PIKTUU is a nonverbal communication aid
Pictograms help! Understand and be understood, no matter where you come from.
Communication with arriving refugees, integration, humanitarian aid missions abroad or a patient who cannot speak – these are just some of the areas in which PIKTUU can help people to communicate quickly and easily – simply by pointing to pictograms and pictures.
How does PIKTUU work??
In the table of contents or via the topic headings, you select the area of life you are currently in, e.g. at the doctor’s or when shopping, and find the pictograms that match the situation. The combination of different pictograms also enables more complex communication and is very simple after repeated use of PIKTUU.
In addition, all pictograms are translated into different languages to facilitate communication and achieve a learning effect.
Costs & Registration?
On our download page you can download, print and use PIKTUU in various formats free of charge and without registration. Use is permitted for non-commercial purposes only. If you are commercially interested in the PIKTUU concept, we will be happy to design your project on request.
As PIKTUU is financed by donations, sponsors and co-operations, we are happy about any support.
Why not an App?
An app is not only very expensive to develop, it is also not always the best solution. Here are some reasons why a printed PIKTUU version is an advantage:
- Independent of battery life.
- No WLAN required.
- Also works without a smartphone.
- Easy to understand, even for children and the elderly.
- Bridges any language barrier anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds.
The WEB PDF version of the PIKTUU communication aids can also be used offline on any standard tablet.
Versatile fields of application!
PIKTUU is a versatile pictogram communication aid that offers a wide range of applications, including
1. immigration and integration
Supporting people who are learning a new language and need to find their way in a new environment.
2. people with disabilities
Communication aid for people with mental or physical disabilities who have difficulty speaking.
3. medical emergencies
Rapid communication in medical situations where language barriers need to be overcome.
4. international humanitarian aid missions
Support with communication in crisis areas where people speak different languages.
PIKTUU can be used flexibly and offers a universal solution for a wide range of situations in which communication can be a challenge.
More pictograms, formats and languages:
Your support is important!
Your support enables the intensive work and further development of PIKTUU. As a non-profit project, we are grateful if you can help us with our two missions.
MISSION 1:
Help us to publicise PIKTUU and share the link to our website www.Piktuu.com with your recommendation.
You can also follow us here:
MISSION 2:
Funding work and further development. Support PIKTUU financially with a donation according to your means or as a far-sighted sponsoring partner.
Did you know?
Hinter den Kulissen. Die PIKTUU Story:
Piktogramme für Alle! Von der Erfüllung einer Vision.
In 2015, Berlin-based photographer Alexander Mechow and creative started his commitment to Syrian refugees. He recognised the language barriers and developed the handy booklet “CUBY HELPS REFUGEES” within a year. This contained specially created pictograms, translated into German, English and Arabic. For this initiative, he received the special prize of the Berlin Capital Initiative for Integration & Tolerance in 2016 and a written acknowledgement from the Federal President.
In the following years, around 25,000 booklets were financed by donations via the non-profit platform EINFACH MENSCH SEIN and distributed free of charge to aid organisations in Germany and Europe. In addition to his work as a photographer, he worked tirelessly to improve the CUBY HELPS booklet.
In 2019, he received the City of Berlin’s Ribbon for Courage and Understanding for the optimised version, the “REFUGEE WELCOME BOOK”. Mechow always pursued the vision that arriving refugees and people with language and speech problems should have free access to this simple communication solution. An ambitious project that requires a lot of commitment, financial resources and time.
In 2022, thanks to the generous support of members of the ROTARY CLUB, 25,000 copies of the book were printed under the project name “PIKTOGRAMMBUCH/REFUGEE TRANSLATOR” and distributed free of charge to help refugees in Germany and other German-speaking countries. Mechow used this campaign to rethink and optimise his concept.
PIKTUU has been around since November 2023. PIKTUU fulfils Mechow’s vision by providing a platform where you can download free pictogram communication aids, print them out and use them as you wish, so that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves clearly and comprehensibly – whether in everyday life, in integrative processes, in medical situations or in humanitarian aid missions. PIKTUU enables universal communication and thus builds bridges between different cultures and life situations.
PIKTUU also supports Sustainable Development Goal 10 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda:
“Reduce inequality within and among countries”
PIKTUU bridges the communication gap between immigrants, refugees and the host society by using easy-to-understand pictograms to overcome language barriers. This promotes social integration and understanding, which helps to reduce existing inequalities. Free access to translation aids in various formats creates opportunities for equal participation and integration.
