JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
French graphic designer Jean Jullien's image of 'Peace for Paris' (the combination of a peace sign and an Eiffel Tower), has spread across the world, as people have adopted it to show support for French citizens, following a spate of deadly attacks in Paris on November 13. The Washington Square Park arch in New York is lit with the French national colors. This New Yorker wears the 'Peace for Paris' symbol on his back.
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Candles read "peace" at a temporary memorial for the victims of the Paris attacks in Rennes, western France.
DANIELE MASCOLO/ANSA/EPA
A baby is spotted with a peace symbol of the Eiffel Tower on her cheek, as people gather in a solidarity rally with the French people in Milan, Italy on Saturday.
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A man wears a shirt with a sign combining a peace symbol with the Eiffel tower in front of the Brandenburg Gate near the French embassy in Berlin.
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A human chain of 300 people formed the symbol of peace on the Place Stanislas in honor of the 128 victims and 300 injured.
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Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Cardale Jones is shown wearing a Paris peace symbol drawn on his cleat during the first half of an NCAA football game against the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign, Illinois.
Theodoros Karakozidis/Demotix/Corbis
Hundreds of people gathered outside the French Embassy in Athens to light candles, and lay flowers, honoring those killed in the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Mary Altaffer/AP
A woman shops for produce next to a peace sign drawn in solidarity to the people of Paris in New York's Union Square on Saturday, a day after the attacks.
Michael Dwyer/AP
The Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings stand on the ice while the French national anthem is played before an NHL hockey game in Boston. The symbol for 'Peace for Paris' appears above the rink.
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People hold peace signs as they gather during a memorial event in Hong Kong on November 14, 2015 for victims of the Paris terror attacks.
Maya Vidon/ZUMAPRESS
People gather around the statue of Marianne, symbol of the French Republic, to lay flowers and light candles in tribute to the victims of deadly attacks that struck Paris.

Story highlights

Jean Jullien hand-paints unifying symbol in response to Paris attacks

He posted the image on his Instagram feed

The image has since spread around the world

CNN  — 

Before the names and faces of the victims of Friday’s terrorist attack in Paris emerged, there was one unifying symbol.

A simple image shared by millions across social media: the combination of a peace sign and the Eiffel Tower.

Jean Jullien, the 32-year-old French graphic designer behind the image, posted it onto his Instagram and Twitter on Friday, soon after a series of terror attacks in the French capital – since claimed by ISIS – left 129 people dead and 352 injured.

Full coverage of Paris terror attacks

“It was the most spontaneous thing. I heard the news on the radio, and I had this heartfelt reaction. I wanted to draw something that could symbolize peace and solidarity, and I wanted something with the context of Paris,” Jullien tells CNN.

‘Peace for Paris’ appears around the world

Besides social media platforms, Jullien’s illustration is being used in a public show of support – hand-drawn onto posters, shirts, and in other ways of commemorating the victims. Photos from around the world have captured people using the sign.

“The response has been overwhelming – especially since I didn’t have any control over it. But I can’t feel pride or happiness because it is such a dark time. It’s undesired exposure. A horrible moment. But, I’m just somehow glad people made use of it.”

MARIUS BECKER/DPA /LANDOV
A forensic scientist works near a Paris cafe on Saturday, November 14, following a series of coordinated attacks in Paris the night before that killed scores of people. ISIS has claimed responsibility.
Loic Venance/AFP/Getty Images
Police are out in force November 14 near La Belle Equipe, one of the sites of the terror attacks.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Forensic police search for evidence inside the Comptoir Voltaire cafe after the attacks.
Christophe Ena/AP
Shoes and a bloody shirt lie outside the Bataclan concert hall on November 14. Most of the fatalities occurred at the Bataclan in central Paris.
MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
Security forces evacuate people on Rue Oberkampf near the Bataclan concert hall early on November 14.
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Medics evacuate an injured woman on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire near the Bataclan early on November 14.
FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Police, firefighters and rescue workers secure the area near the Bataclan concert hall on November 14.
ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA
A man with blood on his shirt talks on the phone on November 14. He is next to the Bataclan theater, where gunmen shot concertgoers and held hostages until police raided the building.
IAN LANGSDON/EPA/EPA /LANDOV
Police officers patrol the area around Notre Dame cathedral in Paris on November 14.
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Police officers patrol Paris' Saint-German neighborhood on November 14.
Maya Vidon/Zuma Press
Victims of the shooting at the Bataclan concert venue in central Paris are evacuated to receive medical treatment on November 14.
Thibault Camus/AP
A woman is evacuated from the Bataclan theater early on November 14.
SIPA/AP
Forensics are working in the street of Paris after the terrorist attack on Friday, November 13. The words "horror," "massacre" and "war" peppered the front pages of the country's newspapers, conveying the shell-shocked mood.
SIPA/AP
Rescuers evacuate an injured person near the Stade de France, one of several sites of attacks November 13 in Paris. Thousands of fans were watching a soccer match between France and Germany when the attacks occurred.
SIPA/AP
A survivor of the terrorist attack in the Bataclan is assisted following terror attacks, November 13. The violence at the Bataclan, which involved a hostage-taking, resulted in the highest number of casualties of all the attacks.
Christophe Ena/AP
Spectators invade the pitch of the Stade de France stadium after the international friendly soccer match between France and Germany in Saint-Denis.
Christophe Ena/AP
Spectators embrace each other as they stand on the playing field of the Stade de France stadium at the end of a soccer match between France and Germany in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on November 13.
Jerome Delay/AP
A body, covered by a sheet, is seen on the sidewalk outside the Bataclan theater.
MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP/Getty Images
Rescuers evacuate an injured person on Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, close to the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris.
YOAN VALAT/EPA /LANDOV
Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theater in Paris on November 13.
Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images
A medic tends to a wounded man following the attacks near the Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire.
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A woman walks past police and firefighters in the Oberkampf area of Paris.
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A riot police officer stands by an ambulance near the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris.
YOAN VALAT/EPA
Wounded people are evacuated outside the Bataclan concert hall.
Michel Euler/AP
Police secure the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, following explosions during the soccer match between France and Germany.
IAN LANGSDON/EPA /LANDOV
A wounded man is evacuated from the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris.
Michel Euler/AP
Spectators gather on the field of the Stade de France after the attacks. Explosions were heard during the soccer match between France and Germany.
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French security forces rush in as people are evacuated in the area of Rue Bichat in the 10th District of Paris.
Michel Euler/AP
People leave the Stade de France after explosions were heard near the stadium during a soccer match between France and Germany on Friday. Paris Deputy Mayor Patrick Klugman told CNN President Francois Hollande was at the match and was evacuated at halftime.
Thibault Camus/AP
Victims lay on the pavement outside a Paris restaurant.
Thibault Camus/AP
Rescue workers and medics tend to victims at the scene of one of the shootings, a restaurant in the 10th District. Attackers reportedly used AK-47 automatic weapons in separate attacks across Paris, and there were explosions at the Stade de France.
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French security forces move people in the area of Rue Bichat in the 10th District. A witness told BFMTV that firefighters were on the scene to treat the injured.

Of its reach, Jullien says he thinks the social role of graphics is a powerful.

“People think it’s just an everyday tool to sell things like cars or advertise products, but graphic arts is a means of expression beyond words.

“Words can sometimes be difficult to translate. I think the simpler, the better, the more universally understood it can be.”

Jullien runs a studio in London, where he is currently based. His practice includes illustrations, photography and moving image.

Charlie Hebdo response

While he doesn’t often engage in politics in his work, an illustration he created earlier this year, was also widely shared.

This image, a pencil facing off with the barrel of a gun, was a response to shootings at the offices of French satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris earlier this year.

“At the time, it was the same. Illustration is my job, and it’s my only way of expressing myself.”

Some interpret base of Eiffel Tower as cross

Thousands on social media, says Jullien, have pointed to the base of the Eiffel Tower in the ‘Peace for Paris’ symbol, and asked him if it’s the depiction of a cross.

Jullien says he didn’t intend for that.

Eiffel Tower closed, travel plans impacted by Paris attacks

“That’s the beauty of an image, people can see what they can see. And if it helps with their faith, than I’m fine with that. But it wasn’t designed this way. What I hope is that in the wake of tragedy, there is a symbol of peace, unity and something positive. Instead of just anger, there is hope.”

Evan Vucci/AP
President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrive at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks, to pay their respects to the victims after Obama arrived in town for the COP21 climate change conference early on Monday, November 30, in Paris.
Frank Augstein/AP
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is illuminated in the French national colors on Monday, November 16. Displays of support for the French people were evident at landmarks around the globe after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, November 13.
Laurent Cipriani/AP
People hold hands as they observe a minute of silence in Lyon, France, on November 16, three days after the Paris attacks. A minute of silence was observed throughout the country in memory of the victims of the country's deadliest violence since World War II.
Guillaume Horcajuelo/AP
French President Francois Hollande, center, flanked by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, right, and French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, center left, stands among students during a minute of silence in the courtyard of the Sorbonne University in Paris on November 16.
Ian Langsdon/EPA/LANDOV
A large crowd gathers to lay flowers and candles in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Sunday, November 15.
Leo Correa/AP
A man sits next to candles lit as homage to the victims of the deadly attacks in Paris at a square in Rio de Janeiro on November 15.
BALAZS MOHAI/MTI/EPA/LANDOV
People light candles in tribute to the Paris victims on November 15 in Budapest, Hungary.
Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP
People gather outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on November 15 for a national service for the victims of the city's terror attacks.
YOAN VALAT/EPA/LANDOV
People write messages on the ground at Place de la Republique in Paris on November 15.
Anjum Naveed/AP
People pray during a candlelight vigil for victims of the Paris attacks at a church in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 15.
Johannes Eisele/APF/Getty Images
French golfer Gregory Bourdy passes a peace symbol for the Paris victims during the BMW Shanghai Masters tournament November 15 in Shanghai, China.
Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
A man offers a prayer in memory of victims of the Paris attacks at the French Embassy in Tokyo on November 15.
Darryl Dyck/AP
A woman holds a candle atop a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower during a candlelight vigil Saturday, November 14, in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images
Front pages of Japanese newspapers in Tokyo show coverage and photos of the Paris attacks on November 14.
Luca Bruno/AP
An electronic billboard on a canal in Milan, Italy reads, in French, "I'm Paris," on November 14.
ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA/EPA /LANDOV
The Eiffel Tower stands dark as a mourning gesture on November 14, in Paris. More than 125 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday. People around the world reacted in horror to the deadly terrorist assaults.
Alfredas Pliadis/Cal Sport Media/ZUMAPRESS.com
Lithuanians hold a candlelight vigil in front of the French Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 14.
PEAA/ZDS/Newscom/WENN.com
Thousands gather in London's Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil on November 14 to honor the victims of the Paris attacks.
LAURENT DUBRULE/EPA/LANDOV
A woman lights candles at a memorial near the Bataclan theater in Paris on November 14.
Jerome Delay/AP
A man places a candle in front of Le Carillon cafe in Paris on November 14.
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images
A woman holds a French flag during a gathering in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Nancy Acevedo prays for France during the opening prayer for the Sunshine Summit being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on November 14.
MAHMOUD ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images
French soldiers of the United Nations' interim forces in Lebanon observe the national flag at half-staff at the contingent headquarters in the village of Deir Kifa on November 14.
Rick Rycroft/AP
A couple surveys the signature sails of the Sydney Opera House lit in the colors of the French flag in Sydney on November 14.
Dmitry Lovetsky/AP
A woman places flowers in front of the French Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 14.
Kin Cheung/AP
Candles are lit in Hong Kong on November 14 to remember the scores who died in France.
Manu Fernandez/AP
A woman lights a candle outside the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, on November 14.
GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images
Britain's Prince Charles expresses solidarity with France at a birthday barbecue in his honor near Perth, Australia, on November 14.
Andy Wong/AP
The French national flag flutters at half-staff on November 14 at its embassy in Beijing.
BART MAAT/AFP/Getty Images
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after a speech on November 14 in The Hague following the attacks.
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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe becomes emotional after his speech on the French attacks during the opening ceremony of a Japanese garden in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 14.
Kenzo TribouillardAFP/Getty Images
A woman mourns outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. The attackers ruthlessly sought out soft targets where people were getting their weekends underway.
Dmitry Serebryakov/AFP/Getty Images
People lay flowers outside the French Embassy in Moscow on November 14.
Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Mourners gather outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. "We were listening to music when we heard what we thought were the sounds of firecrackers," a doctor from a nearby hospital who was drinking in the bar with colleagues told Le Monde. "A few moments later, it was a scene straight out of a war. Blood everywhere."
Graham Hughes/AP
People attend a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday, November 13, in the wake of the attacks.
John Angelillo/UPI/Landov
Police show a heightened presence in Times Square in New York on November 13, following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
Graham Hughes/AP
People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.
Sam Morris/AP
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, fans observe a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris before a basketball game November 13.
Charles Krupa/AP
The house lights are shut off and scoreboard dark as Boston Celtics players pause for a moment of silence for the Paris victims before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Boston on November 13.
Graham Hughes/AP
People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13.