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Title: Graphics 2 introduction to semiotics pictograms and icons and signs


1
Graphics 2introduction to semiotics pictograms
and icons and signs
2
introduction
  • review of sign systems and semiotics
  • Kapitzkis classification of signs
  • semiotics - extension of Peirces work by Charles
    Morris
  • features of pictograms
  • designing pictograms
  • review of pictogram systems from past Olympic
    games

3
review of signs and semiotics
  • signage systems
  • lots of signs around us, some standard, some not
    so much
  • example - safety sign systems
  • meanings derive from two aspects resemblance to
    what is signified and representation based on
    cultural meaning
  • semiotics - study of signs
  • a sign can be anything - a letter, a book, your
    clothes, an idea
  • signifier and signified - smoke is a sign of fire
  • iconic, arbitrary (Saussure)
  • icon, symbol, index (Peirce)

4
Kapitzkis classification of signs
  • ideogram a symbol that relates to the
    represented object or concept
  • logogram conceptual representation without any
    phonetic dimension
  • typogram typographical representation made with
    language
  • phonogram phonic representation

5
Kapitzkis classification of signs
  • iconogram emphasises the features of the
    signifier that are common to the signified
  • pictogram uses visual carriers of meaning to
    convey information
  • cartogram topographical representation
  • diagram functional representation
  • Herbert W. Kapitzki, http//www.kapitzki.de/en/c
    ontent/

6
Peirces icon, symbol and index
  • Peirces semiotic categories can help decode a
    sign, eg
  • the pictogram resembles a hand, so is iconic
  • it is part of a set of signs for which we have
    international agreement, prohibited, so it is
    also a symbol
  • when it is placed in context it becomes an index
    sign, because part of its meaning comes from its
    placement in the real world

7
Charles W Morris
  • American semiotician and philospher
  • studied engineering and went on to conduct
    research into philosophy and behaviourism
  • developed Peirces work on semiotics against a
    background of behaviourism and logical posivitism
    grounded in reality
  • Theory of Signs (1938) and Signs Language and
    Behaviour (1946)
  • defined three areas or study
  • Semantics meanings of signs
  • Syntax structures and patterns
  • Pragmatics relation between users and the signs
    themselves
  • in the context of Morriss three branches of
    semiotics, Peirces work can be described as
    sigmatics
  • dealing with the sign and the signified
  • identifying the sign as icon, symbol and/or index

8
signs and semiotic categories
  • Semantics sign and meaning
  • repertoire the sender and receiver need to
    share meanings
  • context other signs, knowledge, society,
    culture
  • Sigmatics sign and signified
  • icon the resemblance of the sign to the
    signified
  • symbol meaning derived from representation
    rather than resemblance
  • index contextual information, relation of sign
    to signified in physical world
  • Syntax sign and structure
  • form shapes and characteristics of shapes
  • brightness level of reflected light, contrast
    with surroundings, contrast within the sign
    itself
  • colour wavelength of reflected light
  • movement movable sign, sign represented in
    movable image
  • material substrate

9
signs and semiotic categories
  • Pragmatics sign and intention
  • imperative addressing the will of the
    interpreter, fulfilling duty, invoking behaviour
  • suggestive addressing the feelings, emotion,
    influencing behaviour through unconscious action
  • indicative addressing the thoughts, information
    and knowledge, offering choice to the interpreter

10
signs and semiotic categories
  • Pragmatics sign and interpreter
  • open interpretation no clear message disparate
    repertoire, lack of shared meaning
  • clear interpretation unambiguous apprehension
    of meaning, successful imperative or suggestive
    action
  • complete interpretation within the system
    context with other signs, pictorial communication
    achieved

11
pictograms in practice
  • pictograms are created for the purpose of
    communication without language
  • artificial constructs nothing natural about a
    pictogram
  • created for a functional purpose not works of
    art (although some are elegant, if not
    beautiful!)
  • language is not required communication occurs
    without resorting to alphabets and other
    linguistic representations
  • pictograms rely on a shared repertoire, but must
    assume little in the way of shared culture
  • some shared experience between intention and
    interpreter is vital
  • however the purpose is to communicate without
    representation
  • words are (compound) signs that usually only
    represent objects or concepts
  • pictograms are signs that minimise representation
    between signifier and signified

12
pictograms in practice
  • pictograms must be seen in context
  • a pictogram in a book merely signifies itself
  • a pictogram on a wall is ambiguous what is the
    extent of its meaning?
  • pictograms modify each other a pictogram of a
    directional arrow will modify the meaning of a
    pictogram of a fire extinguisher
  • the components of a pictogram combine to affect
    its overall meaning and effectiveness
  • its resemblance to related pictograms
  • its difference to unrelated pictograms
  • the extent of the repertoire of meaning that is
    used
  • the extent of the repertoire of form that is used
  • the degree to which it can be universally
    interpreted

13
designing pictograms
  • what are the messages?
  • directions
  • warnings
  • requests
  • prohibitions
  • labels
  • what are the themes?
  • building facilities, safety signs, instructions
    for taking medicines, etc
  • which motifs?
  • stick figures, natural forms in silhouette,
    stylised depictions, etc
  • associated objects, equipment, paraphernalia
  • representations of concepts thoughts and emotion
    light bulb, cloud, gritted teeth, etc

14
designing pictograms
  • format of the pictogram and signs that use it
  • background plain, colour, no background
  • the pictogram itself filled, outline, reversed
    out on background
  • the form angular, rounded, thick brush, fine
    lines
  • style
  • each pictogram must resemble the others in the
    system
  • a highly rigid, geometric form allows a high
    degree of accuracy but can be constraining
  • a free flowing form allows great flexibility but
    is much harder to make consistent between
    pictograms
  • repertoire of meaning
  • the audience of the system constrains the
    repertoire
  • an easily identified, closed demographic allows
    assumptions to be made
  • an international, highly accessible audience
    means few assumptions can be made

15
assessment - Olympic games pictograms
  • summer games considered winter games can also
    be consulted
  • other sources of sports pictograms useful
    visual research, references
  • useful websites to begin research
  • Olympic Games Museum, online Available from
    http//olympic-museum.de/index.html (Accessed 24
    February 2009).
  • Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,
    online Available from http//en.beijing2008.cn/
    63/32/column212033263.shtml (Accessed 24 February
    2009). 
  • final assessment details some information on
    the web, lots of flexibility so that you can play
    to your strengths
  • address the theoretical issues as well as
    practical in your critique
  • create a set of signs with text in addition to
    the pictograms themselves, and discuss the
    typography
  • create pictogram signs for use at venues if you
    wish directions, car parks, places to eat,
    building facilities, etc
  • make sure these signs either follow the same
    design as the pictograms, or include elements so
    that it is clear they are part of the same system

16
Berlin 1936
  • seem to be the first pictorial signs to represent
    sports
  • motifs consist of apparatus associated with each
    sport
  • dark background and lighter circle provide common
    denotation between signs
  • high degree of systematization, especially for
    the time

17
London 1948
  • framed in a shield - suggests coat of arms for
    the format
  • highly iconic
  • not very systematized - sometimes show figures,
    sometimes apparatus
  • varying levels of detail, varying line weights
    varying proportions between pictograms

18
Tokyo 1964
  • designed by Masaru Katsumi
  • necessary because of the differences in Asian
    languages compared to those in previous Olympic
    host nations
  • systematized, consistent
  • balance between iconic and representative

19
Mexico City 1968
  • designed by Manuel Villazon and Matthais Goeritz
  • iconic representation of apparatus used to depict
    each event
  • very challenging given the large number of events
    - not attempted since

20
Munich 1972Montreal 1976
  • designed by Otl Aicher
  • highly systematized
  • abstract motifs
  • very influential on design in general, and on
    information graphics in particular

21
Moscow 1980
  • Aichers system was not used due to Wests
    boycott
  • an architecture student, Nikolai Belkov, designed
    a set of icons in his final year at university

22
Los Angeles 1996
  • head, arms, legs and body not joined
  • some detail added - arms and legs taper, calf can
    be distinguished
  • body is solid, equipment line drawn

23
Seoul 1988
  • designed by Buyong Hwang
  • 1986 Asian games pictograms were to be used, but
    Canadian Olympic Committee objected, claiming
    they were too similar to Aichers designs, the
    rights to which they acquired in 1976

24
Barcelona1992
  • designed by Josep M Trias
  • brushstroke style, free flowing form
  • head arms and legs - body is visualised due to
    white space

25
Atlanta 1996
  • highly iconic
  • silhouette is accurate not stereotyped,
    geometric
  • pentathlon distinguished using five flower petals
    and a runner

26
Sydney 2000
  • head-arms-legs
  • arms and legs created from boomerang shape
  • pentathlon distinguished using five stars of the
    Australian flag

27
Athens 2004
  • depictions of athletes inspired by figures from
    vases typical of Ancient Greece
  • format designed to resemble broken pottery

28
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29
Beijing 2008
  • designed by China Central Academy of Fine Arts
    and Academy of Arts and Design
  • based on seal characters, inscriptions on bones
    and bronze objects from Ancient China
  • pentathlon has gone back to the horse rider and
    five dots
  • form is of thick and thin lines, hint of a head,
    but with arms legs and body

30
summary
  • pictograms are a specific subset of pictorial
    signs as defined by Kapitzki
  • by considering what a pictogram is not, we can
    gain a better understanding of what a pictogram
    is
  • semiotics can be used to help us understand how
    pictograms work, and how to design them so that
    they work as intended
  • semantics
  • syntax
  • sigmatics
  • pragmatics
  • semiotics can be used to help us understand how
    pictograms work, and how to design them so that
    they work as intended
  • message
  • theme and motif
  • format and style
  • repertoire of meaning

31
sources and further reading
  • Chandler, Daniel (1994) Semiotics for Beginners,
    online Available from http//www.aber.ac.uk/med
    ia/Documents/S4B/ (Accessed 23 February 2009).
  • Baldwin, Jonathan and Roberts, Lucienne (2006)
    Visual Communication From Theory to Practice,
    AVA Publishing.
  • Crow, David (2003) Visible Signs An Introduction
    to Semiotics, AVA Publishing SA.
  • Herbert W. Kapitzki, online Available from
    http//www.kapitzki.de/en/content/ (Accessed 24
    February 2009).
  • Wildbur, Peter (1989) Information Graphics A
    Survey of Typographic, Diagrammatic and
    Cartographic Communication, London, Trefoil.  
  • Peirce, Charles (1894) What Is a Sign?,
    online Available from http//www.iupui.edu/pei
    rce/ep/ep2/ep2book/ch02/ep2ch2.htm (Accessed 23
    February 2009).
  • Abdullah, Rayan and Hubner, Roger (2006)
    Pictograms, Icons Signs A Guide to Information
    Graphics, illustrated edition. Thames Hudson.
  • Olympic Games Museum, online Available from
    http//olympic-museum.de/index.html (Accessed 24
    February 2009).
  • Pictograms of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games,
    online Available from http//en.beijing2008.cn/
    63/32/column212033263.shtml (Accessed 24 February
    2009). 
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