Semiotics

Signifier – A signifier is an object, phrase or imagery that someone extracts and emotion or a meaning from which could be an intended one or more natural response. A red flashing light over a door will indicate danger, or a non-smoking sigh on a bus tells people not to smoke in certain areas, its not the actual object or image that is warning us but the meaning we associate with that imagery.

Signified – The signified is the concept or meaning that is taken from the signifier. When stopped at a traffic light, we wait for the green light to show so we can go but the green light doesn’t universally mean go just in that situation we know that red is stop and green is go. So when we pull up to a traffic light our brain has already interpreted the red light as stop, but for go its more of conscious decision because your focused on the light waiting for it to turn. This could be because the colour red is such strong imagery for danger in our culture that we don’t need to consciously interpret it.

Sign – The sign is the signifier and the signified, sign’s can have a very direct literal meaning such as Men and Women signs on toilets to subtle logo’s such as the new BP one which tries to communicate environmentally friendly and safe to use.