Shannaine Franklin
Professor Trofimova
Topics in Graphic Design
April 20, 2018
Essay VII: Graphic Symbolism
Today’s topic is a brief explanation of graphic design and graphic symbolism. Graphic symbolism comes in three forms. A brief history of graphic design.Graphic design is visual communication. This visual communication is used to represent and express ideas and concepts. These ideas and concepts have to send a message, use imagery and be aesthetically appealing. The goals of visual communication are to persuade or influence public opinion, how to navigate or assemble something and identify or inform something.
Graphic symbolism influence semiotics. Semiotics are the study of signs, symbols and their impact on communication design. These studies are based on the fact that nobody reads and you need to catch their attentions. And created visual appealing art based of culture, age, gender and life experiences. Symbolism comes in three forms, icons, symbols, and indexes.
Icons are realistic representations of things in real life to communicate quickly. Can come in shapes, forms and colors. Symbols are signs with no apparent resembles to the object or thing being represented. And indexes are signs referencing an object or thing that doesn’t have any actual significance to the actual object.
After this class, I do look at symbols differently. I always knew about icons, but I looked at everything as an icon. Now I know that symbols have different representations. I can be more careful of how I look at symbols and how I create symbols. When it comes to logos and their relation to branding. All the information I will take in, study and bring into design samples.
