Conventional Sign Systems

Conventional sign systems

The Sign

Pictograms:

Used to warn, guide or protect and needs to be immediately decipherable

Visually convey information

Internationally understandable

Cannot be misunderstood

Independent of culture

Semiotics:

Study of sign and meaning

Dependent of context, knowledge, society, culture

e.g. an okay symbol with the hands – attitudes surrounding signs

Syntactic:

Set of rules, principals and processes that govern the structure of sign systems

Formal, unambiguous, succinct

Form, brightness, colour, movement

Pragmatics:

How the context the sign is in contributes to the meaning of that sign

Indicative – can but do not have to

Imperative – influence the receivers behaviour – can not

Suggestive – appeal

The Square:

Morphology recognise the primary characteristics of this sign – a symbolic object, bounded property, dwelling place with the feeling of floor, ceiling, walls, protection

The Triangle:

Apex, direction, movement transferred from the vertical to the horizontal, used in direction, ideal backgrounds for signals because of their symmetry, also symbol for expression of weight

The Circle:

Spontaneous relationship with the straight line than with the curve, feeling addressed more strongly in a circle than by any other sign, viewer places themselves inside or outside the circle, claustrophobic with enclosure

The Arrow:

Two oblique lines coming together to form an angle, expresses movement, stronger movement outwards than up and down, as human movement is normally on a level

Other examples:

• London underground abandons geographical accuracy for aesthetic, a clearer outline and map that is more applicable
• Vignelli does the same with the New York Subway, necessary information at the point of receiving
• NYC- Graphic Standards Manual
• Lance Wyman – Mexico City, metro signs
• Floor sign systems, on the ceiling like in museums