Semiotics and the theoretical foundations of multimedia

Noting the neglect of semiotics as a valuable theoretical framework for multimedia research in R. S. Tannebaum's Theoretical Foundations of Multimedia (New York: Computer Science Press, 1998), evidence is produced supporting the contention that semiotically based concepts are fundamental to both the theory & practice of multimedia communication. It is shown how a semiotic approach enables analysis of communication at different levels of abstraction. R. Stamper's (1991) six-level framework - three layers pertaining to the signifying (syntactics, empirics, & physical world) & three to the signified (social world, pragmatics, & semantics) aspect of the sign - is outlined, & its applicability to the analysis of multimedia is demonstrated: the differentiation between denotation, connotation, & ideology sublevels on the semantic level is proposed. Classifications of signs, symbols, & icons proposed in the literature are surveyed to determine their pertinence to multimedia studies as far as their description, design, & evaluation are concerned. 2 Figures, 26 References. Z. Dubiel