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"Excellent content and user friendly approach to the subject of semiotics. More than just an introduction, the book deals with a complex subject in a highly visual and practical way. Highly relevant. Students will be encouraged to buy this book." - Leeds College of Art, UK."Very informative, well written and attractive." - Bournemouth Arts University College, UK. "A beautifully designed book inside and out (typography, layout and use of paper stock). The stickers add a level of interactivity that any student would like. This all adds up to a book that a student would want to keep for future reference. Content that is very relevant to an advanced graphic design course." - Montclair State University, USA. 'A very thoughtfully designed Design book. The material in this book can be accessed by Foundation Design students at both basic and more advanced levels, and gives advice that is in bit-sized intelligent morsels. The illustrations are contemporary and visually seductive. This is a useful and stylish book.' David Tinn, East Surrey College, UK. 'We already use the 1st edition and this revised and expanded 2nd edition will make an excellent addition. Accessible use of language and an excellent visual approach and layout make this 'the' key text on semiotics for undergraduates studying graphic design and visual culture. The addition of self-directed study exercises is a useful teaching and learning aid. Excellent book.' - Dave Caton, Swindon College, UK. 'This is an outstanding overview of semiotics which no student should be without. As expected of AVA titles, it is rich with examples of the theory and work being discussed and the points made are easily digestible ... It will prove invaluable to students of design...' - Philip Dixon, Southampton Solent University, UK. 'A great book, well designed, well researched, well written. For anyone in the slightest bit interested in this fascinating subject (and this should be all designers and design students) this book is the perfect guide.' - Saeri Dobson, Loyola Marymount University, USA. 'I bought the original edition some years ago and have been recommending it to students ever since. Crow has written both editions in a way that is very appropriate to design students - good visual examples and very clear content.' - John Stocker, University of Lincoln, UK. 'Beautifully composed, well-structured, highly informative and relevant, providing essential theoretical content to our curriculum. A core text for undergraduate design courses and an excellent introduction to the fundamentals of semiotic theories.' - Christopher Morris, University of Salford, UK. 'I believe this would be an outstanding introduction for the graduate students joining the research group and for advanced undergraduates. Excellent, engaging layout. This really facilitates involvement with the text, and is much more interesting and accessible than many books I've seen on introductory semiotics.' - Kennon Smith, Indiana University Bloomington, USA.
Product Description
Visible Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics (2nd Edition) is an update to the popular first edition of the same name, in which David Crow introduces design students to the fundamentals of semiotics. Basic semiotic theories are taught in most art schools as part of a contextual studies programme, but many students find it difficult to understand how these ideas might impact on their own practice. Visible Signs tackles this problem by explaining semiotic terms and theories in relation to visual communication, with illustrative examples taken from contemporary art and design. Concepts such as signs and signifiers, and language and speech are all explored within the framework of graphic design and fine art. The 2nd Edition features new and revised content from the author, and includes 200 visuals created to illustrate the ideas discussed within the book.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Normally with books like this I expect to buy them, find they are pricey, have lots of pictures and don't tell you very much, but this book was the exact opposite and was very helpful, don't hesitate to buy if you are thinking about it.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Like Semiotics for Dummies with better pictures
21 Dec 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book aims to be a kind of "Theory for Dummies" book you won't be embarrassed to be seen reading in public. The text is a concise, grab bag collection of semiotics and cultural theory for graphic designers. In the place of the cartoons you'll find in books like Introducing Semiotics, however, Visible Signs is filled with photos and examples arranged in attractive layouts.
While some of the visual examples are helpful, many exist primarily as signifiers of taste. The illustration of the dog next to the caption on Foucault, for instance, has nothing to do with Foucault or "gender-dominated practices." It's there to enhance the overall look and feel of the text. The entire text, then, becomes an unintentional illustration of Bourdieau's claim (described here and there) that certain modes of taste are legitimized by a discontinuity between art and life. The images here are less about explaining, and more about exercising cultural heft. In this way, Crow draws from the authority of tasteful image-making practice even while seeking to demystify the process of cultural production.
Vital Signs is an easy-to-read overview of ideas, more like an annotated bibliography or an expanded masters thesis. As such, it's a good starting point for research on scholars or theories that might appeal to graphic designers. The central irony of the book is that the while the layouts show an understanding of tasteful visual conventions, the author is unable to transcend these conventions. The layouts come across as the work of someone who is attuned to weight of cultural tradition and value--even while remaining beholden to it.
While some of the visual examples are helpful, many exist primarily as signifiers of taste. The illustration of the dog next to the caption on Foucault, for instance, has nothing to do with Foucault or "gender-dominated practices." It's there to enhance the overall look and feel of the text. The entire text, then, becomes an unintentional illustration of Bourdieau's claim (described here and there) that certain modes of taste are legitimized by a discontinuity between art and life. The images here are less about explaining, and more about exercising cultural heft. In this way, Crow draws from the authority of tasteful image-making practice even while seeking to demystify the process of cultural production.
Vital Signs is an easy-to-read overview of ideas, more like an annotated bibliography or an expanded masters thesis. As such, it's a good starting point for research on scholars or theories that might appeal to graphic designers. The central irony of the book is that the while the layouts show an understanding of tasteful visual conventions, the author is unable to transcend these conventions. The layouts come across as the work of someone who is attuned to weight of cultural tradition and value--even while remaining beholden to it.
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