Chinese Wu Tao "talisman" And Contemporary Design Applications

The aims of this thesis include:1. Research of the origins of runes in Chinese witchcraft and Taoism, including their history origin and influence on society, theory origin, symbol origin, functions and social values. The runes in Chinese witchcraft and Taoism had been widely spread all through Chinese civilization as one of the important spiritual resources, but nearly all destroyed during the Culture Revolution from 1966 to 1976. Part of runes is superstition, but in modern society, the runes become part of cultural relics. They are important in the research of original Chinese culture and Chinese history. If we don't pay more attention to them to scientifically analyze and protect the runes, we will lose the unique rune culture. The research methods in this part include collection of first hand materials, looking into literatures as well as field survey.2. The ancient runes used in Chinese witchcraft and Taoism no longer serve their original purpose in society. However, taking inspiration for graphic design from them is a way of honoring history and providing a modern context for these ancient practices. This thesis will explore the application of runes in graphic design and font design. The research methods in this part include comparison of runes as well as the use of them as reference. The thesis also includes the exploration of applying runes in font design.