John Bowers, in the second chapter of Introduction to Two-Dimensional Design, explains how we as humans, on a larger scale than just design, interpret messages and generate meaning through our experiences and values. All messages are mediated, that is, to some extent messages are led by individual or collective agendas, directed by economic, political, or other strategies; and shaped by the technologies used to create and disseminate them.
The theory of communication involves a sender and a receiver (the audience), a message, a medium, and a shared understanding of the basic elements, including the words and symbols. We each have biases, experiences, and different educational backgrounds that influence how we process and act upon messages. The viewpoint can be political, social, queer, socialist, or any variation or combination of these and other disciplines or modes of thought, Depending on the lens used, forms and messages can yield multiple and even competing meanings. Meaning itself is often unstable and can be influenced by the physical location and cultural setting in which a message is viewed.
A person living in the United States on an average day is exposed to thousands of print and digital visual messages, from advertising to traffic signs. Their meanings are open to interpretation and can be created by aspects ranging from social benefit to personal relevance. Whether the message is informative, persuasive or merely illuminating, its perceived value depends on the interpreter's lens and specific aspects examined.
Technology has played an important role in the appearance and use of different fonts in the dissemination of messages. Public messages, including billboards, are governed by rules on size, placement and lighting, as well as strategies for targeting a particular audience- as propaganda, trying to convince an audience of a certain persuasion. They feature semiotics, or symbols, as a way to communicate without words. Technology, in modernist design, has a profound influence on the appearance and interpretation of visual messages and their resulting responses.
Narratives are a kind of storytelling of an identity that involves the interaction of characters over a time period. This is a ritual that has existed since before written record. Narratives can be told from a single perspective or from a single point of view or from multiple and competitive perspectives.
Christian Leborg describes the abstract in the first chapter of Visual Grammar. For example, when you try to draw a point, you don't end up with a point but with a surface. You can't see or feel the point; it's an object without area. The point has a position defined by the coordinates. A line can be understood as a number of points adjacent to each other. A straight line is the shortest distance between two points. The surface is defined by two lines which do not match or by a minimum of three points not in a line. If the two lines have one point of coincidence, the surface will be a plane. Volume is best described as an empty space that defines surfaces, lines and points.
Above: Image from @sempler on Instagram. This sign functions as more than just a warning to distracted pedestrians- it serves as a commentary on our society, on technology's role in distraction and our addiction to the removal of reality.
Above: Image source fromupnorth.com. This innovative ad preys on frustrated, annoyed, stressed bus riders- taking advantage of their frustration to make a profit. I have seen similar ads in Seattle for Lyft or Car2Go on the sides of buses- or Instacart advertising grocery delivery (au lieu of taking the bus to get groceries).
Image source: yahoo.com. It is interesting to see how distasteful or ill-timed ads can evoke a response in graffiti artists. The combination of the original and the addition can be a much more thought-provoking result..
Above: Image source Tumblr.com. This Seagram's ad really speaks to the harsh duality in the choice between drinking and riving. The strict, firm but simple black-on-white text reminds viewers of the serious consequences dare they make the wrong choice..
Works Cited:
Leborg, Christian. Visual Grammar. Princeton Architectural Press, 2006.
Bowers, John. Introduction to Two-Dimensional Design Understanding Form and Function. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.
Bowers, John. Introduction to Two-Dimensional Design Understanding Form and Function. John Wiley & Sons, 2008.