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After a recent podcast appearance, and a few more discussions on Hypercultures, it feels time to revisit memetic icons.

Analysis of Abstractions

Version one of our conceptualization summates to:

• each hyperculture is centered around one

• their aesthetic manifestations include skeuomorphic, abstract, and referential models (noggles, zorbs, & opepen silouhette)

We also came away with the notion that “each memetic icon is a visual representation of the deeper context within the culture.” Noggles are tied to vision. Zorbs are tied to creativity. Opepen’s silouhette is tied to internet art.

Take Two

I feel confident in the previous claims. However, there seems to be a much wider range of context here. Not only are the memetic icons visual representations of their culture; they may well be the foundation for their commercial, cultural, and commons proliferation.

Previously I was thinking of these objects solely as identification badges. From there my mental model assumed that public-remixing was the objective of these assets. ‘If you can create something that has endless kinesthetic-engagement-value (KEV) then you have unlocked a cultural doorway to sustainability’ sort of model.

While that seems to hold merit, it may be just the surface of what we are dealing with. An over emphasis on the KEV made me ignore the alternative contextual models we have at our disposal.

In a recent chat with @ccarella on Farcaster it was brought to my attention that colors are icons as well. Tiffany Blue, Farcaster Purple, Barbie Pink. It immediately made me recall an essay I wrote on meme design - revising my conceptualization to now include colors, words/phrases, as well as symbols.

v 1.0.2

It’s quite clear that this concept has much more to reveal. Thus, I will keep a running log of these developments in real time.

My new additions to memetic icons are:

• words, colors (gradients even), and symbols are working models

• you can have more than one (Nike has the swoosh and just do it)

• their functionality extends beyond cultural signaling

  • foundation for hyperstack proliferation (commerce, cultural, commons)

• they are not the beginning of a culture, but the beginning of its iconography