SEMIOTIC SIGNS, SYMBOLS & WAYS OF MEANING

Group 1- LEE YI JIE & TAN JIAO JUN

WHAT IS SEMIOTICS?

While the word, ” SEMIOTICS”, can be quite distant to many of us, it is actually ubiquitous in our everyday lives. Signs like traffic lights, toilet icon and even fast food icons like the colonel sander a.k.a white beard man from kfc, these are all part of what we call semiotics.

So what actually is semiotics?

It is the study of signs.
It is both the theory and analysis of signs and
signifying practices.
It is the study of meaning-making and meaningful communication.

Formation of Meaning

Cultural and personal experience will curate how people first interpret the sign. It helps us to understand that reality depends not only on the intentions we put into our work but also the interpretation of the people who experience our work. These meanings are actively created, according to a complex interplay of systems and rules of which we are normally unaware.

For example, in this Panzani advertisement, our first impression screams Italian.Colours used are red, white and green which can be related immediately to the Italy flag. However, on the other hand, the texts are in French. Viewers with French background will understand that this is a French company marketing their Italian product. Whereas, for non-French or people who do not understand French, their first interpretation will be an Italian company selling Italian perishable.

Signified and Signifier

To further elaborate on what is signified and signifier, here’s an example below.

Here, the McDonald’s iconic yellow M is the signified whereby we can relate to McDonald’s immediately when we see it and the slogan, “i’m lovin’ it”, which is their tagline is the signifier where people link easily to the famous fast food chain.

In certain cases, the signifier have more than one signified meaning like the examples above.

Connotation and Denotation

Connotation and Denotation are two principal methods of describing the sign.

Icon, Symbols and Index

A signifier can also be explained through 3 elements:

Icon
Symbols
Index

Symbols are learnt culturally, which explains why culture can develop unique traits.

A common example of a symbol is the male and female icons representing the presence of toilet facilities. These icons have become symbols because it takes on extra meaning.

The smoke cannot exist without fire. The signifier is the smoke, which leads to the signified being a fire.

Syntagm and Paradigm

A signified can be explained or described using the syntagm and paradigm framework as explained below.

RECAP

Life Examples of Semiotics

Semiotics in Advertising

The signifier is represented by a public bus as well as a woman holding on to hand rails that are shaped like hands. There are also words, “WHOSE HAND ARE YOU HOLDING?”, which adds to the signifier.

What is signified to you?

Perhaps the feeling that it can be dirty, unhygienic and full of germs.

Semiotics in Architecture

Church being the signifier, it inspires people with the concept of god. The concept of god is also represented by the sign or symbol of the crucifix. Certain architectural elements like the crucifix are expected from a church of any architectural style. The signified meaning of the church is a place for pilgrimage.

Semiotics in Photography

Signified:

Text anchors the image and sets the narrative of the scene.

Signifier:

Red lips connotes passion.

Black background connotes meanings like mystery, forbidden and power.

Tattoo suggests the whole motion of danger and forbidden.

References

Boulton, Mark. “Mark Boulton.” Icons, Symbols and a Semiotic Web | Journal | The Personal Disquiet of Mark Boulton. Accessed January 15, 2017. https://www.markboulton.co.uk/journal/icons-symbols-and-a-semiotic-web.

Hodge, By Challis. “Semiotics: A Primer for Designers.” Boxes and Arrows. May 08, 2014. Accessed January 15, 2017. http://boxesandarrows.com/semiotics-a-primer-for-designers/.

“Min’s fyp process.” Mins fyp process. Accessed January 15, 2017. https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/mwang6/tag/semiotics/.

“Semiotics.” Wikipedia. Accessed January 15, 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics.

Ajamesjr. “Semiotics of Architecture.” ARC 612. October 25, 2012. Accessed January 15, 2017. https://arc612.wordpress.com/2012/10/25/semiotics-of-architecture/.

Props as Signifier

Signified

As how I would put it, something that is blatant.

It just so happen I was drinking milk that day and when Lei gave us this assignment, I was like “why not just use something that is easily neglected”.

Milk carton

What do we normally do when we finish our drink?

There are two types of people when they finish their drink, they recycle or they don’t.

Signifier

As how I would put it , something that is ambiguous.

Milk contains calcium that is beneficial for the growth of bones. Just like how we thrive to grow by drinking milk, this plant thrives for it own growth too.

Isn’t it common today that we accommodate our own growth to societal norms or hide our growth behind a facade?

TAKEAWAY:

I found this assignment quite meaningful and intriguing as I like to discover the meanings behind certain placement of products and objects. This assignment gives me a chance to instil my own meaning and life to my chosen object. I also realised that what you see may not be what it really means, there might be many underlying meanings and stories waiting to be discovered.

Project 1: Picture Story – Curating Self

I always believe that everyone has a side that no one knows of. This may not always be a bad case as I feel that we should have a comfort zone that we enjoy our solitude in.

Hence, I often ponder over this question.

How much do you really know about the people around you?

Task 1: Me

As a single child (hence the bear which (kind-of) represents me), it is normal for me to spend most of my time myself. I used a low angle to show that I am viewing myself as a third party here and it spreads out to how I view myself below.

In this task, I feel that sharing my hobbies will create more common grounds with new people. Hence, I placed a few objects to signify some of my daily routine and hobbies. Also,I used the bed as my medium to represent my reliance in my own comfort zone. In which, I enjoy doing the things I like (eating, drawing, making coffee, sleeping etc.) and here’s a small bad habit of mine, I am a heavy sleeper(no number of alarms can wake me up :O).

Task 2: Object and Representation of Self

“I am not alone”

The object that I have chosen here is my bear. Its a common gift that me and my close friends got for each other in 2014. This bear is a representation of our 5-years friendship milestone. Mentioned in task 1, as a single child, it is inevitable for me to feel lonely at times. However, I am grateful for the friends that stick by my side and this has become a part of who I am. I have arranged the photos according to the gradual change of the term “friends” in my life. From when I’m used to being alone and my first interaction with my acquaintances to getting to know them, and finally embracing them into my life and they have became irreplaceable to me since then.

Task 3: My World

I have chosen Changi Airport as its a place that holds many remembrance for me. I used to frequent the place for family dinners, to study with my friends (some of which we lost contact) and even sending some friends who are migrating off. The first photo represents a walk down a memory lane. Life is a bittersweet story, there are some ups and downs. Along the way, we have many snapshots of the wonderful memories (second photo) of different people in our life. However, through the years I have come to this hard truth- people come and go. Instead of dwelling in the past, we should move on and keep these memories close to our hearts because when the time comes, we are all gone and all thats left is our footprints (third photo). Also, the photos are in a sequence according to their focal point. From the first photo whereby there is a clear focal point to the last one whereby the focal point is dispersed and the displaces person, this emphasised again the people com and go in life.

Final Presentation

I have arranged my photos (left to right), task 2, task 1 and finally task 3. In all my photos, I have applied a layer of filter that is common in most phones and computers called Fade and toggled the brightness and saturations with the same system. This is to suggest that I do not have the necessary preowned skills before coming to ADM, however, I will make do with what I have and create what I have with it.

The reason why I chose to display task 2 first is to introduce the origin of my bear and therefore, explain the frequent appearance of the bear in my photos and the importance of it in my life. I have placed the photos in a sequence of bottom up to highlight my emotion deposition. From the loneliness before getting to know my close friends (you need to look down to view this) to the getting-to-know-each-other stage (eye level) and finally the gratitude and happiness to have them in my life (look up).

Whereas, for task 3, I have position the photos from top down to reenact the process of recalling those past memories (look up to suggest recall movement) and finally coming to that we are all moving on from the past now.

And hence, this concludes my project 1 of Curating Self.

TAKEAWAYS:

every photo lies a story behind it regardless big or small
we can use several photography techniques like changing the shuttle speed to express our stories too