week 5 actions

Well it seems I've lost track a bit on this project. falling behind on schedule. Even so I am still in the research stage of the project, and although my essay topic questions is not final. I still have some good ideas in what I would like to know about semiotics within advertising.

• How far can an audience really be manipulated into thinking something. (how specific can the signified be?)
• How can an audiences perception of something be changed. 
• Are people aware of the hidden messages within advertising.
• A case study of a advertising campaign, or a few small campaigns or individual adverts.  

I am sure more questions and topics will be raised as I delve into semiotics properly over the next couple of weeks. I am not stressing over coming out with a definite question just yet, as i think one will reveal its self as I learn more. 

So as of week 5 my actions are just to read or at least start reading some books I have purchased, as well as learn and define the key figures in semiotics. I would also like to review and add a little more to my statement of intent and create a good 2nd draft for it.

Introducing Semiotics

I have purchased the book "introducing Semiotics" by Paul Cobley and Litza Jansz. At a first glance it seems like a really basic and a pretty near comic like introduction to semiotics as a whole. Introducing various theorists and writers in the subject. I hope this will be the light read introduction to semiotics i have been looking for to help give a first basic look to it.

Reflective writing over view.

Having spent today's class learning about reflective writing and the difference compared to descriptive writing I have learnt and gained a better understanding of the subject and how to flesh out on what can at first seem like a small topic.
This will help both now and later when it comes to the essay, it will help me explore and understand themes and topics within an advertisement to gain an understanding into the semiotics contained within it. Being able to understand these will allow for a better essay and a better project mark as a whole.

Semiotics in advertising.

I will be doing my essay topic on Semiotics, and more precisely on the semiotics within advertising. I still am not 100% sure where to go from there but I have some ideas.

• Directly comparing and evalating 2/3 adverts in detail and how they use semiotics.
• Comparing 2/3 adverts in different ways using different theories of semiotics.
• Critically analyse some of the methods and theories of semioticians.

Topic of essay

I found the information and theory behind semiotics very interesting, and also a potentially important thing to learn properly for design. Due to these I will am going to look firther into and potentially base my essay on something within semiotics, such as its use within advertising and use a few case studies on it as a base for the content of my essay.

Questions on semiotics

Semiotics Questions and Answers

Summarise what semiotic theory is used for. How could it be useful to your specialism?
-Semiotic theory is useful to know how and why signs are used and how they may be utilised to make an audience think something. They are also important for indirect communication.

Name 10 different signs you encounter every day. eg. sound, body language, adverts…

-wave hello.

-fire alarm.

-flashing lights on emergency vehicles.

-traffic lights.

-facial expressions.

-people wearing hats, scarves and gloves.

-leaves falling off a tree.

-flags.

-shivering.

-game screens flashing red to indicate low health.

What was Ferndinand de Sausuere banging on about? Whats his theory on this?

Hid theory was that there are two parts to semiotics, the signifier and the signified. 

How did Charles Sanders Peirce differ from him above?
Charles added that there is different types and variations of semiotics. Index, Icons and symbols.

Define the Signifier. Give three examples of a Signifier.
The signifier is the things that you actually see or hear etc.

-The alarm sound of a fire alarm.

-The actual movement of the hand gesturing.

-The leaf falling.

What is signified?
The signified is the message that the signifier gets across.

Give an example of a sign system.
Sign Language, or even a normal spoken language.

What is intertextuality? Give an example.

Semiotics

After reading a little bit on semiotics and discussing it in class. I now have a good or at least basic grasp of the theory behind it. Having studied graphic design for a few years, I have been using them already. However now I know more information about it and differences between varying semiotics.

I think this puts some or answers what topics I could discuss about signs I mentioned in a previous entry. I could well base my project on a variety of smaller subjects within semiotics.

Some decent possibilities.

After spending some time discussing and thinking about some possible topics for this module, I have come up with a list with some decent possibilities on it, some of which are quite specific and others still a little bit open but still an interesting possibility.

• Laws around Graffiti.
• Influence and power of suggestion within colour.
• How important is branding for a small/new business.
• How much is enough with advertising and how far should it be aloud to go.
• Signs and icons. (A little open but there's something in there regarding there global usage etc.)
• Should we be able to choose if we want to see advertising.
• How far can a company go with a re-brand?
• When is it the right time for a re-brand?
• Possibilities and effects of post-design things, such as printing methods.

These are some possible areas I could base my essay on, I think some may have more resources and information on than other but I will have to look into some, as well as try to think of some more. 

Mind mapping for a starting place.

In order to generate some initial ideas and think of potential areas to look into for the subject of this project. I decided to create a few small mind maps. I decided on creating 3 smaller ones for some large areas i was interested in looking into, rather than just one big mind map. I though this was it could help me focus on a specific area and try to explore more of it.

I spent some time on these, and I was quite disappointed of not being able to come up with some detailed or specific things to look into. Even so I was still able to get at least a couple of specific areas, and I was able to at least get a start into looking for an area. 

I think I was unable to generate ideas on the topics as I felt a little in the spot whilst doing them. I think a better way of getting ideas is just to jot them down as and when I think of them.

Week 2 actions.

Actions for week 2

• Mind map to generate a good amount of potential areas for this project.
  - This will give me a starting point to be able to work from and to generate a lot of potential possibilities for the essay and module topic.
  
• Follow through with some basic research into a few chosen topics.
  - This will give me a better idea of what would be a better topic for the essay as initial findings may be bad and not much information about the topic may be available. I may also find I am not very interested in the topic or the topic has little relevance to what I want to be doing.
  
• Look into different reflective models, and reflect on how each might help.
  - By looking into some reflective models I will be able to find out an effective way to reflective creatively upon my research as well as any experimental work. There are different reflective models and some may be better than other given the subject matter of what I will be writing about.
  
• By the end of the week have a good idea of what specific topic to do the project about.
  - If I manage to do this by the end of this week I will have a good start to the project. Allowing for a comfortable pace o be set for the rest of the project. As the most important information will be cleared up.

ideas for a re-brand essay.

Corporate rebranding: destroying, transferring or creating brand equity? 
Laurent Muzellec, University College Dublin, Dublin, IrelandMary Lambkin, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/case_studies.htm/case_studies.htm?articleid=1562580&show=html

This article would make a great starting point for an essay on rebranding. Simply reading through this would allow the generation of other points and areas to explore for the topic, such as why a company would rebrand? How they would do it? etc.

I think small articles like this coupled with case studies on companies that have re-branded would create a good basis for an essay. finding 2 case studies on the same re-brand and comparing and contrasting would raise different points and arguments.