2.3 Theory of Signs

If your design does not communicate then it is not a good design.

If there is no sign then designer has failed.

A designed object or system needs to express purpose.

A product designed with purpose can be considered a sign.

When people see the world, they see the material thing.

People look at objects as a sign. There exists signs for everything.

A sign is something that stands for something.

A sign is communication.

A sign is abstract. It must have a vehicle, or it does not exist.

(A vehicle is a carrier, an object or a device that supports the sign.)

Semiotics

The study of meaning-making.

The study of sign process (Semiosis) and meaningful communication.

Any sign (product or system) can be broken down into three dimensions.

Pragmatic: Actual use of codes in everyday life, including the effects of signs and how people mold signs

and meanings in their actual interaction.

Semantic: Signs relate to things.

Syntactic: Signs relate to other signs.

Index: something that can be written or indexed.

Iconic: something in common with what it denotes.

Symbolic: must have a meaning based on mutually agreed symbols.