The area of visual communication has key elements of image and text. Their symbiotic relationship in semiotics and structure is important to understand, appreciate and apply in order to create messages that are meaningful, cerebral and in context. Images, as much as a language, conveys messages, both coded and direct. To understand the intricate relationships that exist between the semiotics of both text and image would help in the process of effective visual communication. This is clearly demonstrated in the examples used for the Unit 1 readings in the works of Japanese designer, Shigeo Fukuda in his work ‘All Flesh is Grass’ and in Kenji Ito’s ‘For the Pollution.’

The structural and semiotic sides of visual communication is relevant when considering the impact of the hidden meaning in signs : a crucial tool to all designers to encode their message in a manner where the decoding among the audience is carried out the way it was intentionally designed when creating the encoding.

Just as it is mentioned in the Unit 1 readings that hieroglyphs would be merely pictures unless there was a meaning or symbolism attached to them so also the way in which this symbolism is then implied is determined by its origin of culture. Interpretations of meanings are multiple when one considers its semiotics and structure.

When structure is broken down into icon/index/symbol/metaphor/metonymy and when semiotics can be classified into primary orders of signs i.e. indexical, iconic and symbolic, it is then understood that interpretations of semiotics lie deeply rooted in social life and are the operations in the transactions of meaning, as De Saussure says when he refers to semiology as ‘a science that studies the role of signs as part of social life.’

When Roland Barthes looks at the combined significance and meaning of a ‘rose’ and ‘passion’ as being ‘passionified rose’, it combines the tangible with the intangible, conceptual or abstract to create a third meaning that is new, and is an associative meaning.

What then would be our significant contribution towards the systemic and semiotic communication of the future? Does one look at, for example, the sms system as a systemic/semiotic message of our times??  Like for example, Rives’ typographic narrative^[1] or Taryn Simon’s metaphoric images^[2], installation artist Jenny Holzer’s ^[3] projection works that we looked at in GRDS 702 (Methodological Practice) highlighted the inclusion of cultural values applied in design and the use of semiotics and systemic methods of visual communication.

References :

[1] Rives. TED 2008. http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/inspiration/rives-tells-a-story-of-mixed-emoticons/ Web. Accessed on 25.03.2013.

[2] Simon, Taryn. TED 2009. http://www.ezrasf.com/wplog/2009/10/24/ted-talks-taryn-simon/ Web. Accessed on 25.03.2013.

[3] Holzer, Henny. Projections. http://www.jennyholzer.com/Projections/site/Bregenz2004/ Web. Accessed on 25.03.2013.

What is the most profound thing you have learned about yourself and your creative practices through this course? Have you experienced moments of disruptive wonder? In what ways has your perspective on graphic design practice changed?

In the last three months, I have interacted with methods and processes that have made me uncomfortable as I did not know the outcome. I did not know what was expected of me…there was no definite outcome that was defined….and this is something that threw me off completely… Ever since I have been working with design, there is always a definite, expected outcome… The process of not having one, and letting the journey of the process define what outcome would emerge was an ambiguity that I learnt to deal with by letting go of my inhibitions…. This ambiguous journey took me in directions that I had never thought of ending up with. I also realised that the subjects of my process and invariable outcome would be related to those that deal with empathy in society at large.

I am surprised at the experience in this course because I seem to have taken with me more than just process and disruptive wonder…I seem to have taken with me a way of making my mind think… By the time we were onto the second exploration, I found myself working with relative ease with the ambiguous nature of the process and outcome. I’ve also taken with me the need for working towards sustainable ways to design concepts.

My perspective and the way in which I approach my work has undergone a tremendous change already and I can see it in the way I have been interacting with new ideas for clients at work and with my students, where I teach. All the sleepless nights have been totally worth the wonderful experience to say the least.

My creative process in the past became one where I would end up automatically reacting to a problem with the first solutions that were obvious. With the explorations in the past weeks first with the word play in exploration A and then the exploration B which is still in progress, I have been surprised with the outcome. The creative process that led to the final outcome, was surprising in the twists and turns that it took along the way. And though I am sceptical about the outcome leading towards a moment of disruptive wonder, I see the possibilities of going in directions perhaps I would have never considered before. I am sceptical about disruptive wonder being a learnt process because I feel that the kind of work Kelli Anderson came up with also requires a certain talent and a creative bent which perhaps is not something that can be a learnt process. On the other hand learning new ways of thinking perhaps creates the seeds of new creative processes that lead to moments of disruptive wonder. So, despite my views on the matter, I also am able to see, experience and appreciate learning new ways of working through creative solutions. I already see a difference in the way in which I am working towards problems and the way in which I am seeing things around me. I am looking forward to the future assignments both client as well as self driven, where I hope to be able to create solutions with moments of disruptive wonder.