Visual Language

We explain what visual language is, its types and elements. Additionally, we give you some examples.

The visual language of the signs indicates where the bathrooms and their services are located.
Visual language allows messages to be transmitted overcoming language barriers.
Summary of Contents

What is visual language?

The visual language It is a mode of communication that uses shapes, figures and visual elements with the purpose of creating meaning and transmitting a message. Like all languages, it is made up of signs and symbols, but these are non-verbal, that is, they do not consist of spoken or written words, but rather images that must be interpreted visually.

The signs used by visual language are made up of two fundamental aspects:

  • A significant made up of visual elements such as shapes, colors and textures.
  • A meaning constituted by the idea that these elements of the signifier transmit.

For example: a signifier is the red light of a traffic light and its meaning is “stop”.

For human beings, visual language is usually complementary to verbal language, since it allows us to communicate a specific message instantly and with a reach that overcomes the language barrier. A clear example of this is cell phone emojis, which are used in very different geographical and cultural settings and are understood in a similar way.

Visual language is an important part of various fields, from art to advertising and marketing. Likewise, it is formally studied by various academic disciplines, such as graphic design, social communication and psychology.

See also: Verbal and non-verbal language

Types of visual language

A woman observes a pictorial work of art.
The artistic visual language seeks to move the viewer.

In general terms, three classes of visual language can be differentiated, according to their purpose:

  1. Objective visual language
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The objective visual language is descriptive and literal. It aspires to communicate messages in an easy, clear, understandable and direct way, through simple and accessible images. Examples of objective visual language are traffic signs, infographics, diagrams, and instruction manuals.

  1. artistic visual language

Artistic visual language is subjective, expressive and is done for aesthetic purposes. Use metaphors and symbols to convey meanings, emotions, ideas and complex concepts, beyond literal interpretation. It is the visual language that works of art use.

  1. Visual advertising language

Advertising visual language combines the resources of objective language and artistic language to promote goods. It seeks to influence the recipient and persuade them to consume a certain product or service, appealing to their emotions and interests. This is the case of product packaging and graphic, television and social media advertising.

Elements of visual language

The visual language of traffic signs indicates what is prohibited and what is permitted.
In some visual languages, color is a clearly coded element.

Visual language involves different elements, which produce different effects. These elements are part of the signifier of the message, that is, its material and observable part.

The basic elements of visual language are:

  • The point It is the minimum unit of visual expression. From the union of multiple points, lines are built.
  • The line It is the succession of a finite set of points, with which shapes can be represented, figures constructed and spaces delimited.
  • The plan . It is the surface on which the visual image is built. Although it is an empty space, it is an element that, by contrast, allows the appearance of shapes.
  • The color. It is the perception of light bouncing off objects. It provides meaning to the representation, since colors are associated with symbols and realities, and have particular cultural valuations.

Examples of visual language

Some examples of visual language are:

  • Traffic signs.
  • The colored lights of the traffic light.
  • The arrows that mark the traffic of vehicles.
  • Company logos or product brands.
  • The paintings exhibited in a museum.
  • Drawings of tarot cards.
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References

  • Acaso, M. (2006). The visual language. Paidós.
  • Dondis, D. A. (1980). The syntax of the image. Introduction to the visual alphabet. Gustavo Gili.
  • Erwig, M., Smeltzer, K., & Wang, X. (2016). What is a Visual Language? Journal of Visual Languages ​​& Computing, 38(6), 9-17. https://www.sciencedirect.com/

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