Same concept; Different field: Semiotics in Product Design
There is a concept in product design that amazes me anytime I remember.
What amazes me is not the concept itself but the fact that i have come across this
concept in my earlier life (undergrad year)
and I never thought I would stumble on it in the product space.
Hey dearies, Iqmat here again…
So, I am a graduate of English and during my undergraduate years
most of us felt like what we are learning is really limited to the language space
and we really cannot get any other thing from it.
One course that i remember vividly is TGG(transformational-generative grammar)
it’s a course where you draw the structure of a sentence and get to see how it
changes based on the word classes and boring stuffs like that.
So, a concept we learnt in English class is SEMIOTICS, which is simply the study
of signs and symbols and how they convey meaning.
Signs and symbols been referred to as signifier.
And because the design of a product plays a major role in communicating
meaning to the users, designers makes use of Signifiers.
Signifier in both case; product design and semiotics literally mean the same thing
In the product space, Signifiers are more like the visual cues that shape the user's
perception of a product,
and they communicate meaning through branding, user experience,
sustainability, and cultural significance.
A product's logo, packaging, and overall aesthetic are all signifiers that contribute to its brand identity.
If we see a product using rainbow colour/ flag, that colour is a signifier
and it communicates that the product is an advocate of LGTBQ.
I’m pretty sure people familiar with Language and linguistics or product design
understands this article better than someone from neither field.
Key Takeaway: No knowledge is wasted, a knowledge acquired but not used yet might just be a basic cue to decode an advance learning tomorrow.
🤗I hope you enjoyed your read and find this post helpful.
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Love and Light.