Month: February 2022 (Page 3 of 6)

After going over the readings, there was different ideas to take in as to how language came to be. In the essays, it was interesting to learn how symbols derived by the methods of grouping and ordering because it made it easier to count. Before words were used to take over numerical values, numerical values were expressed by counting, whether it was to keep score or record of something. This was nice to see because one method use was the tally, and this is something that is used today as well. The communication system used was by ones and each tally would represent a one object or score. When symbols came along, a symbol would represent one, and then different symbols would come to represent a group of ones, to indicate a higher number. This development in symbols has since transgressed to indicate more than numbers but also terms as objects or value such as phone, train, etc. It is something we see in our everyday lives now. The distinction now is that our symbols are also paired up with words to indicate it context, like traffic signs. This would also depend on the culture, where the text may change.

From the book, I viewed language itself being spoken as something philosophical. I feel like it can be a hard read because you end up using language in order to read about it. Words used where words that phonetically represented itself. Whereas now in the present, one word can signify multiple meanings. Language now has increased in complexity, in to express directly and subtly. It is also mentioned how signs arise from our bodies behavior in order to express ourselves without verbal language. Such example they mentioned is the nine bows to the ground done by a Chinese man to it emperor. In this scenario, this sign of expression is deemed fixed by a rule created by men, and not done as a natural way of communication.

In my opinion, design has a higher outreach then language does. Considering that we in the present have multiple language from different cultures, it is more complex now to communicate with someone else. Someone who only knows English will not understand someone who only speaks Japanese. But through symbols, most are universal understood, communication is a little easier. This goes for design through use of colors, symbols, or audio, and even expressions done through the body.

For me, design is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. However, according to Ellen Lupton & J. Abbot Miller, The difference is that language may have restrictions on sounds, syllabus, and words, while design has no restrictions in conveying data, designing small businesses, key words, shades, forms, icons, drawings, signs…

According to Saussure, in language definitions that distinguish human language from other communicative languages such as animal interaction, sentence structure is often seen as a recognition highlight of semantic code, identifying human natural language from the features of animal communication.

Signals, signs and symbols are the three related components of the communication process found in all known cultures, and they have attracted considerable academic attention because they are mostly unrelated to words or the usual concepts of language. Im believe symbols are icons that have a personality that we can see, unlike language which is auditory. Also, based on Saussure, the concept is distinction between the two united modules of a sign: the signifier, which in language is a set of speech sounds or marks on a page, and the signified, which is the concept or idea behind the graphic communication. In the history of graphic design, according to Ellen Lupton & J. Abbot Miller, modern design plays the role of visual problem solver in our lives and culture.

References

Lupton, Ellen and Julia. “All Together Now,” Print 61, no. 1 (January/February 2007): 28–30. (n.d.).

Ferdinand de Saussure, Course in General Linguistics (excerpt) || Ellen Lupton & J. Abbott Miller, excerpts from Design Writing Research. (n.d.).

http://web.sbu.edu/theology/bychkov/barthes.pdf. (n.d.).

Language could be generally be defined as a way of communication through writing, speech and gesture. As described in Saussure essays: language is the most complex and universal of all the systems of expressions, but also the most characteristic. Language is not something that we inherited and stayed the same all the time, but it is also such a complex system of signs that can’t be easily changed or substituted. As Lupton Miller explains language is a combination of photography and math, positivism and rationalism, observation and logic, experience and mathematical or geometrical studies. Language not only changes or better evolves because of social forces but also because of the arbitrary nature of the sign. The sign is composed by signified and signifier. What we can define as change in the language is actually a shift in the relationship between signifier and signified for example in the Modern German word Drittel derived from the old German Dritteil the signifier was grammatically changed omitting Teil (part) creating a shorter word Drittel, but the concept stayed the same (even though the signified was simplified). Language evolves and exists only if there is a community of speakers and in relationship with time. “Without the time we wouldn’t see the effect of the social forces that influence language” (Saussure). 

Symbols and icons are used to communicate graphically.  As shown in the three essays from Counting Sheep, Modern Hieroglyphs and Language of Dreams natural and on hand elements such as stones, sticks, clays, parts of the body were used since the Sumerian time to count and represent a quantity. Those elements were then represented with signs and then substituted by Romans with symbols. Symbols were needed to represent the absence of a quantity: such as the number zero. The body itself became a set of symbols for representing numbers (hands and feet). The symbol is also defined as linguistic sign or using Saussure term, the signifier. According to Neurath signs were natural imprints of material objects and they were free, clean, objective and logical in opposite of writing which he defines as a machine. The meaning of signs to be used need to be internationally established, only in this way signs can cross national boundaries. Since symbols are fundamental for visual communication, designer play an important role. As Neurath underlines consistency and reduction are two of the most important rules in minimalistic design or in nowadays branding. In the fast culture in which we live designers are always looking for effective symbols to use as logos to transmit the vibes and the concept behind the brand. Furthermore, they are responsible for the evolution of the visual communication since they are always creating new symbols that go viral in few minutes through the new medias. 

The readings for this week focused on language and forms of communication. The reading suggests that in some parts of language, the linguistic sign is arbitrary because there is a lack of a natural relationship between the signifier and the signified. This more or less means that the word doesn’t really associate with or is linked with its sound. However, there were some objections risen to this idea because onomatopoeia words associate with the sound that they make. This idea was rejected in the fact that there aren’t really many authentic onomatopoeia words and are just an approximation of what certain things may sound like. 

Language is something that cannot be changed by anyone as it is a fixed system for everyone and for future generations. No matter how far we look back or what period we choose to look into language has always appeared as a heritage from the previous period. This is a tool of communication that we have inherited and can’t manipulate but understand and use it. 

The symbols are the signifiers that aren’t fully seen as being arbitrary. When it comes to symbols there is some sort of relationship and bond between the signifier and the signified. The symbol isn’t empty as it has a significance for something and once that symbol is established no one can change its significance. For example, as demonstrated in the reading the symbol that is associated with justice is a pair of scales and no one can change it afterward. These symbols or icons are important because they are another form of communication. This is a visual form of communication, unlike language which is auditory. 

The readings “Course in General Linguistics” by Ferdinand de Saussure and “Counting Sheep, A Brief History of Written Numbers” by Lupton Miller talk about the form of communication through written language, sound, meaning, and the difference between countries. It is interesting how humans associate sounds and symbols to communicate something. We connect symbols, sounds, images (sign, meaning, and signifier) with the concept in a very natural, frequent, and fast way without realizing how complex the process is. In addition, it is interesting how language evolves over time and subjectivity between years and countries. For example, Chinese and Japanese characters that initially both civilizations share the same characters to read and write but now both countries have their own language to communicate.
Also, it is interesting how we associate things to tell or represent something. Initially, humans used sticks, fingers, body parts, cows, clay, etc. as a way of counting and evolved certain symbols to represent a quantity. For example, the number five was counted with tangible elements (cows, sticks, stones, etc.), and over time it loses its complexity, becoming a more abstract sign like the V in Roman numerals to the point that this symbol 5, represents the number five in our current number system. We associate a sign with a concept as a visual form of communication. And this happens with all the signs that we can find on a street, airport, restaurant, and even on our smartphones. Emojis, icons on smartphones, visual interfaces, filters, sounds, etc. are new elements of communication that help us to understand and express our ideas, things, or concepts. So, design and designers have an important role in communication and its evolution. We are responsible for creating new forms and changes of visual communication to make it simple, legible, and easy to understand for everyone. Visual communication is like a universal of communication, no matter where you are from, what language you speak or read, visual communication breaks down this barrier and makes people understand what this symbol means. I remember when I travel to Hong Kong, I have a Chinese heritage, but I don’t know how to read and write any Chinese characters, and thanks to the symbols and signs the subway can easily travel around the city.

In the two readings “Ferdinand de Sausurre’s Course in General Linguistics” and a collaboration between J. Abbot Miller and Ellen Lupton entitled “Design Writing Research”, the readings are focused on the usage of language. When it comes to languages, it is most likely considered to be an art in its own unique way.  For instance, in terms of communication, languages come in the forms of words and symbols. What makes languages even more interesting is that they can have its own unique design depending on how people use it. Using words and symbols all over the world has its own complete meaning which to me makes the art of language even more interesting.

The art of language has been around for so many centuries that in modern days, we’re able to understand how people back then were able to come up with their own source of communication. For instance, we have places like China where they are well known for using symbols and even Egypt that’s known for using images. How does communication of language influence modern times? Simple, we use words and images and also use sign language too. From what history was like back then, it is most likely that we have still followed the same idea. The only difference is the way we are using them. Especially with the kind of tools and equipment we use in order to communicate.

In the world of design, language plays a very important role in it. For instance, when creating a design, you create something that’s able to speak to the audience. Whether it can be visually or even verbally. You get designs that have a lot to say without any sights of words. You can also stumble upon designs that’s all about words such as Typography. Regardless of what kind of designs you’ll be able to experience, these designs will always have their own way of communicating with you in their own language.

Something I found very interesting about these two readings by Helen Armstrong and Bruno Munari is that they both reflected on objectivity versus subjectivity in graphic design, and how designers have gone back and forth throughout the ages from one to the other and then back again.  I myself am a huge proponent of subjectivity in all forms of design.  This is because I think that so very many things have already been done in the world, and the average consumer has seen so very much already, that I believe the only way to really differentiate oneself as a designer is to put one’s deeply personal point of view or spin on everything one designs.  Plus I think there has been enough rational, plain, objective designs so far in history, and I love the idea of everyone getting very personal with their designs, even if just from the perspective of getting to know other people through their designs.

One part of the Helen Armstrong reading that really stuck out to me, was Kenya Hara’s quote that was paired with the advertisement for Muji that he designed, about how the blankness of the ads is there for the viewer to deposit their own ideas and wishes into.  Some people may absolutely love that blankness, but I think it is so boring (no disrespect to Kenya Hara).  As I stated in the above paragraph, I think there has been so much plainness in design for many years, that I am craving ads and other designs that are hyper personal to the designer and look totally different from each other.

Something in the Bruno Munari reading that I found really interesting was that the roadsigns for double bends in the Louis XIV era were at first quite decorative, as was fitting for the time.  However, as time passed and those roads became more and more used by more people, the roadsigns became less decorative and larger, so that they were more functional to all those people.  I love all that Rococo decoration from that era, and I find it striking that it is widely accepted that less decoration is more practical.  I suppose maybe there is a psychological reasoning for that consensus, however I would love it if highly decorative elements were allowed to be inserted in designed things that are highly functional.  I just feel like, why do highly functional objects like roadsigns need to be bare bones simple, plain, and devoid of any fun elements?

Language is a collection of signs (drawn characters) signifiers (sounds) and signified items (items being written or spoken about) being given a relationship to one another by people. This relationship is one that forms organically to meet the needs of the people who are utilizing the language at their present time and place.

 Language unlike any other form of communication cannot be manipulated by the people who are utilizing it. It is both at the whims and not at the whims of the people of the time. It is a collective effort (albeit passively) to create language, because unlike signs or symbols, language is difficult to manipulate, and is largely an inheritance. In the text that was provided Ferdinand De Saussure says that where a language comes from is almost irrelevant. It is almost impossible for someone to say that a word (sign) is meant for one purpose, and that you must use it for that purpose, due to the amount of time necessary to manipulate a language and to get others to adopt that terminology. However, a symbol (a drawing) due to its wider universality can act as sign, signified and signifier all at once. 

Signs, signifieds, and signifiers do not exist solely in the realm of the written and spoken word. Throughout history symbols have stood in the place of all three of these concepts. Take for instance the male or female symbols outside of bathrooms. They utilize context, and prior knowledge to tell you “men go into this room, and women go into that room”. There is also the universality as a symbol such as the stop sign, which is utilized internationally. 

Design utilizes the often unconscious knowledge we all have of signs, signifieds, and signifiers. and can play with these assumptions using them to communicate deeper concepts than any one of these 3 things can do alone. Design brings signs, signifieds, and signifiers to a new level, often making  signifieds of the signifiers and signs creating even further depth within a piece. 

Design particularly visual design escapes the limitation of linear time necessary to convey a message. Design Often assumes that people are taking in a whole image, and that there are various elements to the image all working separately but together at the same time.  Good design manipulates the senses, and is capable of often sending the viewer on a circular journey. An advertisement almost assumes that you are entering the image from a variety of angles, and that the viewers may not all share the exact same cultural and contextual assumptions. 

As time passes and the world shrinks, we as a species share more and more context. Our understanding of one another grows, and we collectively create new signs, signifieds and signifiers, which allows us to make things that can be universally enjoyed and understood regardless of borders. 

In the assigned readings authors talk about language as a tool of communication between people. Although there are many languages, each differs from the other, some so much that people hardly understand each other, there is still one language that is common for everyone – the language of signs and pictures, symbols and icons. This language plays a great role in graphic design because it elaborates an important meaning through small icons. For example, as the knife and fork icon represents restaurants, when we see it, we immediately imagine an establishment where we can eat; or just two letters WC make you think of a restroom. 

What differs a language from other forms of communication, is that language is, as I said before, a tool made for communication between people, but it is a strictly organized tool, with specific rules and laws. If we take Western languages, all of them have words that are made from letters, they all have nouns, verbs, and adjectives. They all have a more or less similar structure, so, I want to say, they are made and organized in a similar way. Other communication tools do not have it. If we put signs, icons together, they will make almost no sense if you do not “translate” it to your language. Since the design is made for often graphical communication between people, we still use language as a tool to create and decode these graphic representations.