week4:visual syntax,semantics and pragmatics

There are 3 branches in Linguistics: semantics, syntactics and pragmatics. C W Morris (cited in Daniel Chandler,2005) gives a clear definition: "

• Semantics: the relationship of signs to what they stand for;
• syntactics:the formal or structure relations between signs;
• pragmatics:the relation of signs to interpretations ".

Images can be a language as well. If we applied these 3 branches in images, it can explain how images are constructed, given meanings and how they manage to communicate with the readers.

For example, figure 1 is the logo of the brad MUJI. Its syntactic structure is very simple.Its background is dark red and words are written in white. This strong comparison makes the name of the brand stand out from the background. The logo designer use the simpleast font for the words "MUJI". However, these may mean nothing to you unless you know what the signs stand for and its brand culture.

Muji is a Japanese retail company, which is famous for his high-quality household and consumer goods. Muji is also distinguished by minimalist design, focusing on recycling, less advertising, and no-logo or “no-brand” policy. Muji developed a no-brand strategy, which means it puts less money on advertising or traditional marketing. Even when they advertise, they concentrate on the philosophy 'minimalism'. Therefore, its logo is the reflection of MUJI's philosophy.

                                                                           figure 1

 Figure 2 and Figure 3 is a set of advertisements of MUJI designed by Kenya Hara, which also shows Muji's philosophy.Its syntatic structure is very simple as well:

• The horizontal line gives us the impression of depth.
•  Light blue in these 2 ads mixed with white next to each other produces unpleasing sight, which catches people's eyes.
•  Hara used few colors in the ads and the colours he used are very pure,which suggests simplicity.

                                                                           figure 2

 figure 3

Patrick Griffiths notes that "If expressions did not have denotations, language would hardly be of much use. It is the fact that they allow us to communicate about the world that makes them almost indispensable"(Patrick Griffiths, 2006,11) Likewise, if expressions in a advertisement did not have denotation, it would be an uneffecitve advertisement. The syntax of figure 2 and 3 are meaningless unless they are given meanings in it.


By carefully constructing the elements of lines and colors, Hara relates the syntax to the semantic meanings.Hara succeeds in expressing simplicity instead of emptiness in them by using the least elements in these advertisements. The advertisements try to tell readers that the products of MUJI are like these ads: No necessary ornamental objects need to be added. By using the simple syntax, MUJI's brand moral is shapen. What's more, the syntax makes it speak out: simple is the best.

Reference:

1. Chandler, D.(2005).Semiotics for beginners.Retrieved September 13,2010 from http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html
2. Griffiths,P.(2006).Introduction to English Semantics and Pragmatics.Edinburgh:Edinburgh University Press.pp.11