Studying signs, codes

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Signs, Symbols and Visual Codes
Prepared by: Mustak Ahmed, Ph. D.

Signs, Symbols and VisualSigns, Symbols and Visual
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From looking at optical illusions it is clear
that we can read pictures in several ways.
In order to get a similar reading, pictures
often contain signs, symbols and visual
codes to help us.

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Signs can be divided into three types:
 Symbolic
 Iconic
 Indexical

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Symbolic signs are the ones most difficult
to get your head round!
 Symbolic signs have no obvious
connection between between the sign and
the object.

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For example the word CAT has no
obvious link with a small pet furry animal.
It only works because we understand the
rules that say the letters C-A-T, when put
in a certain order mean that small furry
animal.
CAT =

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Iconic signs are a lot easier to understand!
 Iconic signs have a visual likeness to the
things they represent.
Can you think of at least two iconic signs
you see everyday?

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Here are
some you
can see
when you
use a
computer:

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Look at
the
following
signs and
explain
why they
are iconic.

Signs, Symbols and Visual CodesSigns, Symbols and Visual Codes

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 The only alphabet in the world that
contains iconic letters is the one used by
Japanese and Chinese people.
 The letters are called kanji and there are
over 2,000 of them compared to our 26!
 Each kanji looks like the word it
represents.

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 Copy out
each kanji.
 This one is
naka, it
means
middle. You
can see the
line in the
middle.

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 This
one is
gawa
and
means
river.

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 This is
yama and
means
mountain.

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 This is ta
and
means
rice field.

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You may have heard of the Japanese
footballer Hidetoshi Nakata. He used to
play for Arsenal and has played for
several Italian teams. His surname means
middle rice field.

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If you want to find out what your name is
in Japanese, go to this website:
http://japanese.about.com/bltattoo.htm

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The last kind of sign is indexical.
 Indexical signs have some kind of direct
connection to what is being shown.
 Example: A tear running down someone’s
cheek can be an indexical sign for
sorrow.

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This is an
indexical
sign. What
do you think
it is for?

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It is an old sign for a
school. It is supposed
to represent the light of
learning!
Now we use an iconic sign
to represent this.

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What location
does this bus
offer an indexical
reference to?

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What location
does this taxi offer
an indexical
reference to?

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 Another way of helping us to read pictures
is the use of visual codes.
 There are three main visual codes:
- Dress Codes
- Colour Codes
- Non Verbal Communication

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 Dress codes relate to what
people wear in particular
situations.
 If we see people in evening
dress we usually make the
association of glamour, wealth
and sophistication.

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Colour codes
 Black is the colour people wear after
someone has died.
 White is the colour of innocence.
 Red can mean danger and stop.

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Non verbal codes are to do with gestures,
expressions and body language.
Happy Sad
Angry Worried

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Now use your knowledge of signs and
visual codes to analyse the following three
pictures.
Try to use the vocabulary you have learnt
this lesson.

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Signs, symbols and
visual codes help us
make sense of a picture.

Studying signs, codes

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