Semiotics - Visual Literacy

A Visual Synecdoche is a part of something that is used to represent the whole.  A synecdoche only works if the substitution is recognised around the world.  An example of this would be using frankfurters to represent Germany.

A Visual Metaphor is a way of taking something to represent something different, based on their shared meanings.  For example, using an image of a grizzly bear to relate to a man with a beard.

A Visual Metonym is a image that symbolises something else, often the bigger picture.  For example, a plus sign is a symbol for first aid, or health in general.

Japan is thought to be the most advanced country in the world.  Here is a list I came up with to sum up the country as a whole.

Synecdoche - Sushi - A japanese delicacy.  Not the only place in the world where you can get it but is a part of the whole country.
Metonym - Godzilla - The fictional dinosaur-like creature attacked Japan and is a symbolic creature to the country.
Metaphor - The robot from iRobot - Smart, sleek design, technologically advanced.

Image Research

No News Is Good News

My research is about Wayne Rooney's new 250k-a-week contract.

Facts and Statistics

• Rooney initially stated he wanted to leave Manchester United as the club lacked ambition.
• After a week long saga, Rooney made a shocking U-Turn when he became the highest paid player in footballing history, putting pen-to-paper on a 5 year deal worth an estimated £60M.
• His new contract earns him a staggering £160,000 more than his previous £90M-a-week deal.
• In the 2009/10 season, Wayne Rooney scored 34 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions.  From the current day, he has scored only once in 16 appearances this season.
• Based on the median income in the UK, it would take the average household 10 years to earn what Rooney does in a week.

Opinions?

• Matt Kinsey - I support United, and even I think it's a f**king joke.
• Dad - No footballer deserves that kind of money.
• Jennifer Langstaff - What do I think? I think it's disgusting.
• Mum - Don't get me started about footballers' wages.
• Me - Football nowadays is all about the money, unfortunately.  Just because the club CAN give them sort of wages doesn't mean they should.

Opinions from the Web and Articles

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/10/23/2179356/wayne-rooneys-new-manchester-united-deal-worth-250000-a-week

"So the moral of Wayne Rooney saga is that if you throw a tantrum you will get your way.  What a fantastic role model for kids.  As a united fan I'm absolutely disgusted by his actions."

Hasan, Pakistan

"They are gradually turning football in England to basketball in the US.  250k a week is not out-of-line in the US.  But is Rooney worth that much?  I doubt it"

Zico, 9ja

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3203657/Benoit-Assou-Ekotto-Wayne-Rooney-is-a-dirty-prostitute-shaer.html

"He's a dirty prostitute sha**er"

Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Tottenham Hotspur

The Sun Newspaper - 23rd October

"What a great result for football that Rooney has decided to stay because this was a fight Sir Alex Ferguson couldn't afford to lose - for all our sakes."

Ian Holloway, Blackpool Manager

The Times Newspaper - 23rd October

"Rooney is a brilliant footballer who will score many more goals and make millions in the process.  Whether he will ever recover his reputation in the eyes of the fans and the wider world is another question altogether."

Matthew Syed, The Times

"Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it's a better cow than the one you've got in the field.  It never really works out that way."

Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United Manager

Ian Holloway's outburst on Wayne Rooney

What is Graphic Design? Statement One

'Graphic Design... is the effective delivery of a message, idea or concept through the use of visual language.'

This is a good way of making the bicycle personal, by shaping the frame in somebody's name.

These two typefaces represent the word displayed which adds extra depth.  'Passion' looks powerful and striking and 'Creativity' has numerous sizes and shapes to promote thinking outside the box.

These are a series of type pieces that replace the 'O' with imagery that the word is describing.  I think this is a creative way of depicting a word, and the colours highlight the subject even more.

If you stare long enough, the imagery here starts to move, which brings it to life and adds an entirely new dimension to the design.

Taking things literally: the queen bee.  By adding items that are commonly linked with something, people can start to make comparisons to create a whole new meaning.

The way this design is folded into the shape of an iceberg helps to back up the meaning of the image.  Creative folding will help engage the viewer, which will make them much more likely to respond to this design.

Type and image come together to create this famous scene in the film 'Shaun of The Dead'.  Text wrapping is used to create the look of the cricket bat, which I think is a much better technique than aligning the text in the bottom corner, which is the standard for a lot of contemporary film posters.

'Fab' is a word heavily associated with the psychedelic movement around the 1960 period.  Bright colours, drug use and love are also linked with this era, which is combined so well in this design.  Like the previous image, the poster seems to move around if looked at long enough, reflecting the effects of drugs.

This clever design uses a strip of paper to effectively convey two separate meanings which I interpret as: Smoking/Non Smoking.

What is Graphic Design? Statement Two

'appropriate, creative, obsessive, frustrating, organised structured... design lives in the detail'


http://www.booooooom.com/2010/09/09/luca-barcellona-legacy-of-letters-calligraphy-video/

I couldn't figure out how to embed the video into the post so here is the link.  Watching this guy in action made me appreciate the art of calligraphy more, and how much detail and organisation it takes to pull it off.

This is a really nice image that isn't overcomplicated with the simple colour scheme. 

These images are illustrated in a way that looks photo-realistic, which is a nice twist from the vector images I've looked at before. 

These images are nicely detailed and the black stops it from being too overwhelming.

This is the revamped version of the Royal Opera House emblem.  It has a modern day feel to a classic logo, and is displayed very nicely in vector form.

This collage of images to create type looks 'wacky' and creative.

Typography made out of plants is an idea that has been explored before, but the detail used adds a calligraphic feel to it.

What is Graphic Design? Statement Three

'Graphic Design... simple and effective'

The imagery from these posters are instantly recognisable, which is what makes them so effective.

The simple logo and colour scheme keeps everything clean and crisp, and easily recognisable.

The Olympics logos are always simple and use a set amount of colours.  This makes them easily replicable and easy to transfer to products for branding.

Another simple poster that uses a recognisable aspect from the Star Wars series.  In my opinion, the text is unnecessary.

Vinyl covers in the style of the penguin books.  The colour scheme and imagery are kept simple and the worn out look makes them look vintage.

Simple threshold imagery, with the band and album name clearly presented.  A nice, crisp image.

This shows how recognisable logos really are.  By showing them in a dot format, it is still clear what logo is being exhibited based on the layout and colour scheme.  This is why these logos are so successful.