Context of practice one - Visual Literacy - The Language of Design.

We began the lecture by going through why we are here in out current position as creative students on our chosen course. As creatives is our job to communicate and solve problems of communication through image, type or motion. We need to learn to be able to communicate ideas and concepts, to different audiences, considering different context. But before we could do this we needed to understand the terminology behind it.

Visual Communication is the sending and receiving of messages using image or type, it is based on a level of understanding of signs, symbols and objects which is affected by media, context and audience.

Visual literacy -
Visual literacy is the ability to find meaning from visual image and type, and also interpreting images from a range of cultures. It also stands for the production of images which can communicate a message. Visual literacy is our ability to interpret and understand information which is presented as an image, for example the international symbol for toilets is now seen as the image to the left, just three small human form symbols one female one male, also in some cases the sign for a disable access is shown through this symbol of a wheel chaired person. All these signs show is a human form, the female represented by wearing a skirt/dress and the male in trousers, as images they do nothing to represent a toilet or bathroom facility but because it has been used in western culture to show that there is mens and women's bathrooms it is now recognised without any type being needed.  This sort of symbols breaks down language barriers and is now internationally recognised, Visual literacy is the idea that images can be read.

A symbol such as this, left, can be interpreted in many different ways, it can be put in different context, for example if this symbol is place next to multiply, division and subtract symbols it is immediately connected to maths. If you make the vertical line longer at the bottom it would look like a crucifix and be related to Religion.

Another factor is colour, for example if this symbol was green it would represent health and medical practice. Yet if the cross was white with a red background it would be the flag of Switzerland, small changes of shape and colour totally changes the meaning behind a symbol and changes our perception of it. Visual communication is made of symbols whose meanings results from their existence in certain contexts.

  These are the symbols for VENUS and MARS, the first is the circle with a small cross below it is associated with the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, the latter, the circle with the arrow emering from it is the symbol which represents the God of war Mars. VENUS is now representative of female and MARS representative of male, in this image it looks as if Venus represents male and Mars female just because of the colours used, people would assume that as blue is seen as a masculine colour and pink as a feminine colour, when in fact the symbols represent the opposite to the colour.

Visual Syntax -

Visual Syntax refers to the structure of a picture and the organisation of elements within the visual image, it represents the basic foundations of an image which affects the way we read and perceive it. Elements to consider are format, scale, font and colour to name a few.

Visual Semantics -

The semantics of an image refers to how an image fits in into a cultural process of communication, which includes the relationship between form and meaning through cultural references such as religion, politics, social and historical structures.

We perceive these signs as road signs as we see them everyday on streets we walk past them and we perceive them without knowing full meaning, it is just seeing them everyday we seem to learn of them without trying, it is only when we learn hazard perception that we fully know the meaning of the shapes and colours and symbols.







Again this image of for sets of hair, eye brows and moustaches is first of all perceived as heads due to the layout of the imagery, our minds fill in the gaps of what is missing in the image. We also recognise who these people are, The Beatles, as they are a symbol of British culture, yet they were about in the 60s before I was born, they are still huge today in modern culture.



Semiotics -

Is the study of signs and semiosis, communication, symbolism and signification. Semiotics can be related to the studies of linguistics, which looks at the meaning of lecture. Not only does semiotics look at linguistics but also sign systems, visuals and visual literacy.

Visual Synecdoche -

This term is used when a part is used to represent a whole, the main subject is substituted with something connected to the main. The substitution only works if the Synecdoche is recognised around the world.

For example the Statue of liberty is an iconic landmark which is very representative of New York, it is universally recognised as a part of New York, if seen people immediately know what it is and where it is.




Visual Metonym -

A visual metonym is a symbolic which is used to represent something of a literal meaning. It is linked to a main subject which the metonym shares a relationship to yet is not representative of it. Such as this image of a taxi, which is usually seen as a New York taxi yet this design is used in different places across America so cannot be seen as a universally recognised symbol for New York yet can still be linked.

"Work the metaphor. Every object has the capacity to stand for something other than what is apparent. Work on what it stands for" - Bruce Mau