Taryn Simon, TED Talks

http://www.ted.com/talks/taryn_simon_the_stories_behind_the_bloodlines

Semiotics

A Sign - anything that makes meaning.

Can be a word, gesture, image, sound, object.

A sign as two components:

Signifier - the material; object or image being seen

Signified - meaning; message given off by images or object

Icons

clear representation of object itself, keeps characteristics

Index

indicate something

connected with its meaning, not arbitrary

compare to icon - it is not the object itself

example -smiles indicate happiness

Symbols

no resemblance to the real object

a result of convention

can only mean something if person knows (culture or previous knowledge)

Dove for Peace - no connection between the two, a convention

Letters and words are examples of symbols

Exercises:

Use cell phone to find icons, indexes and symbols.

Create indexes.

Make our own symbols.

source for above slides is slideshare