Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and how they are used to communicate meaning. It examines three types of signs: iconic signs that resemble what they represent, indexical signs that have a logical connection, and symbolic signs with no direct connection. Semiotic analysis looks at how individual signs combine into narratives in images. Cognitive theories also influence how images are interpreted, through memory, projection, expectations, selectivity, habituation, salience, dissonance, culture, and relating images to words. The Pentagon Memorial represents 9/11 victims through 184 personalized benches organized by age along timelines, with design features like an Age Wall that grows in height to symbolize each victim's age.

1. SEMIOTICS
STUDY OF IMAGES AS SIGNS & SYMBOLS
TRIES TO UNDERSTAND THE SIGNS WE USE

2. Cat
}Sign
Signified
Signifier

3. 3 Types of Signs
Icon Index Symbol

4. 1. ICONIC SIGNS
SIGNS THAT CLOSELY RESEMBLE THE OBJECT

5. SIGNS THAT HAVE A COMMON
SENSE CONNECTION TO THE THING
2. INDEXICAL
SIGNS

6. 3. SYMBOLIC SIGNS
SIGNS WITH NO LOGICAL
REPRESENTATIONAL CONNECTION
Words
E=MC2

8. Roland
FRENCH SEMIOTICIAN 1915-1980
Barthes

9. Images as Collections of Signs
CHAINS OF ASSOCIATION - ROLAND BARTHES
HOW SIGNS COMBINE TO FORM A NARRATIVE

10. Dragon
Duck
Rodeo?

11. COGNITIVE
MENTAL ACTIVITIES THAT AFFECT OUR VISUAL PERCEPTION
THEORY

12. 1. Memory
THE IMAGES WE REMEMBER
AND IMAGES THAT HELP
MEMORY

13. 2. Projection
HOW OUR MENTAL
STATE AFFECTS OUR
VIEW OF AN IMAGE

15. 3. Expectation
PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT MEANING

16. YOU READ BARK,
YOU SEE?

18. 4. Selectivity
ATTENDING TO SPECIFIC
DETAILS WITHIN A SCENE

19. 5. Habituation
IGNORING EVERYDAY VISUAL STIMULI

20. 6. Salience
MORE LIKELY TO NOTICE
STIMULI THAT HAS A
PERSONAL MEANING

21. 7. Dissonance
NEED TO FOCUS ON ONLY ONE STIMULI AT A TIME

22. 7. Dissonance
NEED TO FOCUS ON ONLY ONE STIMULI AT A TIME

23. 8. Culture
OUR UNIQUE CULTURE BOUND
READING OF SYMBOLS

25. 9. Words
TO MAKE SENSE OF
IMAGES WE THINK OF
THEM IN WORDS

26. “Reading” the Pentagon Memorial as a visual message

27. Who are you honoring with this memorial?
How can you visually represent the victims?
How can you differentiate between the victims?
- Passengers vs. Pentagon
- Age of victims

28. There are 184
memorial benches
dedicated to each
of the victims, and
they’re organized
in a timeline of
their ages, from
the youngest
victim, 3-year-old
Dana Falkenberg,
to the oldest, 71-
year-old John
Yamnicky.

29. The site has a curved wall, dubbed the Age Wall,
which gets higher in height to represent the ages of
the victims, meaning it starts at 3 inches tall to
represent Falkenberg and grows to 71 inches to
represent Yamnicky.

30. Within each Age Line, the benches are arranged by month
and date of birth to unify victims without regard to their
status as man or woman, military or civilian, rich or poor.

31. The benches for the
59 jetliner
passengers are
positioned so a
visitor will face the
sky when reading
the victim’s name.
Those dedicated to
the victims inside
the building have
the victim’s name
and the Pentagon in
the same view.

32. Each bench
contains a pool
of water that
reflects light in
the evenings.