The pupose of the experiment was to understand the meaning and concept behind a visual language. I was asked to show a set of random people three pictures without words and to link them in some way by story.
Here are some of the responses I got...
Person 1 - Female 47 Medical Secretary Dundee
The pigeon had lost his way home and could not find his friends anywhere. He decided the only way he could find his way home was to use google maps on the computer. So he found the nearest internet cafe and started clicking away on the mouse. After a long time he eventually mapped out how to get home but by now he was very tired and decided to get a tube home instead of flying. When he got to the tube station it was very late and the esculators were empty but he got the tube on time and made it home safe.
Person 2 - Male 20 Student Dundee
I was slowly desending from the esculator when all of a sudden my mouse fell out of my laptop bag and a bird thought it was food and took off in the sky with it.
Person 3 - Male 20 Shop Assistant Dundee
You will never believe me but when I was walking down the elcalator there was a bird to my right and a mouse to my left and they were speaking to each other as if I wasn't in the middle of them.
Person 4 - Male 57 Unemployed Dundee
Hurrying up the esculator not paying attention, I was looking at a strange pigeon in the corner and I trip over a computer mouse that someone had dropped.
Person 5 - Female 37 Receptionist Dundee
While on my way to the esculator I happened to look out the window and saw a pigeon fly past with a mouse in his mouth. The funny thing was it was a computer mouse and not a real mouse.
Person 6 - Male 23 Joiner Dundee
When I was on holiday I had to go buy a new computer mouse at the shopping centre. When I got there I had to walk up the stairs as there was a dead pigeon on the esculator and it had to be stopped so they could get it off.
Person 7 - Male 19 Waitor Monifeith
One day a bird flew into our college class, picked up a mouse then flew away down the escalators with it.
Person 8 - Male 19 Consumer Provision Managment Training Coach Leader Dundee
A wee mouse said 'You ya' big bird, what you looking at?' ... The bird looked in fear and shot off down the escalator.
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Assignment 2b - The Experiment
Three Random Images -The theory being tested is a key aspect of semiotics, which was something that was mentioned in a lecture in Semester 1, "image means more than one thing (polysemy), but that text fixes meaning".
These are the three images selected at random which I used in the experiment.
These are the three images selected at random which I used in the experiment.
Assingment 2A - Roland Barthes “Rhetoric of the Image”
For this assignment we were asked to read Roland Barthes famous essay “Rhetoric of the Image” which I did and it was definitely NOT an easy read and I am still getting my head round it. Basically it is all about semiotic theory – the study of the relationship of language and other signs to their meanings. Barthes says in advertising "the significance of the image is intentional" and this is why advertisers choose their images wisely. Images are copies; they can never truly represent or fully reveal what is seen by the human eye. They may look like the real thing but they are representatives lacking smell & touch. Images/photographs can explain something without literature and it can change how we see things but is this a good thing? An image without words tells a story but does it tell them same story to everyone. Sometimes literature can be the missing link between the audience and an image, allowing them to see the image in a whole different light.
He mentions "How does meaning get into the image?", "Where does it end? And if it ends, what is there beyond?". This is all to do with advertisement and how to effectively sell a product with an image alone. The image (without any literature) must convey a message to the consumer and that message is to buy the product that is being advertised which is 'where the image ends', the advertiser has done what he set out to do.
Barthes talks about how an image needs no words, a picture by itself can be enough to get a point across and sure enough this can be true but if it were the chosen image would have to be strong and profound enough to capture the same thought by everyone but not everyone has a clear understanding just by looking at an image. If more than one view can be interpreted from an image then this can lead to confusion, as the audience it is aimed at would all interoperate the image in different ways. What we see is determine by who and what we are and not everyone sees the same thing from the same image.
Advertising is all about the importance of the image. Barthes mentions the "three messages" linguistic (what they are telling), a coded iconic (what you see), and a non coded iconic message (what is actually there). These are all used by advertising companies to capture the public’s eye at first glance and sell the product being advertised.
My conclusion is that in theory an image can be effective enough for advertisers to get there product across but as we all know these images are tried and tested and a great amount of money is used to get the right image for the targeted audience (the buyer). So using a random image without text to get a point across might not be as effective and certainly not productive for a big advertising company to try. We were asked to try out such a theory as an experiment and pick three random pictures and show them to random members of the public although in this case to save time we used family members, friends and fellow students. The outcome of this will be mentioned in assignment 2c when I gather the information.
He mentions "How does meaning get into the image?", "Where does it end? And if it ends, what is there beyond?". This is all to do with advertisement and how to effectively sell a product with an image alone. The image (without any literature) must convey a message to the consumer and that message is to buy the product that is being advertised which is 'where the image ends', the advertiser has done what he set out to do.
Barthes talks about how an image needs no words, a picture by itself can be enough to get a point across and sure enough this can be true but if it were the chosen image would have to be strong and profound enough to capture the same thought by everyone but not everyone has a clear understanding just by looking at an image. If more than one view can be interpreted from an image then this can lead to confusion, as the audience it is aimed at would all interoperate the image in different ways. What we see is determine by who and what we are and not everyone sees the same thing from the same image.
Advertising is all about the importance of the image. Barthes mentions the "three messages" linguistic (what they are telling), a coded iconic (what you see), and a non coded iconic message (what is actually there). These are all used by advertising companies to capture the public’s eye at first glance and sell the product being advertised.
My conclusion is that in theory an image can be effective enough for advertisers to get there product across but as we all know these images are tried and tested and a great amount of money is used to get the right image for the targeted audience (the buyer). So using a random image without text to get a point across might not be as effective and certainly not productive for a big advertising company to try. We were asked to try out such a theory as an experiment and pick three random pictures and show them to random members of the public although in this case to save time we used family members, friends and fellow students. The outcome of this will be mentioned in assignment 2c when I gather the information.
Wednesday 3 February 2010
Assignment 1 - The Consumption of Design
The aim of this assignment is to test the theory of consumption of design by analysing photographs of somebody’s childhood. Identifying for example; what they like and why they like these things. How they were brought up and in what environment? What are their ‘tastes’ and what determines this? Is it their friends, family or maybe they believe they are not influenced at all; maybe they themselves decide what they like. So what is the story behind the photograph?
"One picture is worth a thousand words" Fred R. Barnard.
Our task for this assignment was to swap photographs with a ‘stranger’ and to analyse them, in this case we were to choose a fellow student whom we did not know well. My subject for this assignment was Fiona Sichi. After analysing her photographs we met up to discuss our findings and how felt about what we discovered and the situation we were put in, as we were being asked to judge someone’s life through a photograph as it were. In some aspects it did feel uncomfortable, I was anxious about hearing what a stranger had to say about me, being put under the spot light and looked upon as a ‘test subject’. The meeting with Fiona was successful, we both appreciated how difficult a task it was and that there was a chance that we could touch upon a sensitive subject but I think we understood and tackled the situation very well.
As it would take forever to explaining what I took from each photograph, here is an overview of my findings...
One of the main things which I could tell from the photographs I was given to analyse was that Fiona was close with her siblings and she seems to have a really close nit family which is evident in almost every photograph. People whom I presumed to be her family were leaning in towards each other; their body language gave off signals that they were close with one another and looked out for each other which she confirmed was true. I also got the impression that her mum was very caring and really proud of her children as I noticed that quite a few of the pictures were of her children’s' achievements and in the background were drawings and paintings which the children had done at school perhaps. This was something that Fiona hadn’t realised but seemed amused when I had brought it to her attention. What I also took from the photo’s which she agreed with, was that Fiona’s little sister idolised her. She looked up to her and wanted to have what she had, wear what she wore hence they are wearing similar clothes in a few of the photo’s. In one or two of the photographs Fiona seemed to be at, what I presumed, a wedding which was a close guess but she revealed that they were actually family reunions that they hold every two years which she really enjoys, getting together with family and catching up with those she doesn’t get to see often. I find it really interesting to see how other families ‘work’, their traditions and what the norm for them. Analysing the photographs at first I could see that they were mainly of Fiona and her siblings only in one of the photographs was there an older female which I presumed to be her mother and in another an older gentlemen celebrating his birthday, her dad. She confirmed this although I questioned why her mother was not in many of the photographs and she told me that she was actually normally the person who ran around sorting everything out, arranging things and making sure everyone else was happy, I had slightly picked up on this in one of the photo’s. There was something else I picked up on that Fiona hadn’t noticed which she was intrigued by, in almost all of the photographs she has a certain posture in which her hands are clasped together in front of her which seems to be a trait that her mother and sister also have. I don’t know what this reveals about her personally, it may just mean that she was brought up with good mannerisms and knows how to carry herself properly. Whatever it means I really found it interesting looking at Fiona’s photos and finding out more about her, these little things that one person notices could mean something else, something more important to someone else.
As for my photographs and what Fiona discovered about me; overall it was very positive feedback and made me think about things that I hadn’t thought about before. Maybe you just never look hard enough or maybe there are things you just didn’t want to see. Something which was brought up during our chat was the relationship between my brother and me. After pointing out to me in the pictures, its evident I really looked up to my brother, we were close. I trusted him and was keen to impress him, he looked out for me and although he could be really annoying at times, as most big brothers are, he would always look out for me. We are not as close now as we used to be but there is and always will be that special bond between brother and sister and I will always look up to him.
Another thing Fiona discovered through analysing my pictures was the strong relationship with my grandfather. In a lot of the photo’s my grandfather and me would be playing games of some sort, keeping me entertained. In one of the photographs I am sitting on his knee and copying his actions, Fiona saw this as a strong indication that I looked up to my grandfather he was a big part of my upbringing and I enjoyed being around him. Another photograph shows him burying me in sand up to my neck, Fiona took from this that we had a very trusting relationship for me to allow him to do this which I strongly agree with.
Sometimes people think they know themselves and their life so well but evidently this is not always true, only after this experiment had I realised certain things about myself and my relationships with family members. Not only has this taught me how to cope in uncomfortable situation but it has also made me more aware of what others can tell about me without actually getting to know me personally. It really is intriguing and maybe the aim of this task was not specifically to get to know someone but I found it has really helped me do so and allowed people to get closer and learn about each others past.
It really does make you think and put a different perspective on things when a stranger can tell you things maybe you didn’t even know about yourself only from a few photographs!
"One picture is worth a thousand words" Fred R. Barnard.
Our task for this assignment was to swap photographs with a ‘stranger’ and to analyse them, in this case we were to choose a fellow student whom we did not know well. My subject for this assignment was Fiona Sichi. After analysing her photographs we met up to discuss our findings and how felt about what we discovered and the situation we were put in, as we were being asked to judge someone’s life through a photograph as it were. In some aspects it did feel uncomfortable, I was anxious about hearing what a stranger had to say about me, being put under the spot light and looked upon as a ‘test subject’. The meeting with Fiona was successful, we both appreciated how difficult a task it was and that there was a chance that we could touch upon a sensitive subject but I think we understood and tackled the situation very well.
As it would take forever to explaining what I took from each photograph, here is an overview of my findings...
One of the main things which I could tell from the photographs I was given to analyse was that Fiona was close with her siblings and she seems to have a really close nit family which is evident in almost every photograph. People whom I presumed to be her family were leaning in towards each other; their body language gave off signals that they were close with one another and looked out for each other which she confirmed was true. I also got the impression that her mum was very caring and really proud of her children as I noticed that quite a few of the pictures were of her children’s' achievements and in the background were drawings and paintings which the children had done at school perhaps. This was something that Fiona hadn’t realised but seemed amused when I had brought it to her attention. What I also took from the photo’s which she agreed with, was that Fiona’s little sister idolised her. She looked up to her and wanted to have what she had, wear what she wore hence they are wearing similar clothes in a few of the photo’s. In one or two of the photographs Fiona seemed to be at, what I presumed, a wedding which was a close guess but she revealed that they were actually family reunions that they hold every two years which she really enjoys, getting together with family and catching up with those she doesn’t get to see often. I find it really interesting to see how other families ‘work’, their traditions and what the norm for them. Analysing the photographs at first I could see that they were mainly of Fiona and her siblings only in one of the photographs was there an older female which I presumed to be her mother and in another an older gentlemen celebrating his birthday, her dad. She confirmed this although I questioned why her mother was not in many of the photographs and she told me that she was actually normally the person who ran around sorting everything out, arranging things and making sure everyone else was happy, I had slightly picked up on this in one of the photo’s. There was something else I picked up on that Fiona hadn’t noticed which she was intrigued by, in almost all of the photographs she has a certain posture in which her hands are clasped together in front of her which seems to be a trait that her mother and sister also have. I don’t know what this reveals about her personally, it may just mean that she was brought up with good mannerisms and knows how to carry herself properly. Whatever it means I really found it interesting looking at Fiona’s photos and finding out more about her, these little things that one person notices could mean something else, something more important to someone else.
As for my photographs and what Fiona discovered about me; overall it was very positive feedback and made me think about things that I hadn’t thought about before. Maybe you just never look hard enough or maybe there are things you just didn’t want to see. Something which was brought up during our chat was the relationship between my brother and me. After pointing out to me in the pictures, its evident I really looked up to my brother, we were close. I trusted him and was keen to impress him, he looked out for me and although he could be really annoying at times, as most big brothers are, he would always look out for me. We are not as close now as we used to be but there is and always will be that special bond between brother and sister and I will always look up to him.
Another thing Fiona discovered through analysing my pictures was the strong relationship with my grandfather. In a lot of the photo’s my grandfather and me would be playing games of some sort, keeping me entertained. In one of the photographs I am sitting on his knee and copying his actions, Fiona saw this as a strong indication that I looked up to my grandfather he was a big part of my upbringing and I enjoyed being around him. Another photograph shows him burying me in sand up to my neck, Fiona took from this that we had a very trusting relationship for me to allow him to do this which I strongly agree with.
Sometimes people think they know themselves and their life so well but evidently this is not always true, only after this experiment had I realised certain things about myself and my relationships with family members. Not only has this taught me how to cope in uncomfortable situation but it has also made me more aware of what others can tell about me without actually getting to know me personally. It really is intriguing and maybe the aim of this task was not specifically to get to know someone but I found it has really helped me do so and allowed people to get closer and learn about each others past.
It really does make you think and put a different perspective on things when a stranger can tell you things maybe you didn’t even know about yourself only from a few photographs!
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