Semiotics in Design

Semiotics in any form is the study of sign and symbols. It is commonly associated with language, and the study of how words and symbols create meaning. In literal terms, a Sign within semiotics is essentially anything that does not represent it's own self, but something else. This week i've been reading the dissertation of Faye Williams (2015), "Semiotics in Video Games: The impact of player choice on character design". In particular, I was interested in the subjects of semiotics in character design, and how I can use the same knowledge to apply symbolism and iconography to my entire concept design work.

A physical representation of semiotics is this art piece, "One and Three Chairs" by Joseph Kosuth.
It features a physical chair, an image of the same chair, and a mounted dictionary definition of the word "chair". This piece is a little "out there" for me, but it does a decent job showing what i'm talking about,

Within this, Kosuth has physically represented the stages of a Sign;

The Signifier - This is the object, item or thing that we "read" = FORM
The Signified - This is the concept or idea that it represents  = CONCEPT

An example of this would be

• a signifier: the word open;
• a signified concept: that the shop is open for business (Chandler, 1995)

Visual Semiotics

Visual semiotics can be found in almost every form of art and media. In particular, i'm interested in how these signs can be used in the design stage of concept art, in order to further increase realism, depth and storytelling. "Almost every culture, religion and demographic maintains signifiers that denote the bearer as a member of that group" (Christopher, 2013). Constantly we are surrounded by humans who bear their clothing and appearance in order to further confirm their own belief.
In character design specifically, it is important to integrate the narrative visually on the character.
In video games, the role of the main character is to connect with the player, enhance the narrative and create a believable experience. So naturally, it is important to ensure that the character(s) are visually infused with every aspect of their own story.

As my own character designs for this project are asian-inspired currently, in the follow up to this post I plan to study and research particular time periods of feudal Japan and other areas that interest me visually, in order to further understand the signs and symbols I should be incorporating, as well as the existing semiotics surrounding traditional asian attire.

Archetypes and Stereotypes  

When applying visual semiotics in character design, is it important to understand the difference between what we see as an archetype, and a stereotype.
An archetype (particularly in game/film), is a recurring character, symbol or theme that the audience can recognise, An an example, these can be Hero, Villain, Victim, Healer, often based on their appearance and interactions. Often, these designs can slip into the uncomfortable realm of stereotypes. "In considering archetypes, it is therefore important that we acknowledge that they are a means of framing characters in terms of their narrative roles and behaviors, and that we should be cautious in attempting to use them as blunt instruments" (Sloan, pg 119).

An archetype can be applied with subtlety, allowing the audience to recognise the characters purpose without the use of limited visual tropes. When these tropes become immediately recogniseable, the type can become a stereotype. "The problem with this level of expectation, is predictability" (Parker, pg.88, 1999). Visually, if a character is immediately recogniseable in both Archetype and Stereotype sense (as characters often have aspects of both elements), they become boring. It is much more interesting to try and mix this up a little.

How I can use this:

Using the materials I have found (and continue to find), I can utilize visual semiotics when considering character design, and use the idea of object semiotics to further improve my design process. This will in turn allow my concepts to be more believable, in-depth and readable.