ah teaches graphic design (Context Shmontext lecture)

Today's critique

Our approach

We will be asking questions of the work. Please phrase every 'critique' as a question.

Context Schmontext

Context

The relationship between a user and all the parts of their environment, as they perceive it.

Layers of Information

Within this class I would like you to think about three layers of information:

1. Physical: A user's relationship to their environment.
2. Semantic: Messages or meaning established for others.
3. Digital: Encoded/computer-centric messaging.

Semiotics

Put simply, is the study of signs.

Signs

The Saussurean model

Have two parts:

1. The Signifier, was the psychological impression of the sound.
2. The Signified was a concept.

Signs

The modern model

Have two parts:

1. The Signifier; is the material form we can physically sense.
2. The Signified; is the mental or psychological associations.

One Signifier, Many Signified

Signifier

Abstract Relationships

Signs are relational; we only understand cat in relation to dog.

Icon, Index, Symbol

The Peirce addition

These define three approaches that we take to defining the relationship between the signifier and signified.

• Icons: Signifier resembles the signified
• Index: Signifier directly connected to signified and a link can be observed
• Symbol: Signifier is arbitrarily related to the signified

Why These Are Important

Icon, index and symbol illustrate different ways we can interpret meaning of a given message. It also help assess how clearly that relationship may be understood.

Substance and Form

Hjelmslev and semiotics

"...there can be no content without an expression, or expressionless content; neither can there be an expression without a content, or a content-less expression."

Understanding Meaning

A bit more semiotics

Obvious vs. Obscure

The designer's challenge