Making Meaning

Making Meaning

Making MeaningVisual Literacy AAD4002

Dr Angela Tinwell

Visual Literacy AAD4002

•The aim of this module is to explore the mechanics of our visual language

•Looking at theories and terms, visual signals and concepts

•Today we will consider: visual communication in imagery; colour theory; signs and semiotics.


• What is happening here?• What is their relationship?• What has she just said?• What may he say in response?• What is going to happen next?• How do you know?

Making Meaning: Visual Communication in ImageryVisual Literacy AAD4002

• Is the person in Picture 1:• Happy • Sad• Agitated• Calm• Aggressive?

How about Image 2?


• So, how about Graphical Images? Do they carry multiple messages?


Line Drawings


Ink Blots


What do you see? Some are harder than others…

Maurits Cornelis Escher (1898-1972) is one of the worlds most renowned graphic artists.

Playing with visual communicationwas an obsession.

At first this seems like a realisticbuilding, but take a closer look…


Ascending and Descending, lithograph print, M. C. Escher, 1960

Escher experiments with perspective and vanishing points.

How many vanishing points can you identify?


Ascending and Descending, M. C. Escher, 1947

• Major issue with colour is poor selection• It is important to consider if a particular

colour is appropriate in the context of the given design problem

• Colour can make or break an artefact and can say a lot about the product without the need for text

• It can convey emotion and tell us a lot about an object without reading text

Making Meaning: Colour TheoryVisual Literacy AAD4002

http://www.dannyt.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Colour-wheel.gif

• Colour can also show emotion through its symbolism • Let’s take a look at some colours and consider their effect…



• Yellow depicts sunlight and is an uplifting colour.



• Because of its associations with fire red is perceived as a warm colour.

• It may also be used to communicate a warning.



• Blue reminds us of the sea and sky and may be perceived as a cool colour.

• It can have a restful effect and is often used as a background colour.



• Green is associated with grass and foliage so is perceived as a fresh ‘healthy’ colour.


• The web site at the link below has the same text content, but with different CSS style sheets applied to it:

http://www.mezzoblue.com/zengarden/alldesigns/

• The different colour schemes allow us to see how content and wording become irrelevant (as it is the same for each site) and it is the colour and imagery that primarily defines the ‘look and feel’ of the site.

• For each different example consider:oWhat first impressions does the site make from colour alone?oIs this an effective colour palette? oDoes it work with the images used on the page?





• Semiotics means ‘the study of signs’.

• Taken from the Greek word for sign, Sema.

• What do we mean by ‘Sign’?

Making Meaning: Signs and SemioticsVisual Literacy AAD4002

• Signs are everywhere and help us read messages when there isn’t time to actually read reams of text.

• Road signs are the obvious example• Semiotics therefore is the study of visual

signs and can expand to the following:oDrawingsoPaintingoPhotographyoWordsoSounds oBody language


Discourses that Semiotics may apply to:

Visual Literacy AAD4002Making Meaning: Signs and Semiotics

• Humans have the ability to read this meaning without the need to have the experience of the object itself.

• Semiotics is influenced by culture manipulated by: Religion; Government; Education etc.


“Something which stands to somebody for something in some respect or capacity”

Charles S. Peirce on Semiotics, 1955

• In this definition the sign needs to be interpreted and we use sign and signification of objects in three main ways:

• ICON -Pictorial representation of an object, used heavily in multimedia (we will explore these further)

• INDEX – Indirect linkage like smoke to signal fire• SYMBOL – Direct linkage (i.e. text). ‘Dog’ allows us to

visualise just that.


• Multimedia uses a vast array of imagery to make representations, both photographic and abstract. We use three different methods in multimedia based semiotics:


• Icons – represent an idea symbolically• Picons – take this further and make a

clearer representation, mostly through photography

• Micons – move into animation (animated gifs, flash etc)

• Semiotics may occur to understand a navigation system

Learning Activity Icons:oSelf Assessment Question o Exercise o Problemso Key Informationo Supplementary Informationo References to Set Texto Suggested Readingo WWW Researcho Internal & External Links


Meaning?


Icons may be associated with branding.

•Now, consider how you as a designer may use these concepts in your work!

•How may you implement the principles of colour theory, signs and semiotics and our visual perception of images in the design decisions that you take?


Thank you for listening, any questions?


Documents

Making Meaning