OUGD405 1 - Signs and Pictograms

SIGNS AND PICTOGRAMS

Pictograms are used to warn/guide/protect.
They need to be immediately decipherable and internationally recognisable to avoid language barriers.






Semiotics
Semantics is the sign and meaning. They are dependent on context, knowledge, society and culture.
eg. the hand signal for 'ok' in most languages is considered very rude in Brazil so cannot be used.

Syntactics - formal, unambiguous and succinct. Can be form, brightness, colour, movement, material, scale, position, shape.





Pragmatics 

indicative - telling the user they can smoke if they want but they do not have to. The user can do what they want with the information 

Imperative - smoking is prohibited, meant to influence the viewers behaviour.

Suggestive - meant to incite feelings within consumer, this represents an appeal to stop smoking.

Basic signs






square 
morphological studies show the shape is symbolic with the feeling of walls and protection. The square turned on its point indicates a certain intention so it is used for traffic signs in the US.





triangle
placing the triangle on one of its points gives direction to the shape, this is why triangles facing left/right are used to show direction.
on its base shows stability and permanence - used to convey the expression 'wait'.






circle
not as preferred as shapes with straight lines. viewers will place themselves inside or outside the circle depending on characteristics. enclosure felt as claustrophobia.




arrows
similar to triangles showing direction. arrows pointing left and right have a stronger movement than those pointing up or down (except in a lift)