Visual Communication Online

 Social Semiotics- The Science of Signs

In simple terms, social semiotics study the way humans use semiotics (the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation) and apply them in communicative and social situations. Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and linguist Charles Sanders Pierce were early founders of the concepts of semiotics, however linguists such as Michael Halliday and Roman Jakobson have strong influence on the framework of social semiotics. (Chandler, D). The methods of this framework are important to understand as semiotics are vital to ensure that the intended meanings of signals are understood. Semiotics are often used in marketing to influence customers' subconscious decision making. An example of how this works is shown in the image below.

Semiotics are basically broken into three parts: the sign, the signifier, and the signified concepts. Social semioticians apply three important principles when analyzing a semiotic system such as language or imagery (Harrison, C):

1. All people see the world through signs.

2. The meaning of signs is created by people and does not exist separately from them and the life of their social/cultural community.

3. Semiotic systems provide people with a variety of resources for making meaning.

This basically means that a sign can be interpreted by different people in varying ways depending on their demographics. When looking at photos, what stands out and the signified concepts can vary based on the viewer. However, codes such as page layout, bolded mediums, page placement, and color scheme can be used by the signer to encourage certain interpretations (Stoian, C). This is called syntagmatic analysis. Someone's body language, attire, posture, and gestures are also semiotic codes you can interpret in person. This is called paradigmatic analysis. The difference between denotation and connotation is very important in semiotics as well. Denotation is described as the literal meaning of a sign, while connotation refers to more personal associations. 

Analyzing Semiotics:

The following are analyzed pictures based on personal and implied signifiers.

1. The yellow color promotes happiness and vitality.

2. There are two signifiers in the tea- the ice in the pitcher, and the steam in the cup. This implies to the viewer that it can be consumed hot and cold.

3. In a connotative manner, "Love Your Heart" leads to the viewer to subconsciously be more aware or concerned about their health. In a denotative manner, the statement promoting the tea as a supporter of a healthy heart encourages the same viewer to buy the tea.

4. The green background, tea leaf, and wooden table provide images of fresh and naturally sourced product.  

5. There no person or type of person represented in the advertisement, implying that Lipton Tea is for all demographics.

1. The dark background represents despair and darkness.

2. The spotlight brings attention to the primary sign. To me, the spotlight also imitates the spotlight you see in a criminal investigation on TV. The spotlight is dramatizing the sign implying it is dangerous.

3. The keys shaped like a gun imply that driving is comparable to a lethal weapon.

4. The statement "Takes one life every 25 seconds" denotes the severity of accidents and driver safety.

5. There is no demographic as an intended target for this add, it is simply meant for anyone who drives.

 

Sources

Chandler, D. Semiotics for Beginners. http://web.pdx.edu/~singlem/coursesite/begsem.html

Harrison, C. (2003). In Visual Social Semiotics: Understanding How Still Images Make Meaning (1 ed., Vol. 50, p. 48). Applied Theory. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.527.6363&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Stoian, C. (2015). Analysing Images: A Social Semiotics Perspective (14). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307476982_Analysing_Images_A_Social_Semiotic_Perspective