Lecture 01: Visual Literacy - The Language of Design

In todays lecture, we looked into more in detailed on Visual literacy or image reading. The lecturer, Fred highlighted the main important reasons why visual literacy is important in the language of design and how we use it in our everyday lives.

At the beginning of the lecture, Fred showed us a image green apple on the powerpoint slide and asked if "this is not an apple?". However everyone was very unclear of this question as it just looked like an everyday ordinary green apple, but we all know there was more to it. So Fred told us further on the presentation he would explain the reason behind it.

After that Fred explained, "Why we are here because..."

• It is our job to Communicate.
• We solve problems of communication through type and image and/or motion.
• We are interested in words, language, message and meaning.
• It is our role to become experts in be able to effectively communicate ideas, concepts and content to different audiences in the range of context.

Visual Communication: 

• Is a process of sending and receiving messages using type and images.
• Is based on a level of shared understanding of signs, symbols, gestures and objects. 
• Is affected by an audience, context, media and method of distribution. 

Visual Literacy: 

• The ability to construct meaning from visual image and type.
• Interpreting image of the present, past and a range of cultures.
• Producing images that effectively communicate a message to an audience. 

Visual Literacy is the ability to interpret, negotiate and make meaning from information presented in the form of an image.

Principle One: The toilet symbols 

Here Fred showed us multiple images of a few toilet signs from a different country (Korea) and asked us, how did we know that this sign meant the toilet. Even though the language is different, and the symbols are just like slightly changed upside down exclamation marks , or just shapes. He wondered why we recognised it straight away with or without the words that it was the sign for the toilet. So we pointed out the main reasons why we saw this sign or symbol as the toilet.

• Colours for gender (Blue for males and Pink for Females)
• The shape of the symbol (Male standing up and Female sitting down)
• The triangle shape on the orange stickman representing two pig tails (hairstyle for females)
• Stickmen on with skirt and without, also a wheel chair
• The stickmen constipated by holding over their private area

Overall, Fred explained why we could read this was because Visual Literacy is based on the idea that Pictures can be Read.

Principle Two: Image Reading - Here Fred demonstrated another picture and asked if we could understand what it was telling us. It was a picture or diagram on how to take some medication. The first top two pictures highlights, that you need to take two tablets and swallow it with water. Then the middle picture indicated that you need to take them once every morning, midday and night. and the bottom picture depict that children and babies should not take them as it has a restriction sign. And the picture on the left suggests that this is needed for the human body. 

In conclusion, Visual Literacy is all that is necessary for any language to exist is an agreement amongst a group of people that one thing will stand for another.

Next image Fred presented was a black cross, and asked what this symbol could mean. We most agreed that it look like a plus sign for maths. So Fred showed us another sign which was the addition and the multiplication sign. Then he produced another image of the plus, equals, division and times signs and we all agreed it meant the basic maths symbols.

Then Fred produced another image from the powerpoint of the plus sign being elongated at the bottom and we all agreed that it look like a Christian/religious cross. And when he showed an image of other religious symbols along side the cross, there was also the Islam (crescent, star), Jewish (Star of David) and Buddhist (Wheel of Life) symbol. However, the cross symbol for Christianity on the right is actually wrong as the symbol on the left is the correct one. But we believe that the one on the right is religious as we think of connotations of Jesus dying on the cross, for sacrificing sins for everyone.  

The next image on the slide was a red cross or plus sign and we all agreed that it look like the medical or hospital symbol. However, Fred showed us a green cross and explained that this is the real original sign for it. Highlighting that colours of the symbols can mislead us from other symbols, Fred showed us many more examples of symbols with different colours on them, some look like country flags like Switzerland, Denmark and the England.

Therefore, Visual Literacy is visual communication is made up of presentational symbols whose meaning results from their existence in a particular contexts... The conventions of visual communication are a combination of universal and cultural symbols.  

Then Fred demonstrated another symbol for male and female, the first one was just a normal black and white toilet symbol. Next was another one but the male was blue, whilst the female was pink. Then he should us the symbol of the male and female sign, however it was confusing as the male sign was in the colour pink and the female sign was in the colour blue, thus highlighting that we can miss read colours for what it actually means. The original sign for the female is the symbol VENUS, whilst the male sign is the symbol MARS.

Why are Visual Semantics important? Here Fred showed us an image of the symbol meaning peace, one on a religious side and another an evil side (Nazi). Thus demonstrating how one symbols can mean two or more different things.

So in Visual Literacy is being visually literate requires an awareness of the relationship between Visual Syntax and Visual Semantics.

Visual Syntax: The SYNTAX of an image refers to the pictorial structure and visual organisation of elements. It represents the basic building blocks of an image that affect the way we 'read' it.

These elements include: Framing - Format - Scale - Colour - Font - Stroke - Weight - Shape - Composition - Layout - Motion - Light - Rhythm - Space - Depth - Texture - Text - Words - Tone Shade - Line - Mark - Direction - Editing - Manipulation - Simplification - Emphasis layering - Hierarchy etc.

Fred produced a picture of an egg on the slide, and showed us many photos of them which were presented in various ways, like a boil egg and fried egg. Then he presented more pictures of the egg being with a english breakfast, the first picture looked more appealing compared to the second one. As the first photograph of the english breakfast look clean and fresh plus organised. Whilst the second one looked unappealing and messy. The third picture of the English breakfast looked more appetising as the colour of the egg yolk look sharp and clean, and the green on top made it look more healthier and cleaner.

So Visual Semantics is the SEMANTICS of an image refers ways an image fits into a cultural process of communication. It includes the relationship between form and meaning and the way meaning is created through.

These elements include: Cultural references - Social ideas - Religious beliefs - Political ideas - Historical structures - Iconic forms - Social interaction - Individual experience - Recognised symbols - Established signs etc.

Next Fred showed us images of road signs, and asked us what they mean and if so how? The signs going right to left are: The stop sign for children to cross the road (or lollipop), the general stop sign, the Give way sign, The no entry sign, the road work sign and speed limit is 20 miles per hour.

Then Fred showed us famous faces of the Beatles and asked if we recognised them. So from right to left its: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Then he presents more images of other famous tourist signs like I love New York or I love UK, but by altering the symbol can make a big difference. Like adding the British flag within the heart symbol can be a effective.

Semiotics is the study of signs and sign processes (semiosis), indication, designation, likeness, analogy metaphor, symbolism, signification and communication.

Semiotics is closely related to the field of linguistics, which studies the structures and meaning of language.

Semiotics also studies non-linguistics sign systems, visual language and visual literacy.

Visual elements of semiotics include: Symbols - Sign - Signifier - metaphor - Metonym - Synecdoche. 

So why is this not an apple? As Semiotics have symbols, signs and signifier. For instance the technology symbol for Apple: The SYMBOL (Logo) it symbolises an Apple, SIGN (Identity) it is a sign for Apple products and SIGNIFIER (Brand) it signifies quality, innovation, creativity, design and lifestyle.

So why is this more than an apple? As it shows on the slides that the apple can be shaped in a different scale and size. It could mean other things like the big apple in New york etc.

Therefore, Visual Synecdoche: This term is applied when a part is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. The main subject is simply substituted for something that is inherently connected to it. This substitution only works if what the synecdoche represents is universally recognised.

Visual Metonym: A visual metonym is a symbolic image that is used to make reference to something with a more literal meaning. By way of association the viewer makes connection between the image and the intended subject. Unlike a visual synecdoche, the two image bear a close relationship, but are not intrinsically linked.

Visual Metaphor: A visual metaphor is used to transfer the meaning from one image to another. Although the image may have no close relationship, a metaphor conveys an impression about something relatively unfamiliar comparing or associating it with something familiar.

WORK THE METAPHOR - "Every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for" - Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, Bruce Mau