A signifier
is an image or word that conveys meaning to a specific concept. What is
signified is the mental concept which is evoked in the mind notices the
signifier. When a concept has certain connotations, it can divert us onto
different tangents and lead us onto a chain of different signified other
concepts. You can trace back a semiotic chain and locate signifier by signifier
to understand the different aspects that a client will relate too when looking
at one specific signifier.
Noise is
anything that is added to the message between transmitter and receiver which is
unintended. Certain design decisions can give unwanted information or
connotations to the viewer. Interestingly, noise can sometimes become a desired
element for example imperfect old school print methods or the crackle on an old
vinyl record can evolve and become desired by the viewer or listener.
Entropy is
an unpredictable outcome which is unconventional. Whereas redundancy is a
completely predictable and has a message with obvious information. Graffiti on
a billboard advertisement can convert an obvious message into a very entropic
unpredictable meaning. This can be a hit to the viewer’s senses and excite the
viewer. It is effective at moving and shocking an audience by being wild and
unpredictable. However, it can sometimes be hard to convey the desired message
which is why redundancy must be added.
Paradigms
& Syntagms
A Paradigm
is a set of signs from which one is to be chosen whereas, a Syntagm is the
message into which the chosen signs are to be combined. A paradigm all of our
possible choices which we can choose when selecting our design decisions. The
choice of colour, font vocabulary, are all a paradigmatic choice. All of these
choices convey different meanings which can impact a viewer in different ways.
Our clothes are a syntagm of paradigmatic choices of hats, trousers, shoes.
Paradigmatic choices from a restaurant menu can then create a syntagm of a
complete meal and create the meaning of a nice romantic meal.
Analysis
A
syntagmatic analysis of an image or piece of writing is noticing the
composition, code or rules of an image or writing structure. Analysis could
look at how things are gridded out or how certain aspects relate with each
other.
A
paradigmatic analysis is looking at why a certain colour has been chosen for a
composition. It makes us look at what is not chosen to understand a meaning of
what has been chosen. Why has the artist chosen red and not blue?
Paradigmatic
choices within photography is the composition of the image. Why has the
photographer positioned this person here and these other people here? What
message does this convey, does it show division between two parties? The people
or environment are signifiers which also represent certain aspects. The way
which the image has been cropped is a paradigmatic choice which can convey
different connotations depending on what has been cropped or how it has been
cropped.
Add these
new elements of visual communication and vocabulary into my essay
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