Proposition of an analytical model of the typography with semiotic approach

Abstract

This paper presents the construction of an analytical model of typography – result of master’s research –
based on sound theoretical bases regarding information design, typography and semiotics. The fundamental
visual characteristics of a text (typography’s iconicity) are defended, which are possible of to be ‘read’ even
before of the verbal content. In this sense, this attends to the question of the visual literacy development and
to the fact that the configuration (visual and graphic) of the material culture is produced by design’s
performance and also by involuntary contribution of non-experts subjects. This study believes that such
‘typographic works’ have much to inform about the cultural and social environment of which they are
constituent of, and thus, these works can provide important information to design’s pragmatics. Thus an
analytical model of typography is proposed. This model considers the typographic and semiotics features and
it can be adopted in later researches about typography produced by non-experts subjects. The model aims to
describe the typography semiotically, considering his attributes as a sign itself, as a sign that refers to
something else and as a sign inserted and active in a given context. This approach aims to point out the
possible choices of subjects for a particular typography (typeface) and a certain typographic structure.