Semiotics

Semiotics is officially defined as ‘The study of cultural symbolism: of how meaning is conveyed through all aspects of communication: words, images, sounds, colour, texture etc.’

Denotation & Connotation

Denotation is the LITERAL associations with a symbol. e.g. What the object is, a heart, a square etc.

Connotation is the representation of the symbol. e.g. How the object makes you feel; love, fear etc.

Shapes

Shapes is one form of Semiotics.

Circles represent eternity and the sun/moon/earth or the universe and other celestial objects.

Squares & Rectangles represent trust and honest, they have right angles and present order, mathematics, rationality and formality.

Triangles change in meaning depending on their positioning and form. They can represent stability when flat on their base but also instability when they are not flat. They represent dynamic tension, action and aggression.

Colours

Different colours connote/denote different meanings and associations.

How will this research help me to create my final product?

Semiotics will allow me to consider the meaning of each aspect of my final product and put myself in the shoes of the consumer to see parts of the product that might not quite fit in with my overall idea.