Design Connects: Hong Kong and Morocco
Yaz ⵣ : How a symbol ties these two seemingly unrelated places together
The Sahara of North Africa is almost 8,900 km away from the city of Hong Kong in Asia. What can possibly connect these two seemingly different and unrelated places together?
On a recent trip to Morocco, I passed by a rather simple poster that showed the Amazigh alphabets of the Berber people, who are indigenous to North Africa. One of the alphabets, the last one, in particular, caught my eyes.
It was the Amazigh alphabet, Yaz.
It was the same symbol that I saw half a globe away, more than 25 years ago when I was growing up in Hong Kong. It was the same as the ubiquitous symbol that covered (and still cover) the transit stations and trains of the local MTR Railway, all over Hong Kong.
And this same symbol covered the flags and stones in the Sahara!
I was flabbergasted to see the same symbol in such improbable places. I immediately asked our local guide, Zaid, who grew up in the Sahara. He said that the Yaz is an important symbol in Berber culture and is the symbol on the Berber flag. It means “Free man”.
I quickly looked online to see if there was more information. I was surprised that I didn’t find any reference of the MTR logo to the Berber alphabet.
One article mentioned that the MTR logo is similar to that of the London Underground in the UK. “If you take the London Underground (tube) logo, cut it vertically in half and then flip the two pieces inwards and attach, you get the MTR logo rotated 90 degrees.”
Another article was an interview by a Hong Kong brand design agency called BrandCraft with John Lloyd from Lloyd Northover design consultancy. The current MTR logo was designed by Lloyd Northover in 1995–1998. Mr. John Lloyd said “The MTR symbol is abstract and is not meant to communicate an obvious meaning. I believe that the original rationale for the form was that the two curves represented Kowloon above and Hong Kong island below, connected by the vertical line.”
I was surprised that there has been no direct reference to the Berber of Morocco. I wonder if the meaning of Yaz was ever part of the inspiration behind the MTR design. Whether it was an inspiration or serendipity, it was brilliant!
It’s amazing how the same symbol is shared between 7.4 million people from the city of Hong Kong and 10.4 million from the Berber people of Morocco. This simple symbol has endured and became a part of life to both groups.
I am amazed to see this unlikely connection between two seemingly unrelated places. There is 8900 km between this two places and yet, a symbol has tied these places together.
“Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” — Roald Dahl, The Minpins
Sources:
1. The MTR Hong Kong logo (May 2012). Retrieved from https://goodlogo.com/extended.info/mtr-hong-kong-logo-3620
2. Hong Kong Identities — MTR — Q&A with John Lloyd. (May 2017) Retrieved from http://www.brandcraft.hk/blog/hong-kong-identities/mtr/
3. John David Lloyd Archive. Retrieved from http://www.johnlloyd.uk.com/lloyd-northover/identity/27/1/
