Design Success and Failure in Relation to Syntactical Guidelines

This traffic sign clearly denotes that a particular lane is only for bicyclists. The sign is divided in to two sections, and in each section, the words and symbols play the positive roles as the backgrounds play the negative roles. The viewer sees the words and symbols before the backgrounds. The entire sign is balanced on a vertical axis with horizontal factors. The sign guides the viewer's eyes in a downward direction down the center, reading "Right lane, bicyclists only." The bike symbolizes bicyclists. Furthermore, the sign is designed in a leveled rectangular shape. The diamond symbol next to the phrase "right lane" draws the viewer's eyes from left to right; the phrase "right lane" is grouped on the right-hand side, denoting the "right lane." Also, the phrase is balanced with the same visual weight and stability as the diamond symbol.

Reading the words on this sign, the viewer would think that the design of this traffic sign is intended to caution drivers that cyclists are merging from the left-hand side of drivers' vehicles (based on the lower part of the sign). However, at the same time, the upper part of this sign (with the image) denotes an entirely different message. The word state that there is a street ahead that cyclists are entering from the left, but there is an excess of grouping with symbols. The arrows symbolize the lanes for the vehiclists, and the bike symbolizes the bicyclists. But the image depicts a bike lane running in between two car lanes. Furthermore, the grouping of their positions is unresolved by an unclear state of difference. The lanes are depicted to be just right off the center of the street. Hence the sign is completely ambiguous and benefits neither from leveling nor sharpening.

Visual vs Symbolic Language

Representations:
Recognizable employment ads from newspapers (in background).
Bright light from a lamp.

Abstractions:
Recognizable figures of people without detailed persons' features.
Line of people is composed of 2 duplications of the same people.
Light shining through darkness

Symbols:
Line of people.
Typeface of the word "unemployment" is bold and strong, signifying the high rate of unemployment.
Black color of people.

First off, the typeface of the word "unemployment" is bold and strong, signifying the high and dramatic rate of unemployment in the economy. The line of people is composed of 2 duplications of the same people, signifying that the same people are losing job after job and keep waiting and searching for new jobs. They are answering to employment opportunities (such as the ads in the background), waiting and attempting "multiple times" to find work. The people are colored black, symbolizing their dark sadness/depression from unemployment. The black figures are positioned in front of the bright ad background, appearing as silhouettes. There is a light shining through the shadows of the background, bringing the ads into brighter view. Perhaps there are shadows because these unemployed people stay up late at night looking for jobs in the newspaper, turning on lights to read the ads. The scale of of the ads are enormous compared to the people, symbolizing that unemployment is taking over these people's lives. It's a force they cannot avoid; they have no choice but to look for jobs. The word "unemployment" is written in bold, black capital letters and positioned towards the top of the image and directly above the figures; this bold appearance of this word labels the people, and with the white rectangle behind the letters, the word appears as a representational sticker label abstracted to symbolize a denotative label for the jobless figures.

Meaning 2: Interactions Between 3 Levels

Advertisement for the Fragrance Series *Lollipop Bling* by Mariah Carey

Representational

As this fragrance series "Lollipop Bling" is by singer Mariah Carey, her representational photo is used as a centerpiece for the advertisement. This photo of her is specially used for the ad as she wears shiny, sparkling "bling." The word bling is a slang term used for sparkling, fancy jewelry. For the viewer, this full and natural colored photo of Carey is the closest thing to actually seeing the singer in direct experience.

Photos of the three fragrance bottles are shown as well. The viewer recognizes the butterfly shape of the bottle caps. However, the general appearance of a butterfly has been abstracted down to its understructure without the details of a representational butterfly. These representational photos of the perfume bottles hold the general and universal shape of a butterfly. Representational butterflies have been translated into the design of bottle caps for functional purposes.

Particularly with the clouds' proportions (scaling from largest to smallest), the viewer recognizes the perspective of clouds in a blue sky.

This advertisement shows a combination of representational photos, symbols, and abstract elements. Put together, they very much overlap, and the viewer perceives and understands the this design is an image of a fantastical dreamland like an illustration the viewer may have experienced from a fairy tale book.


Abstract

The background of the ad is not very detailed. Although the viewer recognizes a butterflies, clouds, lollipops, and sunlight shining through a sky, these features are very structural. The elements are direct and emotional, evoking feelings of bliss especially with the bright colors and outward directions. Carey is the large, representational centerpiece in the composition of this image. The abstract elements around her create impact the viewer's mind, presenting a blissful, fantastical dreamland.

In particular to the largest cloud, there is a concept that expresses softness and comfort. Carey appears to comfortably sit on this cloud just as if she were sitting on a real pillow. This communicates that the representation of a cloud has been abstracted into a soft, comfy pillow. Furthermore, in all the other clouds floating around Carey (sitting atop the largest cloud), the viewer envisions and experiences abstraction toward symbolism of feeling as "light as a cloud." Similarly, the white outlined butterflies and multi-colored bubbles are abstractions used to express yet signify the feeling of lightly floating on air as well.

Symbolic

As stated before, the word "bling" is a slang term used as a synonym for flashy, fancy jewelry. In the ad, Mariah Carey is wearing actual bling (a diamond butterfly ring) and "lollipop bling" (a ring-shaped lollipops) on her fingers to denote the theme behind the fragrance series. Particularly for these symbols, the viewer would need to know some special information about Carey to understand what they signify: Carey has always had a sweet tooth, so knowing she likes candy, her husband had proposed to her by hiding her diamond engagement ring inside a ring lollipop candy wrapper and letting her open it for a very "sweet" surprise. Hence the perfumes are inspired by the flavors of ring pops to symbolize the "sweet" love Carey felt when her husband proposed to her.

Some of the lollipops in the ad are mainly representational, but the lollipops covered with circular diamonds are representations that have been transformed as abstract visual data. This is an advertisement for selling perfumes not lollipops. Interestingly, the connotative appearance of these bejeweled lollipops denote the sentimental meaning of "lollipop bling." In the image, the three of the bejeweled lollipops are exaggerated in size and float right behind the perfume bottles thus perhaps signifying sweetness itself. Hence, the viewer appreciates these lollipops for their symbolic and abstract natures.

Simultaneously, the abstract rays of sunlight pierce outward through the sky in multiple directions. The bubbles, butterflies, and smallest lollipops are positioned in the same directions as the rays, creating a visual spark which perhaps denotes that the fragrances have a burst of sweetness that is as powerful as a burst of sunshine.

MEANING 1

Symbolism

This is the Bastet, the feline goddess of Ancient Egyptian Religion. This object symbolizes a culture-dependent idea. The viewer sees a cat's head on the body of a woman. These two concepts (cat and woman) are drawn from nature. The scene of a woman with a cat's head is out of the ordinary. Hence the viewer realizes that the cat's head is of great significance. The size of the cat's head is exaggerated- especially in being fused to the large headdress. Furthermore, the Bastet sits up straight astutely with her fists clenched, perhaps denoting powerful, majestic royalty. Thus it can signify that the goddess sits atop her thrown, wearing a headdress as a crown and holding her most treasured possession. The proportions of the Bastet's body (slender figure with large breasts) can signify the ideals of beauty from ancient Egyptian culture.





Abstraction

This image is abstract because it depicts the structural level of a stage set. It is reduced to the basics. The colors, tones, lines, shapes, etc. allow the viewer to see the understructure of a stage set of an artificial city. All these elements are visual clues for the viewer. The stage set has been drawn in minimal representational details. The viewer is particularly guided by blue, green, and red rays piercing through the image and joining at the bottom. With these rays, the image clarifies that the viewer is seeing a stage with spotlights. The spotlights make this image a concept-based abstraction. Almost any visual form with these "spotlights" can be seen as a stage. At the same time, this image can perhaps be a depiction of visual plans for a stage set.

Representation

This is a representational image because it presents the physical reality of a sea turtle. The painting reports large amounts of visual detail. The viewer is able to see the various colors, textures, shapes, etc. of a real sea turtle's body. We recognize the universal appearance of a generic turtle. At the same time, however, the colors, shapes, proportions, and markings allow the viewer to see that this is a specific kind of turtle. These detailed identifying factors let the viewer know this is particularly a sea turtle. We recognize the animal from environment and experience in having seen an actual sea turtle. Because this painting is so realistic, it is used as a technical reference to a sea turtle's natural appearance. The image is very lifelike, so the viewer feels as if he/she is witnessing a live sea turtle that is swimming under the sea or at an aquarium.