Semiotics in plane graphic design (middle)

2.1 Making Symbols Continuously Deepen

The three types and levels of symbols: From the association of a symbol with its referent (that is, its orientation to the involved thing or field), it is currently widely recognized in the field of symbolic theory that symbols can be distinguished into the following three different types. It is also the three levels of the symbol:

â—‡ Image Symbol (ICON): The image symbol is constructed by simulating or being similar to the object. Like a portrait, it is an image symbol of someone. People have an intuitive perception of it and can be identified by the similarity of the image.

IND INDEX: There is a causal or temporal and spatial association between the indicator and the object to which it refers. For example, a road sign is a road sign, and a door is a sign for a building's exit.

SYMBOL: There is no inevitability or intrinsic link between a symbolic symbol and the object it refers to. It is a result of conventional conventions. The object it refers to and the meaning it acquires are felt by many people over a long period of time. The resulting associations come together, that is, social conventions. For example, red represents the revolution, and peach is a symbol of longevity in the eyes of Chinese people.

The above three types are the three types of symbols—coexisting and not replacing each other, and are three levels of symbol deepening. From the image symbol to the indicator to the symbol, the degree of deepening, the process of more extensive information content.

The image of “pigeon” appears on the packaging of the product. It is no doubt that it is only a symbol of the product in the package. The message conveyed to the consumer is “the product in this package is related to the pigeon”. At this time, it is used as an image symbol. Appears; Because the pigeon is an animal that people often see in life, it has a widely recognized animal characteristic. Therefore, when it appears in the sign of a street sign or a place, it appears as an indicator symbol, and the message conveyed is: This is a protected animal area. When this image reappears, it is a new symbol together with the shape of Maple Leaf. It no longer has the meaning of the above two, but refers to the charity industry and expresses a kind of peace. Assistance, and together with the Maple Leaf, indicate the region. Generally, once people see Maple Leaf, it is easy to think of the image of Canada. Maple Leaf is a symbol of Canada. The image of the pigeon here is displayed in front of the people as its symbolic symbol. The designer intends to create the missing corner of the Maple Leaf and expresses the unemployed. He has deliberately transformed the missing corner of the Maple Leaf into a dove shape, indicating that the charity organization is extending a helping hand and exquisitely demonstrates the “Canada——charity business”. - Recover the message idea. At this time, the meaning of its expression is impeccable and accurate, and this is precisely because it is changed from a simple image symbol to an indicator symbol through its internal causality, and then given to it more extensively by many people for a long time. Meaning, the inevitable result of the process of leaping into symbolic symbols. From this we can see that in order for the information of thoughts and feelings to be conveyed more effectively and accurately, a process of deepening symbols is needed. However, it is irresponsible to blindly and objectively indulge in the sign of deepening the symbol. It is contrary to the original intention.

2.2 Grasping the variable thinking of symbols is a category of time and space

As a narrow-minded personal thinking, it has the long-term nature of life and the exploration of different living spaces. As a thinking activity of a broader human society, it has the immutability in the general sense and the applicability to all involved spaces. As the main body of thinking, symbols are also variable in the transformation of time and space.

Different time and space, so that a specific symbol has different referents;
Different time and space, different symbols refer to the same thing;

In the design, for the selection and exploitation of symbols, these variables should be grasped so that the information can be accurately conveyed without ambiguity.

A. Different time and space, so that a specific symbol has different referents. There are a large number of tortoiseshell bones unearthed at the Yinshang site in Anyang, Henan Province. There are a large number of hieroglyphs carved in it, called Oracle, which is the earliest Chinese text that can be tested. . These words were used to record the results of divination, that is, the symbols of the recorded events. Over time, thousands of years later, apart from the archeologists' eyes, it still retains the characteristics of the symbol of the recorded events. In the minds of the vast majority of people, these difficult-to-read words have become Thousand years ago the symbol of that era. In a large number of graphic design works, the image of Oracle has repeatedly appeared. The information it conveys is no longer the result of the ancient people's inquiry of destiny, but has turned into a memorial to people of that era. These words have become thousands of years of Chinese civilization. Glory prompt.

The character “卐”, which is an ancient spell, talisman or religious symbol, is usually regarded as a symbol of fire or sun. It has appeared in many countries and regions. In China and other Asian countries, "Bang" is a Buddhist symbol. In Sanskrit, it means "collection of good fortune." It is considered to be the Rui Xiang that appeared in front of Sakyamuni's chest. It is used as a symbol of "Wonderful Love". Wu Zetian lived longevity in the second year (AD 693). His custom-written pronunciation was “wan, wan yin” and was also written in the Buddhist scriptures. However, the same character has a completely different meaning in modern Europe. In 1920, Hitler, the then German Nazi leader, used the symbol “卐” as the symbol of the Nazi party. He believed that this symbolized “the mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryans” and that “卐” became the rule of fascism and violence. And bloody symbol of terror. 2 The same symbol, but in the different space has the opposite reference object, "卐" is a typical example. The awkward meaning of the auspicious meaning that appears in design works in China or Asia is extremely difficult to be accepted by the people of Western countries. They cannot understand that this symbol is different from their customary reference.

In the case of relatively consistent time and space, social factors are also the main factors that sign refers to change. The "condom" was a very common kind of birth control tool. However, in just a few decades, both in the corners of the world, it has undergone tremendous changes in the reference as a symbol. Because of its use, in the early design work, its appearance merely reflected its behavior itself. However, when the 20th century, the discovery and rapid spread of AIDS in the 1950s and 1960s, the image of the condom in the design works. The emergence of the more frequent, the referents also changed from the original meaning of "to prevent the spread of AIDS," such works appear in different regions, people's recognition of its new meaning is evident.

The network also has a similar experience. Since the Internet has become an indispensable means of communication for the contemporary human society, the symbol "@" is the symbol of the network. Its original symbolizing the meaning of computers and networks is gradually forgotten by people. Instead, it has become a symbol of communication. . This is also repeated in graphic design work on related topics.

(to be continued)