Visual Communication Online

• Paragraph 1: Provide a basic introduction to the methodology. What is it? Who discovered it? Why is it important?

    Semiotics is the study of signs. For a sign to exist there must be the signified, a meaning, and the sign, a form of expression. The important detail is that the meaning of signs is created by people and it doesn’t exist separately from them. This means that signs might have different meanings in different communities/countries etc. Social semiotics represent the branch of semiotics and is an approach to communication that seeks to understand how people communicate by a variety of means in particular social settings. It studies the media of dissemination and the modes of communication that people use and develop to represent their understanding of the world and to shape power relations with others. It was first described by Michael Halliday. 

• Paragraph 2: What are some of the rules associated with the methodology? What do photos at the top mean (at the bottom, to the left, to the right etc.)

Based on the reading, Visual Social Semiotics: Understanding How Still Images Make Meaning, it is stated that position of the pictures plays an important role. The placement of symbols and pictures within the text allows them to take on different information roles. Left- commonsense, Right- issue, problem or solution, Top- ideal, Bottom- real and factual. 

Link to the article:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/arena-attachments/1107719/f359a121c743a98bb4063cbdc73a9dae.pdf?1499018261 

• Paragraph 3: Provide 2 images and analyze them through the Social Semiotics method.

    The red octagon symbol is used in traffic and it means STOP. There are two details of the symbol that send this message, its shape and color. The octagon shaped symbol tells you to always make a full stop. The shape of the sign is designed to get your attention more easily so that you can react more quickly. Besides shape, the color red was firstly described as the color of danger. This color also stands out and it's easily noticeable. So, when seeing a red sign on the road the first thing any driver thinks of is to stop immediately. 

 

     In the picture above we can see a white pigeon flying while holding an olive branch in its mouth. The first thing I think of when I see this picture is peace. The picture of the pigeon has always represented peace because a pigeon symbolizes peace and harmony. It's usually in white color which can also represent the white flag which stands for surrender. When an opponent does not want to fight anymore in a war, it shows off the white flag. Lastly, olive in Greek-Roman culture stands for achievement and peace, but also in many other cultures represents beauty, security, power, faith and so on.