Blog Post: Understanding Social Semiotics and the Power of Images
When we look at an ad or a political poster, we rarely think about why that specific image was chosen. But every photo has a purpose. This week, I learned about a method called social semiotics, which helps us understand how images communicate ideas, emotions, or values without using words. What is Social Semiotics Social semiotics comes from the field of semiotics, which is the study of signs and symbols. This approach was developed mainly by Gunther Kress, a linguist who wanted to explore how images, colors, shapes, and even the positioning of elements in an image influence our understanding. What makes this method important is that it helps us see how images participate in building meaning in our society. Today, with social media, advertising, and news, we’re surrounded by visuals that are all trying to tell us something. Social semiotics helps us decode these messages. The Rules of Reading Images According to Kress and Van Leeuwen, there are some visual rules that often appe...
