SemiosisSemiology

Semiotics As it is known today was first explored in depth, near the begin-ning of the 20th century. The introduction of this new frontier was pioneered by two leading professionals. Ferdinand de Saussure, a linguist in Switzerland, and Charles Sanders Peirce, a philosopher in the U.S. Both Saussure and Peirce describe a need for a field to study the mean-ings conveyed through signs and symbols. Although both are interested in this new field they engage it very differently, Saussure studied behavior while Peirce studied logic. Until this point there had been no such formal research or analytical thinking towards a scientific approach to communica-

Semiotics

tion. Semiotics was born. Semiot-ics, semiology and semiosis all derive from the greek word semeion which means sign.

SemioticsIs the study of sign processes. It studies the relationships that signs, both individually and grouped together create. Semiotics includes the study of how meaning is constructed and understood. Semiotics refers to the study of how signs communicate meanings.

SignsOr representamen quite simply put is any form of information that has meaning to someone in some way shape or form. A sign creates in the mind of the receiver an equal or equivalent sign through experi-ence, comparison or logic. Signs

according to Peirce fall into three categories: direct logical systems, physical connections, and relational connection. These three concepts are frameworks for the subcategories of signs which are: Icon, Index, and Symbol.

icon

symbol

index

Ferdinand de Saussure 1857-1913Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in linguistics.

Charles Sanders Peirce1839–1914Pierce was an American philosopher, logician, mathema-tician, and scientist born in Cambridge, MA.

09INFORMATION DESIGN INDEX CARDS

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Information Design Index Cards is a set of cards designed and produced by the students of DAI 523, Information Design 1, a fourth-year course in the Design and Industry Department, San Francisco State University, Fall 2009. The set, by no means complete, is composed of 1+22 cards on Information Design topics. Coordinated by instructor Pino Trogu, each topic was chosen and researched by the students. DAI 523 provides students with an introduction to the fi eld of information design, covering a variety of applications across print, screen and environmental media. This is card number 09 and it was designed byKyle Kloninger.

DAI 523Information Design IDesign and Industry DepartmentCollege of Creative ArtsSan Francisco State UniversityCalifornia, USA – October 2009Information Design Index Card No.09Printed by JASK Digital Printing

Is a pictograph or visual communication that has a direct or implied correlation between two subjects.

Creates a connection between two individual experiences. An index also indicates further comprehension.

Represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention.

Charles Sanders Peirce diagram of verbal communication through linguistic semiotics.

Linguistic semiotics is based on a sys-tem of rules that govern arbitrary signs and their relationships to each other.

Ferdinand de Saussure was a linguist and leading professional in the field of linguistic semiotics, and basically states: “Linguistic semiot-ics is based on a system of rules that govern arbitrary signs and their relationships to each other.” The linguistic sign ‘cat’ is arbitrary in that it has no connection either in its sound, or its visual shape, with what cats are really like.

There must be a kind of agreement among users of our language that the sign ‘cat’ shall refer to a particular group of furry four legged

animals. This agree-ment is not consciously entered into since we learn how to use language so early in our lives that there is no deliberate choice available to us.

Linguistic Semiotics

Visual semiotics can be ordered by importance: one, two, three; by the three orders of signs: Icon, Index, Symbol.

Visual Semiotics can be ordered one, two, three; by the three orders of signs: Icon, Index, Symbol. The Icon has no dynamical connection with the object it represents; it simply happens that its qualities resemble those of that object, and excite analoguous sensations in the mind for which it is a likeness. It really stands uncon-nected with it.

The index is physically connected with its object; they make an organic pair, but the interpreting mind has nothing to do with this

connection, except remarking it, after it is established. The symbol is connnected with its object by virtue of the idea of the symbol-using mind without which no such connection would exist.

Visual Semiotics

An Icon

An Index

A Symbol

Collected Papers of Charles Sanders Peirce Vol. II

Media Semiotics: An Introduction Jonathan Bignell

http://www.wikipedia.orghttp://images.google.com

Works cited

A driver notices a passerby whom he is about to hit and shouts Hi! to grab his attention to save him. This action is ment to put him in real connection with the object and this is an index.

All words, sentences, phrases, labels, etc. are symbols because their character consists precisely in there being a rule that will determine its interpretant.

An image of a sunflower pointing at the sun is an icon because through its orientation towards the sun, it conveys certain ideas. The sun is shining, the sun gives life.

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