Semiotics in Graphic Design

Semiotics in Graphic Design

Human beings recognize things and express their emotions through various existing symbols. The significance of symbols for human beings is self-evident. Graphic design conveys information to the audience with the help of symbols, and the design process is also the process of reproducing and integrating symbols. The following is the semiotics of graphic design that I shared, let's take a look together.

I. Overview of semiotics

The concept of semiotics is defined in the dictionary as the study of notation or the process of notation, or of the function of notation. The word symbol is ancient; in ancient China, knots were used to keep track of things, and the knots were used as a symbol to represent human activities throughout the day. In art and design, symbols usually refer to graphs or graphical things. Different semiotics researchers have different understanding of semiotics. According to Zhao Yiheng, semiotics is: "the doctrine about the activity of meaning", i.e., symbols are perceptions that carry meanings, which can only be expressed through symbols, and the purpose of symbols is to be used to express meanings.

On the other hand, there is no symbol that is not expressed as meaning, and no symbol that does not express meaning. A more classical interpretation of semiotics is Saussure's theory of modern linguistic semiotics: he argued that symbols can be divided into two aspects, the energetic and the referential. Able to refer is the phonological aspect of linguistic symbols, and referent is the semantic content of linguistic symbols, and the two are inseparable. The former expresses the image of the sign and the latter expresses the meaning of the sign. However, people usually ignore the aspect of referent, and for the sake of convenience, in order to avoid misinterpretation, directly refer to the symbols as symbols.

Second, the application of semiotics in graphic design works

Semiotics as a comprehensive cross-disciplinary, the theory of its complexity and depth, various fields have carried out a fairly general and in-depth study. People's most intuitive knowledge of semiotics has always been through the graphic design works to feel, in the graphic design works, designers through the careful selection of symbols, combinations, transformations and regeneration, constitute a vivid image of the advertising work, to the audience to accurately convey the content and meaning of the work. Therefore, the selection of symbols is particularly important for graphic design. First, the use of symbols should be less and more precise, a high-quality design work, the use of symbols that can accurately express the intention, highlighting the theme at a glance, and the work of the white space can trigger people's reverie and thinking. Secondly, the position of symbols should be consistent with people's reading psychology and habits. Readers' reading habits are often from top to bottom, from left to right, but this is not absolute. Modern layout is more flexible, the position of the symbols should also take advantage of the situation to stimulate people's interest in reading, speculate on the reader's psychology, in order to obtain the desired effect. Third, from people's emotional needs, the reader's feelings about the design work directly affect the effect of the work.

The purpose of graphic design is to promote communication between people, designers use symbols to express people's emotional needs, the combination of text symbols and graphic symbols, giving works of specific meaning. Through the works to convey the message, show the emotional changes within people, internalize the design in life. With the continuous development of the times, semiotics is also changing. In order to better express emotional thoughts, semiotics needs to change not only in terms of linguistic characteristics, but also with changes in context. For example, one of the most famous series of poster advertisements for books in the 1970s by Guntland Castle, who used the function of books as a starting point, made a very visual metaphor for books in a pictorial way. Books are a lamp to light up life, books are a window to knowledge, books are a door to science. These lamps, windows, and doors are graphic symbols chosen according to the significance of books to human life, a successful example of graphic design that reflects the inspiration of semiotics to graphic design thinking.

Third, the value of semiotics in graphic design

Semiotics in graphic design belongs to the scope of semiotics research, which not only enriches the research system of design semiotics, but also is an important part of the semiotics research. The whole process of graphic design has a strong practical significance and guiding role. The value of semiotics for graphic design is reflected in the following three aspects.

1, semiotics for graphic design provides a new perspective

In the long history of graphic design, the plane and its composition of the image as a carrier for the exchange of ideas and expression of emotions between human beings, in fact, is a kind of social content of the special form, which expresses not only a symbol or a meaning, in terms of the plane itself, it is It is not only a symbol or a meaning, but in terms of the plane itself, it is "a living life that breathes", full of interest and imagination. Innovation is the eternal connotation of graphic design. Graphic design thinking has been affected by the 'influence of traditional Chinese aesthetic thinking, and semiotics can combine traditional aesthetics with modern design thinking, draw on the advantages of both, develop new perspectives, and obtain breakthroughs and innovative opportunities for graphic design.

2. Semiotics and rational design

Semiotics provides creative norms for graphic design. Graphic design changes with the symbolic image and concept. Therefore, the study of design semiotics is actually a study of the nature of graphic design and its own characteristics. Semiotics research provides graphic design with practical design principles, norms, creative ideas and methods. For example, Longines graphic ads, the designer to Audrey Hepburn's elegant and charming temperament and elegant posture to express the high-end taste and inner meaning of Longines watch, abandoned the traditional way of expression of the star wearing the product, from the audience's point of view and life experience, with a more shocking way to symbolize the coding, so that the graphic design is more visually impactful and easier for people to accept.

3, the actual application of semiotics in graphic design

The application of semiotics in graphic design can be innovative again for the design. Graphic design uses symbols as a carrier to express emotions, thoughts and will to the audience. The audience also rely on the work and their own experience to understand the concepts conveyed by the designer, to achieve the purpose of mutual communication and exchange, which is the significance of semiotics for graphic design. At the same time, the study of semiotics can improve the current Chinese graphic design deficiencies and shortcomings, and provide certain guidance and advice. In short, semiotics not only opens a new door for graphic design, but also provides instructions for its practical operation.

Through the study of semiotics theory and its own characteristics, from the point of view of semiotics, in-depth excavation and analysis of the connotation and essence of graphic design, the development of the law, to diversify the means to accurately and effectively convey information. In this paper, on the basis of the study of the theory of semiotics, discusses the specific application of semiotics in graphic design, the value of semiotics to graphic design, the future influence and significance of semiotics on graphic design is growing, graphic designers need to think about is how to use the principles of semiotics to more accurately and effectively convey the information of the various areas of social life, in order to realize the better development of graphic design.