MALAVA: A Pictorial Language

Graphic Design, Writing

Malava is a visual language in pictograms, built within a grid, for a grid. 

As a part of a class assignment to create a new dictionary, my group and I set out to create a language that was both visually pleasing, and maintained a set of rules that allowed for continuous expansion. The result is Malava, a language that was built to be contained in a series of grids, and  revolved around the idea of syntax and tone in order to express thought. Malava’s print structure is created with people new to the language in mind. On the left page of the Malava dictionary, there are examples of how to use the language, from simple statements to complex sentences, whereas the right pages contain all of the vocabulary words, allowing users to easily navigate through the language of Malava.

The structure of a sentence in Malava begins in the lower left hand corner and moves upwards and to the right, allowing for modifications on sentences and statements, starting with general phrases that grow increasingly more complex the further right the sentence grows. Malava uses generality as a base for expressions of thought that allow specificity to be added to statements after the initial statement is made.  

Collaborators: Mark Pei, Ava Scott