Semiotics Theory

  

A sign is a form of a sucessful communication which consists of the signifier and the signified.

Signifier: A form of image, sound, gesture or event that shows and conveys meaning to communicate with the viewer.

Signified: The concept that the signifier represents.

Denotation: The literal meaning (ex. a crow is a bird)

Connotation: The implied meaning (ex. in a horror movie, a crow symbolizes death, danger)

There are 3 types of signs:

Icon: a sign that physically resembles the signified. (ex. an image, a photo)

Index: a sign that is has a direct relation to the signified in a way that can be observed or inferred. (ex. smoke = fire)

Symbol: a sign that has no direct relation to the signified and it must be agreed on by the society. (ex. red for stop and green for go in traffic lights)

 

                   Icon                                             Index                                               Symbol