Creating a New Language for Nutrition: McDonald’s Universal Icons for 109 countries. Part 1. Globalization Translation agencies


Creating a New Language for Nutrition: McDonald’s Universal Icons for 109 countries. Part 1.


Creating a New Language for Nutrition:
McDonald’s Universal Icons for 109 countries. Part 2.
_________________________________________________________________


We present to you part one of a 2 part case study about the McDonald’s Corporation’s development of universal icons. As an ever-developing industry, most of us think about the language barriers everyday, but few of us deal with the concept of icons. Develop- ing pictures that are meaningful in over 100 countries and have no hidden meanings is a tricky task. In this case study we will see how McDonald’s develops pack- aging icons with the help of a linguistic iconographer and the challenges they met along the way.


We present to you part one of a 2 part case study about the McDonald’s Corporation’s development of universal icons. As an ever-developing industry, most of us think about the language barriers everyday, but few of us deal with the concept of icons. Develop- ing pictures that are meaningful in over 100 countries and have no hidden meanings is a tricky task. In this case study we will see how McDonald’s develops pack- aging icons with the help of a linguistic iconographer and the challenges they met along the way.


We present to you part one of a 2 part case study about the McDonald’s Corporation’s development of universal icons. As an ever-developing industry, most of us think about the language barriers everyday, but few of us deal with the concept of icons. Develop- ing pictures that are meaningful in over 100 countries and have no hidden meanings is a tricky task. In this case study we will see how McDonald’s develops pack- aging icons with the help of a linguistic iconographer and the challenges they met along the way.
VARIATIONS IN VISUAL PERCEPTION OF IMAGES


ClientSide News Magazine picture McDonald’s faced this daunting challenge with its recent Nutrition Information Initiative (NII). The company wanted to make nutrition information more accessible and understandable to the average consumer, and determined through extensive research that visual icons representing key food nutrients (protein, for example) were the appropriate course of action. But how does that effort. one convey a nutrient in pictures when no established images exist? McDonald’s essentially had to create a new visual "language" of nutrition that could communicate with or without language.


The findings from this research were often surprising, and sometimes even amusing. But after ENLASO distilled over 13,000 comments from cultural imagery experts around the world, McDonald’s has successfully established the basis of this new visual language of nutrition. The company is sharing the icons with its customers everywhere and has made them freely available for unrestricted use within the restaurant and food industry.


Based on this input, McDonald’s developed its system for Europe, including visuals (icons) to represent key nutrients, an accompanying bar chart detailing key nutrient levels, and the percentage of GDA (Guideline Dai- ly Amounts) that the nutrients represent. McDonald’s chose to use nutrient visuals rather than words because visuals can universally communicate concepts without language. This was important because it eliminated a notable nutrition labeling barrier for Europe’s quick service industry, given the many languages that would otherwise be required on small, single-serve food packages.


The labeling system focused on five key nutrients that were most often referenced by the nutrition and scientific communities and consumers as the most important: calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and salt. Visuals were developed for additional nutrients such as fiber, sugar and saturated fat to allow for local flexibility.
EARLY ICON DEVELOPMENT


Early test designs were discarded, including abstract symbols resembling molecular structure. Three of the five main nutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fat) "jelled" fairly early in the design phase. The basic concept of "building blocks" for protein, "fuel gauge" for carbohydrates and "measuring tape" for fat remained relatively intact throughout the design process. Other icons, like calories and salt, proved to be more of a challenge.


Additionally, some countries posed multi-lingual or multi-ethnic challenges in cultural review. "Belgium has Dutch, French and German speaking people," reminds linguist/iconographer Denise Pitz, "so you don’t have just one universal reaction." According to Pitz and other linguists, much of the evaluation can be subjective and these varying reactions needed to be taken into account. "You need to make a quick, accurate assessment of the icon," Pitz states. "You base feedback on common images the broad public is exposed to. You don’t conduct research by looking up icons or images in books."


Additionally, some countries posed multi-lingual or multi-ethnic challenges in cultural review. "Belgium has Dutch, French and German speaking people," reminds linguist/iconographer Denise Pitz, "so you don’t have just one universal reaction." According to Pitz and other linguists, much of the evaluation can be subjective and these varying reactions needed to be taken into account. "You need to make a quick, accurate assessment of the icon," Pitz states. "You base feedback on common images the broad public is exposed to. You don’t conduct research by looking up icons or images in books."


Next month, join us in the continuation of McDonald’s universal icon development including: researching symbols in other countries, the role of color, legal issues, and the final product.