CLEM MCCULLOCH
Intelligences
Tutorial: Semiotics – A User’s Guide to Seeing Differently
Tutorial Instructors:
CATO HUNT
Space Doctors
CLEM MCCULLOCH
Space Doctors Download PDF
SUMMARY
Semiotic insight powerfully complements ethnographic approaches. Semiotics, the study of signs and cultural meaning, has been gaining ground in the world of commercial research. Semiotics has also been successfully melded together with ethnographic and other cultural approaches, especially in the UK and Europe. This tutorial equipped participants with the tools, techniques and hands-on experience needed to begin their own semiotic research endeavors.
Opening with a grounding in semiotic theory, we then focused on building practical skills through ‘live decoding’ of a cultural theme. We began by learning how to ‘decode’ – exploring how a semiotic close read analysis can reveal a deeper understanding of what is really being said. Crucially, we discussed the chasm that often appears between intended meaning and received meaning, especially within brand communication.
We then introduced the idea of codes (themes, or clusters...