over 5,000 years in various eastern religions. Its history was hijacked by Hitler, and its meaning became evil. Hitler misappropriated the Star of David too-not to represent the Nazis, but to signify that the Jews were of a lower order and should be cast out. 

The swastika will never recover. The Star of David became a symbol of courage. Understanding how that happened is critical to understanding many things going on in the world today. 

Of course, symbols are now employed by corporations, to sell products and services. Where the use of symbols by movements is bottom up, corporate use is top down. The best ones, like the Nike swoosh or the Coca Cola typeface, represent an idea as well as a product. Nike is selling movement, as well as shoes. Coca Cola is selling a vision of America, as well as a drink. ATT is selling innovation as well as forms of communication. 

But the bottoms up use of symbols remains strong. Pink pussy hats for the Women’s March. A raised black fist for Black Lives Matter. The rainbow for LGBTQ rights. 

Do symbols work? Millman says a convincing yes. Symbols unite. They bring together people who have a common vision of the world they want to live in. They motivate.  They convert. 

So why do we care? Because we need to understand the power of symbols, and we need to think about how to use them to move forward and to make our world better.