Visual Communications 1

How Do We Perceive Visual Messages?

Kylee Weber

Ottawa University
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Scholars around the world have several different ways we can perceive visual

messages. As a viewer we look at visual messages in several ways, we can see them

through stereotypes, symbols, colors, forms, and many other meanings. Through several

researchers, scholars have discussed potential ways a viewer can perceive messages.

In a presentation by Tashee Fulmore, it discusses the negative consequences that

stereotyping visual messages could have on the community. In the presentation are

states that “Stereotypes affect how we interact with one another." One already has a

prediction of a person, how they will behave towards you, and how you are going to

behave towards them. When we interact with a visual message, one can perceive a

stereotype in a negative way that can cause them to compare and contrast themselves.

In several visual messages, they can use an image of beauty, and the viewers can have a

potential negative connection to it due to it. Stereotyping is a negative impact on the

world. In an article by Salon, it discusses media using potential stereotyping on race. In

it addresses race and how different media covered a picture between a young black man

and a white man and woman in deep water. It discusses looting and the problems of it

and makes a sarcastic comment, “And don’t forget. It’s not looting if you’re white,”. A

viewer can see potential stereotyping through several visual messages. Stereotypes can

be dangerous through media outlets and cause several potential problems for viewers

when interacting with visual messages.

Another way viewers and scholars can perceive visual messages is through visual

semiotics. Semiotics defined in Merriam-Webster dictionary as "A general philosophical

theory of signs and symbols that deals especially with their function." Symbols are a big

key to visual messages around the world. We (the viewers) interact with symbols on a

daily basis and have become a normality. In a video, The Study of Signs, it discusses
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semiotics and the history behind it. It breaks it down into an icon, index, and symbol. In

this is discusses visual messages through icons. These can be described as pictures,

maps, and diagrams. These visual messages to scholars are broken so they perceive their

true meaning of why they are e next is index, this event could be an example of smoke is

an index of fire. This idea is associated related to the object in the visual message itself.

Lastly, a symbol in a visual message could be a number of things, such as law, religion,

gender, norm, and culture. For example, a visual message of an American flag will

symbolize America, democracy, or capitalism. Semiotics a huge impact on visual

messages. In a documentary on semiotics, it discusses the influence it can have on the

viewers. Semiotics can affect how perceive messages and how we connect to them on a

personal level. Visual messages use symbols without acknowledging that a symbol was

placed on the visual.

In short, viewers, and scholars can perceive visual information in several ways.

The influences that can occur in a visual message can impact how we perceive and

connect to visual messages throughout the world. Visual messages can by stereotypes

around the world. The media, viewers, world creates stereotypes. Stereotypes in visual

messages range from a wide variety from culture, race, and gender. Semiotics also have

a huge impact on visual messages. Specifically, symbols grow meaning overtime causing

misunderstanding, different perceptions and connections. In our daily routines, we

interact with symbols and it has become a part of a norm for people. When symbols in

visual messages in can alter meanings, significance, connections, and many other

things. Symbols offer a wide variety of connections that the viewer can have. They can

be dangerous to use, but if used correctly in a visual message it can cause a significant

meaning and influence on a viewer.

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Work Cited:

Fulmore, T. (n.d.). Please enable JavaScript. Retrieved from

https://prezi.com/gwmxyn7jri43/view/#20_20892229

Kinney, A. (2005, September 2). "Looting" or "finding"? Retrieved from

https://www.salon.com/control/2005/09/02/photo_controversy/

Semiotics: the study of signs . (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEgxTKUP_WI&feature=emb_title

Semiotics (Documentary) . (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=154&v=E5FZRa7h99A&feature=emb_t
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