Week 5 CULTURE AND SOCIETY
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Key words: Semiotics, sign, meaning, iconic, indexical, symbolica, denotation, connotation, context, criticism,...
van den Broek, J., Koetsenruijter, W., de Jong, J., & Smit, L. "Semiotics: The meaning of what we see." In Visual language: perspectives for both makers and users. The Hague: Eleven International Publishing, 2012. Chapter 5. 70-87.
Key words: Semiotics, sign, meaning, iconic, indexical, symbolica, denotation, connotation, context, criticism,...
Reading
Semiotics: The meaning of what we see
This week reading leads us to semiotics to understand the meaning of signs and what semiotics theory offers. It is a method of analysing how the meaning of visual and other information is constructed.[1] Semiotics conveys the meaning as signs. They contains various types of signs as analysing of photos, films, paintings, novels, poems, or building, public space, social phenomena, and even shoelace or sounds, not just imagery or language,... Everything can in principle be a sign. "Sign"here has to be perceivable and it must represent something that is not present.[2] It is necessary to pay attention to codes and conventions to know what the meaning of the signs. We also try to understand that sign in a particular context and pointer. Because the very similar photos can be depicted in different sign meanings. The combination with other signs is also significant. Because this method apply what we already know. For instance, contrast is easy to know the sign of “poor”, we can know the sign of “rich”, or ÿoung"and old", or "black"and "white". After that, we can be an interpreter to interpret what the meaning of the sign is, even it is a sign individually or in combination with others.[3]
According to Peirce, there are three types that signs can belong to. They are iconic sign, indexical sign and symbolic sign. If iconic relation demonstrates the similarities with something else, indexical relation will demonstrate the very strong similarities to the object which it represents without resembling it [4]. Whereas symbolic relation is the connection between conventions, rules and customs to recognise the difference between the object and sign. And it is abstract [5].
In additionally, according to Bathes theory, to understand the object, we have to consider it through two layers of meaning. There are denotation and connotation. Denotation recognizes what is shown while connotation understanding what the ideas and values are being represented [6]. We can recognize the denotation of a sign relying on what we already know from objective characteristics as shape, colors, materials, proportions,...It is called primary denotation. Secondary denotation requires the reference and degree of knowledge from knowledge sharing [7]. In other side, trying to understand the image through connotation is another layer. In the first level of the connotation, we will know more about the image through its value that people talk about or share to others. However, in the secondary level of connotation, it is kind of evoking the emotion of individual from each person as what we experience through, what recall us or what our memories are.,,, [8]. Summarising, Bathes explains the meaning of the image or the object while Peirce try to represent a thing by signs [9].
We realize the importance of the semiotics knowledge through this reading that semiotics here to help us know clearly in a structured way the process of understanding and the meaning of the images. Peirce theory try to show that the knowledge has to be interpreted as symbolic meaning in particular of codes in a specific cultural groups or society. The recommendation is choosing the sign that requires the knowledge which its meaning can be coded at the lowest level if we do not really understand the target of the group that we are working with. Bathes theory divides into four levels in details:
+ Primary denotation: what we can see from the image
+ Secondary denotation: Depending on the knowledge of the world
+ Primary connotation: Emotional values, depends at the first level on the group to which other viewers belong to.
+Secondary connotation: on the individual person [10].
Lectures and tutorials
It is very important to realize that the context in which a sign is observed influences our perception, experiences and conventions. It also can have an influence on different meanings we attach to a sign. It influences what designer decide to make. Because once designer creates thing which affects to the audiences, public, society. They include knowledge that is relevant to social, ethical, technologies, economic status, culture, political, discipline of design and commercial practice, and also suitable to the time.
The environment around design relates to what it means, what it tries to say and who it’s speaking to. There are cultural norms and social conventions that designers have to depend on them to develop their design. Sharing knowledge and understanding are also very important in design.
The aim of design is to change the situations in current which are needed to fix, to improve and develop. Encouraging to reinforce and pushing more actions to meet the demand of current situation.
Criticism can help develop the productive and creative in designer. For practitioner, criticism always helps them develop more and being better equipped to be meaningful and valid designer in the future. It does not only analyse the value of design but also analyse the value of designers. Moreover, criticism can help to bridge the gap between practice, theory and history. Criticism aims at engaging discussion through the presentation of opinions then these opinions will become diverse and create vary greatly. To help designers understand what the meaning of design is, how designed objects shape their future and how to address future issues.
Writer: Jungkook
According to Peirce, there are three types that signs can belong to. They are iconic sign, indexical sign and symbolic sign. If iconic relation demonstrates the similarities with something else, indexical relation will demonstrate the very strong similarities to the object which it represents without resembling it [4]. Whereas symbolic relation is the connection between conventions, rules and customs to recognise the difference between the object and sign. And it is abstract [5].
In additionally, according to Bathes theory, to understand the object, we have to consider it through two layers of meaning. There are denotation and connotation. Denotation recognizes what is shown while connotation understanding what the ideas and values are being represented [6]. We can recognize the denotation of a sign relying on what we already know from objective characteristics as shape, colors, materials, proportions,...It is called primary denotation. Secondary denotation requires the reference and degree of knowledge from knowledge sharing [7]. In other side, trying to understand the image through connotation is another layer. In the first level of the connotation, we will know more about the image through its value that people talk about or share to others. However, in the secondary level of connotation, it is kind of evoking the emotion of individual from each person as what we experience through, what recall us or what our memories are.,,, [8]. Summarising, Bathes explains the meaning of the image or the object while Peirce try to represent a thing by signs [9].
We realize the importance of the semiotics knowledge through this reading that semiotics here to help us know clearly in a structured way the process of understanding and the meaning of the images. Peirce theory try to show that the knowledge has to be interpreted as symbolic meaning in particular of codes in a specific cultural groups or society. The recommendation is choosing the sign that requires the knowledge which its meaning can be coded at the lowest level if we do not really understand the target of the group that we are working with. Bathes theory divides into four levels in details:
+ Primary denotation: what we can see from the image
+ Secondary denotation: Depending on the knowledge of the world
+ Primary connotation: Emotional values, depends at the first level on the group to which other viewers belong to.
+Secondary connotation: on the individual person [10].
Lectures and tutorials
It is very important to realize that the context in which a sign is observed influences our perception, experiences and conventions. It also can have an influence on different meanings we attach to a sign. It influences what designer decide to make. Because once designer creates thing which affects to the audiences, public, society. They include knowledge that is relevant to social, ethical, technologies, economic status, culture, political, discipline of design and commercial practice, and also suitable to the time.
The environment around design relates to what it means, what it tries to say and who it’s speaking to. There are cultural norms and social conventions that designers have to depend on them to develop their design. Sharing knowledge and understanding are also very important in design.
The aim of design is to change the situations in current which are needed to fix, to improve and develop. Encouraging to reinforce and pushing more actions to meet the demand of current situation.
Criticism can help develop the productive and creative in designer. For practitioner, criticism always helps them develop more and being better equipped to be meaningful and valid designer in the future. It does not only analyse the value of design but also analyse the value of designers. Moreover, criticism can help to bridge the gap between practice, theory and history. Criticism aims at engaging discussion through the presentation of opinions then these opinions will become diverse and create vary greatly. To help designers understand what the meaning of design is, how designed objects shape their future and how to address future issues.
Writer: Jungkook
________________________
[1] J. van den Broek et al., "Semiotics: The meaning of what we see," in Visual language: perspectives for both makers and users, (The Hague: Eleven International Publishing, 2012), chap 5, 70.
[2] van den Broek et al., "Semiotics: The meaning of what we see," 71.
[3] Ibid., 72.
[4] Ibid., 74.
[5] Ibid., 75.
[6] Ibid., 76.
[7] Ibid., 77.
[8] Ibid., 78,79.
[9] Ibid., 80.
[10] Ibid., 83.
[6] Ibid., 76.
[7] Ibid., 77.
[8] Ibid., 78,79.
[9] Ibid., 80.
[10] Ibid., 83.
Bibliography
van den Broek, J., Koetsenruijter, W., de Jong, J., & Smit, L. "Semiotics: The meaning of what we see." In Visual language: perspectives for both makers and users. The Hague: Eleven International Publishing, 2012. Chapter 5. 70-87.
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