SD3082 Introduction to Design Theories and Culture

Autumn Semester 2017

Subject coordinator: Dr. Sandy Ng

Semiotics & Design-What does it mean?

September 22, 2017

Lecturer: Sandy Ng
… “provides analytical tools for taking an image
apart and tracing how it works in relation to
broader systems of meaning.” (p.74)
… “human culture is made up of signs, each of
which stands for something other than itself, and
the people inhabiting culture busy themselves
making sense of those signs.” (p.75)
… “is centrally concerned with the social effects of
meaning.” (p.76)
 The meanings of sign help create different
types of social and cultural ideologies.
 We express our ideologies through
consumption of goods, not production or work.
 We live in an image-driven world, surrounded
by signs/objects/designs that convey
meanings.
 Signified=a concept or an object i.e. a very
young human unable to walk or talk
 Signifier=a sound or an image attached to a
signified i.e. the word “Baby”
 However, the word (baby) only means
something to those who speak English. And
the same word can have different meanings,
“baby” is also used as an endearing term
between couples.
 A sign has no fixed meaning on its own and
must be understood in context.
René Magritte
"Ceci n'est pas une pipe.« (‘This is not a pipe.’)
1928–29 Oil on canvas
63.5 cm × 93.98 cm (25 in × 37 in)
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
*Referent=object that is related to the sign: baby toys.
*Icon=Image of the object: photo of baby.
*Index=something that stands for the idea: baby
soother=baby
*Symbol=an abstract concept associated with the idea:
baby=future.
*Syntagmatic sign=signs that surround a still image:
baby stroller next to a baby.
*Paradigmatic sign=signs that indicate what it is not:
motorcycle next to a baby=he/she is not an adult.
Halifax advertisement, UK, 1970s
Halifax advertisement, UK, 1970s
Silver Cross Vintage Advertisement
A period pram advertisement from the 1950s, produced by British pram manufacturer Silver Cross,
portraying the classic British nanny and a Silver Cross coach-built pram.
https://silvercrossus.com/our-history/
SURF PRAM AND PUSHCHAIR - ASTON MARTIN EDITION
Aston Martin-Iconic Luxury British Sport Car
James Bond “007” and his Aston Martin
Chanel No.5 Perfume Advertisement featuring
Catherine Deneuve, 1978
Belle De Jour 1967
Babe perfume advertisement featuring Margaux Hemingway, 1978
Margaux Hemingway on the cover of Vogue magazine 1970s
Returning at Sunset
Artist: Hu Boxiang 胡伯翔
Art form: Prints
Country: China
Date: 1924
Medium: Calendar print
Note: Calendar Poster for British American
Tobacco Co.
Rongxi Studio 容膝齋圖
Artist: Ni Zan 倪瓚
Country: China Date: 1372 (Yuan 元 dynasty)
Medium: ink on paper; 紙本水墨
Size: 75 x 36 cm
Calendar poster for Eveready Batteries
Early Twentieth Century
Zheng Kunyu (dates unknown)
Lady Seated on a Bamboo Chair, 18th/19th century
Hanging Scroll, ink & colours on silk
63 x 37 inches Royal Ontario Museum
Moon gate, Garden of the Artless Official,
Suzhou, China
The Garden of the Artless Official
Suzhou, Jiangsu province, China
Birth of Venus
Artist: Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889)
Country: France Date: 1863
Medium: oil on canvas
Size: 130 x 225 cm
Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641)
Pieta c.1629
Oil on Canvas
*Denotive=direct meaning i.e. fashion=style,
elegance, fun…
*Connotive=higher meaning i.e. use of socially
aware images in an advertising campaign shows
that the company does not simply want to make
money, it cares about social issues.
Wooden five-story pagoda of Hōryū-ji in
Japan, built in the 7th century, one of the
oldest wooden buildings in the world.
Tulips flower holder Wooden five-story pagoda of Hōryū-ji in
Porcelain with decoration in under-glaze blue Japan, built in the 7th century, one of the
17th century
oldest wooden buildings in the world.
The Trenchard Bowl
Object: Bowl Artist/Maker: Unknown
Place of origin: London, England (altered) China (made)
Date: 1599-1600 (hallmarked) 1522-1566 (made)
Materials and Techniques: Porcelain (soft white clay called kaolin), painted in underglaze blue,
with silver-gilt mounts

“Kaolin" is derived from "Gaoling" (高嶺), a Chinese village near Jingdezhen in southeastern China.

Chinoiserie refers to the fanciful depictions of life in an imagined and exotic Far East.
It reflects European fascination with this unknown part of the world, and have
little basis in reality.
 The Aesthetic Movement

James McNeill Whistler for Frederic Leyland, London

‘The Peacock Room’, 1876-77
It is now on displayed in The Freer Gallery, USA.
A private residence decorated with a vintage pagoda and hand-painted screen
Beverly Hills, California, USA, 2016

By using Chinoiserie style in this interior design, it symbolizes the wealth of owner
and his/her appreciation of culture and history.
What is a chair?
Designer : Ferdinand Rothbart and Th. Kolb
Date: ca. 1851 (made)
Materials and Techniques: Carved oak and
pine, the upholstery of woolen plush
and wool tassels, the nails brass.
Manufacturer: Thomas Hoffmeister and Thomas Behrens
Place of origin: Coburg
Made for The Great Exhibition of 1851, The Crystal Palace at Hyde Park, England
Imperial Throne
Carved Lacquer
On wood
Qing Dynasty
Chair/Headrest with latched box, Zimbabwe or Mozambique, not dated
Philippe Starck (b.1949)
W. W. Stool (for the film director Wim Wenders)
Varnished sand-cast aluminum, 1991
Manufacturer: Vitra
Philippe Starck (b.1949)
Juicy Salif,1984
Manufacturer: Alessi
 Raymond Williams, “The Creative Mind”
in The Long Revolution (Cardigan: Parthian,
2011). Excerpt [Section IV-VI, pp.33-47].
 Select contemporary designs in any discipline and analyse the content with knowledge
of theories learned in the subject. You are advised to choose two theories that would
help you examine the designs in the context of aesthetics, gender, consumerism,
globalization, lifestyles, and modernity.

*You are to work in a team of four members. Your project report should reflect:

-Understanding of key concepts and issues introduced in the subject, quality of observations
and analysis of cultural products, both in a descriptive and critical manner.

-The ability to relate ideas to design and design experience and the ability to formulate an
interactive relationship between theory and practice of design

-Completeness, clarity of argument and expression. The ability to organize the materials in a
coherent and comprehensible way. Quality of presentation, including appropriate use of
visual materials, citations and overall organization.

(Word count: 2000-3000)

- To critically reflect on what you have learned in this
subject; cite and discuss specific lectures and
assigned readings that most inspire or enlighten
you about theories, culture and design.

- To explore how the knowledge learned in this

course can assist you in your studies and your work
in the future.

-To discuss your personal experience in executing this

project.

(Word count: 750-1000)