This Means That Response

"This Means That," called "A user's guide to semiotics," was a useful and informative reading focused on helping people understand the massive amount of deeper meaning in art, literature, film, and popular culture as a whole.  These meanings that our very own culture creates are identifiable, but only to a trained eye. "This Means That" challenges people to search for meaning that may not have been noticed before, as well as understand how those meanings were created. By approaching semiotics and the world of signs and signing. It states "most societies tend to create hierarchies, preform rituals,  play games, adhere to moral systems, and engage in forms of symbolic representation." We live in a culture that revolves around signs and signage, and "This Means That" illustrates how people make signs and how signs affect people and how they are perceived. The reading then takes the reader through numerous images, asking one main question to reflect upon. Each question is crucial to better understanding the image, and gives the reader the answer, explaining the answer to each question on the next page. These numerous images consisted of art, signs, icons, shapes, and objects. Each one's meaning becoming more clear by the end of the reading. "This Means That" was very insightful and helpful in understanding cultural meanings and signs.

Journal Entry: Alvin Lustig

After learning all about famous book jacket designers such as Chip Kidd, Paul Rand, and Alvin Lustig, I have come to better understand how different designers approach the task of designing a captivating, functional, and overall successful book cover. Chip Kidd has designed many contemporary book jackets ranging from Jurassic Park to Dry: a memoir, and a wide variation of books in-between. He is very insightful in the way he illustrates the deeper meanings found in the book without giving anything away. His book jackets seem to break free from the standard layouts, and work to create a unique and enticing hook for the possible reader. Kidd using his jackets illustrates certain motifs, some context, and aspects from the book. He successfully does this by getting to know, and understanding the book he is designing for very well. Paul Rand approaches book jacket designs from a different angle. He includes some aspects from the book, yet illustrates them in ways that are different and stand out. He uses strong colors, and usually one element that really pops out. Rand's jackets all seem to have personality, a humanistic feeling, as many of them are made using cut and paste, and hand drawn/crafted elements. This style is peculiar, and works to arouse curiosity with the potential reader. Alvin Lustig's designs serve as a rejection of more rendered illustration. He is influenced by abstract expressionism artists such as Jackson Pollock, and this abstract style shows through his book jackets. Different styles and mediums are used by him ranging from full type compositions and typographic solutions to photography and sometimes a combo of the two. His designs are contemporary, not so much flashy as they are functional and pure. By using only type, the reader is left to find initial meanings for themselves, meanings that Lustig subtly creates. Lustig proves that book jackets dont necessarily need pictures to be successful. His covers are intelligent, simple, and even dramatic, all because of his unique style. His covers also don't give too much away, something that is important when it comes to book jacket designs. All three of these designers successfully design their own book jackets, all taking different approaches, and all arousing curiosity and drawing the reader into what is inside the jacket.