Theory
People have always communicated through signs: language, gestures, or pictorial symbols. Over time, we learn the meaning of these signs within our respective cultural environment. This learning process becomes especially apparent when studying a foreign language or preparing for the theoretical part of a driving test—not only do we expand our vocabulary, but we also deepen our understanding of graphic symbols and their meanings. In doing so, we can distinguish between two qualities: figurative representations, such as the sign with a dog in front of a supermarket, and arbitrary representations, such as the signs “Yield” or “No Entry.”
In addition to representation, context is important: in a conversational situation, we can clarify any ambiguities, whereas in the development of pictorial signs we must anticipate whether the motif is unambiguous and understandable within its context, and whether our target audience is familiar with the sign.
For successful communication, recipients must first be able to recognize and understand the pictorial sign. This requires a shared basis between sender and receiver that assigns at least a similar meaning to a graphic symbol. “Similar” here means that there is always room for interpretation—a factor that cannot and need not be eliminated.
Jörg Aufermann describes this basis in his communication model as a sign repertoire. This repertoire need not be identical for sender and receiver, but it must overlap. This is an aspect that can be directly translated into design practice. In terms of communication, both communicator and recipient need a similar—though not necessarily identical—sign repertoire for effective and meaningful understanding.
Fundamentally, in any form of communication—whether verbal or visual—a shared sign repertoire must be present.
In summary, this means that room for interpretation arises from differing or similar attributions of meaning by senders and receivers. Such attribution can be shaped by culture and is oriented toward the communicators’ frame of experience—and thus their sign repertoire. In addition to the choice of motif, the quality of representation—and therefore recognizability—also plays a role, as does placement in the “right place” at the “right time.” “Yield” only makes sense at an intersection, and the pictorial sign for a defibrillator may only become clear to me as a layperson from the context of its placement.
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#arbitrary
#Motive
