Visual Literacy- The Language of Design

This mornings COP lecture began by looking into visual literacy, which is the ability to  interpret, negotiate and understand the signs by their underlying meaning/symbolism in society. Basically, it is based on the idea that pictures can be read and that meaning can be communicated through a process of reading.

Syntax is the pictorial structure and visual organisation, it presents the basic building blocks of an image.  Visual semantics refers to the meaning behind the symbol. It religion, social idea, cultural reference. 

For an example a cross + can refer to religion, mathematics, and, first aid/hospital , flags etc. The idea is that everything could stand for something else in different cultures and societies. 

a cross has many different meanings