Although metaphors are common in computing, particularly in human-computer interfaces, opinion is divided on their usefulness to users and little evidence is available to help the designer in choosing or implementing them. Effective use of metaphors depends on understanding their role in the computer interface, which in tum means building a model of the metaphor process. This thesis examines some of the approaches which might be taken in constructing such a model before choosing one and testing its applicability to interface design. Earlier research into interface metaphors used experimental psychology techniques which proved useful in showing the benefits or drawbacks of specific metaphors, but did not give a general model of the metaphor process. A cognitive approach based on mental models has proved more successful in offering an overall model of the process, although this thesis questions whether the researchers tested it adequately. Other approaches which have examined the metaphor process (though not in the context of human-computer interaction) have come from linguistic fields, most notably semiotics, which extends linguistics to non-verbal communication and thus could cover graphical user interfaces (GUls). The main work described in this thesis was the construction of a semiotic model of human-computer interaction. The basic principle of this is that even the simplest element of the user interface will signify many simultaneous meanings to the user. Before building the model, a set of assertions and questions was developed to check the validity of the principles on which the model was based. Each of these was then tested by a technique appropriate to the type of issue raised. Rhetorical analysis was used to establish that metaphor is commonplace in command-line languages, in addition to its more obvious use in GUIs. A simple semiotic analysis, or deconstruction, of the Macintosh user interface was then used to establish the validity of viewing user interfaces as semiotic systems. Finally, an experiment was carried out to test a mental model approach proposed by previous researchers. By extending their original experiment to more realistically complex interfaces and tasks and using a more typical user population, it was shown that users do not always develop mental models of the type proposed in the original research. The experiment also provided evidence to support the existence of multiple layers of signification. Based on the results of the preliminary studies, a simple means of testing the semiotic model's relevance to interface design was developed, using an interview technique. The proposed interview technique was then used to question two groups of users about a simple interface element. Two independent researchers then carried out a content analysis of the responses. The mean number of significations in each interview, as categorised by the researchers, was 15. The levels of signification were rapidly revealed, with the mean time for each interview being under two minutes, providing effective evidence that interfaces signify many meanings to users, a substantial number of which are easily retrievable. It is proposed that the interview technique could provide a practical and valuable tool for systems analysis and interface designers. Finally, areas for further research are proposed, in particular to ascertain how the model and the interview technique could be integrated with other design methods.

<p>The purpose of this thesis was to study how journalism is represented in graphic novels, what roles are represented and if journalism in graphic novels is good or evil. The goal was also to see if there were any similarities or differences over a period of time. This was done with a qualitative analysis of two graphic novels written and drawn by Frank Miller. When we did the analysis we focused on pictures and texts that directly had a connection to the journalistic role. We used a semiotic approach to analyze the two graphic novels were our main focus where on what connotation, what denotation and what stereotypes could be found.</p><p>This study establishes that stereotypes are used to represent journalism in a negative way. Journalists are also the cause of more harm than good. When you put journalism into the narrative technique of good versus evil they are clearly evil and use their power to undermine the heroes of the story. The journalists are put into stereotypical roles such as the female news reporter who is all looks and no brain, or the overzealous male reporter who tries to tell the truth but no one will listen to him.</p><p>It is also clear that journalism is represented in a way that describes it as a phenomenon that spreads panic because the journalists in many cases come to their own conclusions without having all the facts. The study also shows that over a period of fifteen years the role of the journalist is the same but the way they are represented is very different.  Because of the larger rivalry from other news sources the media is forced to find new ways to attract an audience. Therefore the newer graphic novel portrays a sexualisation of the journalistic role.</p>

Nous analysons le niveau d'engagement de l'usager sur les sites web des ONG. (i) La création d'un cadre d'analyse sémiotique mettant en perspective usage et dispositif de médiation ;(ii) La description des formes et des rythmes de la présence du geste de l'usager (son style d'interaction) par la création de métadonnées sémiotiques sont des outils permettant d'aborder la question des stratégies sous l'angle des modulations de la relation co-énonciative. La prise en considération du mode de perception du co-énonciateur, se révèle être un nouvel indicateur du degré de responsabilisation et d'ajustement de l'usager en lien avec le message éthique de l'Organisation énonciatrice. Nous mettons en évidence ici le déplacement du point de vue de l'analyse pour l'évaluation d'une stratégienumérique : de l'exigence performative ciblée sur le don à l'exigence d'une relation coénonciative propice à l'engagement. Les procédures d'ajustement observées dans le cours de l'interaction nous permettent de préciser les modes de valorisation coénonciatifs. L'analyse des inter-relations établies par les usagers entre les différents modèles d'interaction (la figuration ou contre-figuration de combinaisons de modèles d'interaction) restitue la pluralité des formes d'engagement ouvertes par le design, allant de l'ignorance de l'autre à l’identification de sa responsabilité citoyenne vis-à-vis de l'autre. / We assess the level of user commitment on NGO websites by defining:i. an analytical framework linking user interactions with mediating devices (interaction models),ii. semiotics metadata describing individual user behaviour evolutions (interaction styles).This method allows us to discuss strategies from the perspective of co-enunciative relationship change depending on user interactions.Considering user perception produces a new indicator of the level of public support for the ethical message of NGO. We highlight a change of perspective to evaluate digital strategies: from a performance assessment focused on donations to the requirement of a co-enunciative relationship conducive to commitment.We define differents ways of interacting with NGO websites according to the relation between interaction models and interaction styles. Therefore, the level of user commitment on NGO websites depends on these different interaction possibilities provided by webdesign and covering a wide range of involvements from ignorance to empowerment.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A tatuagem é uma antiga forma de inscrição corporal que apesar de sua idade não sofreu alterações em termos de materiais e técnicas. O desenvolvimento de tecnologias para a concepção de novas modalidades de intervenção orgânica terá ramificações em diversas áreas, permitindo o uso de novas interfaces epiteliais interativas (tatuagens dinâmicas responsivas), e criando novas vias de interação e comunicação incorporada. Em contraste à prática tradicional de imagens estáticas, as tatuagens dinâmicas (TDs) permitem a geração de imagens dinâmicas e interativas na pele. Nosso objetivo aqui é apresentar este novo campo de pesquisa e refletir sobre o papel do designer no projeto de tatuagens dinâmicas e as implicações destas tatuagens que transformam a pele em uma nova fonte de inscrições interativas e reversíveis. / Tattoo art is a very old form of bodily inscription. In spite of its long history, tattoo art has not changed very significantly in terms of applying new materials and techniques. The impact of developing technologies for the conception of new modalities of organic interventions will have ramifications in unprecedented areas, allowing the use of new interactive epithelial interfaces (responsive dynamic tattoos), and creating new ways of interaction and embodied communication. In contrast to traditional tattoo art of static images, new tattoo art (NT) allows the generation of dynamic interactive images on the skin. Our purpose here is to present this new field of research and speculate on the role of the designer in the design of dynamic tattoo images, and the implications of these tattoos which transform the skin into a new source of interactive and reversible inscription.

This studies purpose is to analyse the representation of media in the television series Mr. Robot as well as to analyse the representation of the prominent conglomerate called E-Corp that is central to the narrative of the series.  Theories used in the study is mainly concerned with mapping out the semiotic signs as well as using theories of representation by Stuart Hall to further understand the meanings behind the signs that are distinguished in the analysis. Foucault theory about panopticons is implemented when looking at surveillance from E-Corp as well as Jones theory about techno- and grunge-economies.  The results of the study show that media is often represented as lying or being shallow. According to the series it’s easy to get stuck in a simulation of reality where you can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s hyperreal. The representation of the corporation shows little about the regular employee but emphasizes that those in charge often are bad or simply manipulative people.

Denna studie är en kvalitativ filmanalys av den populära tv-serien Bron, med fokus på huvudkaraktären Saga Norén. Studien utgår från teorier kring den manliga och kvinnliga blicken. Uppsatsens syfte är att belysa ämnet kring hur en kvinna förväntas uppträda utifrån de rådande normerna, men också hur hon uppfattas av andra. Uppbyggnaden av genus- och könsmaktsordning är ett ständigt relevant forskningsämne, där mediernas kraft att påverka publiken spelar en viktig roll.   Studien är baserad på könsteorier som relaterar till stereotyper, såväl som den manliga blicken. Till studiens analysdel skapades ett analysverktyg baserat på Selby och Cowderys trestegsmodell och mise-en-scén. De scener som valdes ut för analysen sorterades i fyra olika kategorier baserat på återkommande mönster. Varje kategori sammanfattades i en kort sektion, som samtliga diskuteras i det sista avsnittet. Resultatet av studien visar att Saga Norén avviker från hur en stereotyp kvinnlig karaktär förväntas uppträda. Hennes sätt att framträda, och det avvikande beteendemönstret bidrar också till att hon inte upplevs att synas i bild för att behaga någon. / This study is a qualitative film analysis focusing on the main character Saga Norén in the popular tv series Bron, based on the male and female gaze. The essay highlights the topic of how a woman is expected to behave based on the prevailing gender roles, but also how she is perceived by others. The construction of gender and gender roles is a constantly relevant research topic, where the media's power to influence the audience plays an important role.   The study is based on gender theories that relate to stereotypes, as well as the male gaze. For the analysis part of the study, an analysis tool was created based on Selby and Cowdery's three-stage model and mise-en-scène, using these theories as a foundation. The scenes selected for the analysis were sorted into four various categories based on recurring patterns. Each category was summarized in a short section, to be discussed in the final section.   The result of the study shows that Saga Norén departs from how the stereotype female character is expected to behave. Her way of appearing, and the deviant behavior pattern also contributes to her not being perceived to exist in a position to please.

This thesis explores the nature and emergence of early body ornamentation, which has long been at the forefront of the debate on modern human origins. According to most prehistorians, ornamental shell beads are unequivocal proxies for behavioural and cognitive "modernity", for they are considered the arbitrary products of symbolically-capable brains. In my dissertation, I argue against the "symbolic" dictum of reducing material signification to linguistic terms, and attributing its creation to a representational mechanism. For one, the significative meaning of material culture is not entirely arbitrary, because concepts can be founded on physical properties and affordances. Moreover, material signification is not the epiphenomenal product of innate cognitive modules, for the mind is not a computational device that processes internal representations before externalising them through behaviour. I thus suggest that these theoretical fallacies about the nature and emergence of material signification can be overcome by combining a pragmatic semiotic approach with an enactive theory of cognition. Briefly put, a pragmatic semiotic theory describes the nature of material signification by recognising that significative concepts can be founded on physical qualities and relations, whereas an enactive theory of cognition accounts for the emergence of material signification by explaining how significative concepts are brought forth via the constitutive entwinement of mind and matter. Through the synergistic fusion of these theoretical tenets, the origins of early body ornamentation can be examined from a developmental perspective that treats the generation of significative meaning as the emergent product of material engagement. In its light, the preoccupation of most evolutionary archaeologists with the notion of "modernity" appears to be inherently problematic. It is therefore ultimately proposed that the dominant symbolic interpretation of material signification need be replaced with a pragmatic and enactive theory of cognitive semiotics that is suitably geared to trace the evolution of prehistoric material signs.

Modern lifestyles in the developed regions of the world operate beyond our planet's resource capacity. Over-consumption has not only proven detrimental for the environment, but has also undermined our capacity to achieve deep life satisfaction and societal well-being. Embracing more sustainable ways of consuming and producing is key in order to foster the conditions for humanity to flourish. Strategies for disrupting the dominant consumption patterns lie within the next challenges, as adoption of sustainable innovation is still disappointingly low and needs to be accelerated. Design for Sustainability has contributed important technological advances to improve production and life cycle efficiency (i.e. eco design, cradle to cradle). However, it is increasingly recognised that sustainability is not just a technical matter, but ultimately a cultural issue. One of the problems is that people perceive sustainability as a loss, rather than a gain. Therefore, to drive demand, there is urgency to better understand users aspirations and expectations, i.e. the cultural and socio-symbolic aspects of consumption that influence decision-making. This thesis argues that the perceived value of sustainable innovations can be enhanced by paying more attention to the elaboration of meanings or symbolic value they bring to bear for the user, which can be achieved by strategically framing innovations using high-value contextual signifiers (cultural codes). Drawing on cognitive science, cultural studies and applied semiotics, this research contributes a theoretical framework and case studies of how these theories can support the design process in mapping sociocultural contexts, in order to elaborate sustainable innovations that are perceived as aspirational and relevant. The theory is applied to the case of sustainable Product-Service Systems (PPS bottom-up social innovations) due to the opportunities these pose for systemic disruption, and the cultural barriers for adoption. Through a series of Participatory Action Research interventions, the investigation developed three case studies of how of the framework may benefit sustainable PSS value proposition framing and design, with one application in the context of design education to support the development of designers critical and sociocultural deconstruction capacity and skills. Finally, in exploring the potential that cultural codes offer to improve the design and value proposition of sustainable innovations, this thesis contributes and advances a new perspective for understanding symbolic aspects of consumption, and highlights opportunities for sustainable design to have greater influence in societal transformation.

The Walt Disney Company has been producing feature films for almost a decade, allowing children as well as grown ups to enter their world of fairytales. Along the years there have been different ways to portray the characters, this can be seen in results from previous research. The purpose with our essay is to examine five female main characters in modern princess-movies from Disney; The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Brave, Frozen and finally Moana. With a base in the ideas of postfeminism, we wanted to investigate how the female characters were portrayed in terms of physical appearance, personality and stereotypical femininity. We made a semiotic analysis to discern signs in respective movie, we used Roland Barthes’s theory consisting of the idea of denotation, connotation and myths. Our analysis lead us to the conclusion that several changes can be seen. Instead of portraying female characters as innocent, love-seeking and in the need of rescue, the modern princesses are physically strong, determined and adventurous. The viewers are also being introduced to new kinds of relationships that differs from the previous heterosexual standards. Even though some gender roles and intersectional standards were remained visible, we found new stereotypical ways of portraying women in Disney.

Magister Artium - MA / Advertising and media imagery shape attitudes about race and ethnicity, which means that advertising media play an influential part in constructing the frame through which individuals perceive racial differences and negotiate norms and ideas around ethnicity. Physical signifiers such as skin colour and hair are not only considered to be the most important facets in global beauty culture but are also seen as two principal phenotypes for racial classification (Mercer, 1987). These two attributes are also deeply situated within Black Feminist Discourse Studies and are therefore, culturally and socially significant (Erasmus, 1997; Hunter, 2002). As Dyer (1997:539) states: “every decision about a person’s worth is based on what they look like, what they speak, and where they came from.” Hence, body and hair politics point to power struggles which stem from historical discourses. As part of a capitalist environment, magazines such as True Love are also perceived as cultural commodities which occupy an important role in creating, transmitting and disseminating cultural meaning and in this regard, advertised texts are rich in cultural meaning and embedded with hidden ideologies. As a vehicle of social communication, True Love professes to be a mouth piece and a representative of the liberal, modern Black South African woman and portrays itself as a guiding companion and expert on womanhood (Laden, 2001). In this capacity, the magazine also creates and transmits messages about ideal feminine beauty. Following a multi-semiotic approach, by incorporating multimodality and social semiotics as proposed by Kress and Van Leeuwen (2006), Van Leeuwen (2006; 2008) and O’Halloran (2011, in press), beauty advertisements are scrutinized in terms of the different semiotic principles which afford for different meaning-making opportunities and interpretation. Critical discourse analysis suggested by Fairclough (1992) and Wodak (1995) renders a supportive function to this social semiotic multimodal framework, in order to critically explore how the notion of ideal feminine beauty is constructed in True Love and to establish how inter-semiotic relations are created, reinforced and function to sustain hegemonic ideas in present-day beauty advertisements. The findings suggest that socio-cultural meanings attached to phenotypic traits such as skin and hair remain significant in contemporary society as a result of the repeated themes in media, especially advertising. Moreover, the consequential emphasis on beauty culture and the omnipresence of idealised imagery in mainstream media are responsible for composing and sustaining the belief that Whiteness is the only valid prototype of beauty. The whitewashing of Black models show how idealised preferences in media prevail. Advertisements display how the message of White superiority and supremacy is constructed visually and verbally, ultimately producing an overall ‘visual language of Whiteness’ which leads to devaluing and erasing forms of Black identity, while enhancing forms of White representation. This paper exposes existing dominant cultural narratives in the True Love advertising discourse that simultaneously produce and inflate an idealised Eurocentric version of feminine beauty. The hegemonic standard of feminine beauty dictates that women conform to a specific ideal which involves engaging in practices such as skin lightening, hair straightening or wearing weaves. This dissertation concludes that digital alteration techniques and photographic manipulation are predominantly used in mass media to portray advertised images resembling ideals closer, which means that it effectively enhances rather than detracts from the norm. Thus, White women look Whiter, thinner, richer and blonder. Caucasian models in advertised texts all have light hair and are seldom portrayed with dark hair. Light-skinned Black women portray Western mediated standards through physical appearances which seem to emulate those of their White counterparts, which Hunter (2011) describes as the ‘illusion of inclusion’. Although this marketing strategy operates under the premise of fostering ethnic diversity and to include women from all racial backgrounds, it reinforces the belief that Anglo-Saxon beauty norms are the only valorised signifiers of idealised beauty. Essentially, having a light skin colour is associated with sophistication, social mobility, success and the resulting financial and economic well-being. Based on this, the magazine appears to promote and celebrate feminine beauty based on a Eurocentric ideal.