--- title: What designers should know about semiotics description: 'This article explores practical applications of semiotics in design: how semiotics works, how it helps designers make system-level connections and foster creativity, and supports the value of consistent logic as well as customization. I also explain how a semiotic perspective helps designers adapt to quickly shifting technology landscapes and future-proof processes.' url: https://canonical.com/blog/what-designers-should-know-about-semiotics --- 1. [Blog](https://canonical.com/blog) 2. Article --- [Sophie Carroll](https://canonical.com/blog/author/sophiecarroll "More about Sophie Carroll") 15 October 2026 # What designers should know about semiotics [Design](https://canonical.com/blog/tag/design) --- Share the article What happens when you look at an apple? When you see it, you perceive the apple and assign meaning to it based on your language, experience, and personal preferences – such as memories of school lunches or a preference for red apples over green ones. This meaning varies for every person, so the key question is not what the apple means, but *how* and *why* that meaning arises. Caption: The Sony Magic Link with Magic Cap operating system demonstrates skeuomorphism by displaying the visual analogy of a desk top (source: [Sony Magic Link image by Josh Carter, via Wikimedia Creative Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SonyMagicLink.jpg)) What happens when you look at an apple? When you see it, you perceive the apple and assign meaning to it based on your language, experience, and personal preferences – such as memories of school lunches or a preference for red apples over green ones. This meaning varies for every person, so the key question is not what the apple means, but *how* and *why* that meaning arises. This is the core of semiotics: the study of signs and meaning creation. In the context of design, semiotics models how users and computers communicate across two distinct information systems using an interface (such as a desktop monitor or mobile touchscreen). Semiotics offers valuable insights into human-computer interaction (HCI) and User Experience (UX) design, yet many designers remain unfamiliar with the discipline. This article explores practical applications of semiotics in design: how semiotics works, how it helps designers make system-level connections and foster creativity, and supports the value of consistent logic as well as customization. I also explain how a semiotic perspective helps designers adapt to quickly shifting technology landscapes and future-proof processes. ## The most useful models of signification for designers ### Saussure’s signifier-signified model One of the earliest semiotic models is the signifier-signified model introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure, a 20th-century Swiss linguist. Saussure proposed that a sign consists of two parts: the signifier (the perceived element, such as a physical dog or the written word “dog”) and the signified (the mental concept of a dog). Saussure’s sign model Modern semiotics, however, has evolved beyond Saussure’s model (Yuri Lotman, [Universe of the Mind, p. 11,](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HdM7-4_d_60tVRLDUjo8sXIIGWxnA7qe/view?usp=drive_link) 1990). Meaning is not an inherent property of an object; the same signifier can evoke different responses depending on the viewer. Seeing a dog might evoke a fond memory of a childhood pet for one person, call to mind a child’s drawing for another, or cause anxiety for someone afraid of dogs. Similarly, complex political symbols evoke vastly different reactions depending on the audience. Interpreting signs requires considering factors beyond just the signifier and the signified. ### Charles Peirce’s triadic sign model A model that accounts for context is Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic sign model (Umberto Eco, [The Role of the Reader, p. 183](https://archive.org/details/roleofreaderexpl0000ecou), 1984). Peirce, a 19th-century American philosopher whose work was popularized in the mid-20th century by Roman Jakobson, argued that meaning is dynamic rather than fixed. Meaning emerges from each unique interaction. Consequently, a signifier carries different meanings for different people, and its meaning for a single individual shifts across contexts. For example, seeing an apple in the kitchen in the morning might remind me of breakfast, while seeing the same apple at work might make me think about Apple computers. Peirce also noted that meaning *itself* acts as a sign, generating further associations in a continuous chain. For instance, seeing a dog might remind you of your own pets, which leads to thoughts about protecting furniture, which then brings to mind household chores. This chain of associations continually updates meaning. Peirce categorizes signs into three types: icons, indexes, and symbols. Icons signify through visual likeness, such as an image of a dog. Indexes signify through a direct physical connection, such as paw prints in the snow. Symbols signify through established social conventions, such as the written word “dog.” These categories directly inform icon choices and User Interface (UI) representations in interface design. An example of Peirce’s icon, index, and symbol (source: public domain and [Magnific](https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/socket%22%20title=%22socket%20icons%22%3ESocket%20icons%20created%20by%20Magnific%20-%20Flaticon)) ### Umberto Eco’s models of sign production and the semiosphere Umberto Eco contributed significantly to semiotics through his theory of sign production. Eco noted that inventing a new type of sign not grounded in cultural codes, introducing unfamiliar associations, or frequently switching codes requires more cognitive effort (Umberto Eco, [A Theory of Semiotics, p. 152](https://archive.org/details/umbertoecoatheoryofsemioticszlib.org/page/n13/mode/2up), 1979). In design terms, if a sign is difficult to produce or unconventional, it will be harder for the user to interpret. Lotman’s semiosphere model, showing three semiospheres overlapping, with higher density shared cultural references in the middle of each semiosphere Eco and Yuri Lotman also introduced the concept of the semiosphere. A semiosphere represents culture as a three-dimensional sphere where shared media and references cluster toward the center and disperse toward the edges (Yuri Lotman, [Universe of the Mind, p. 134-135](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Aj0FgXgSctsgzbuuTL-MwzCkQbkICDYr/view?usp=drive_link), 1990). References near the center are deeply embedded in cultural codes, making sign production and interpretation faster and more consistent. Semiospheres overlap, and individuals participate in multiple semiospheres at varying distances from the center. People closer to the center share common interpretations, whereas those at the margins experience greater variance in meaning when encountering the same stimulus. ## Connecting semiotic models to UX design Semiotics provides a framework for interface and UX designers. Understanding how information becomes meaningful through interfaces informs high-level strategy and guides creative decision-making. Don Norman, co-founder of Nielsen Norman Group and a researcher in human-computer interaction (HCI), theorizes that the interface is what the user perceives when interacting with a computer, making the interface a sign itself (Don Norman, [Cognitive Engineering](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qWCMcAuyjcKJ301pCd32MFqt4zrXs9xz/view?usp=sharing), 1986). Meaning emerges during interaction. Conversely, the computer perceives user input through the interface. In Norman’s model, this interaction is represented as a bidirectional process between the user’s mental model and the system image. Don Norman’s diagram of user’s model vs. design model, portraying the interface as a mediating sign system (source: Don Norman, [Cognitive Engineering, p. 46](https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Mental-model-Source-from-Norman-1986_fig1_357623998), 1986) Semiotics highlights the value of consistent logic. Users construct expectations of system behavior through repeated interaction. When an interface communicates consistently, users learn its underlying model more efficiently, establishing a shared semiosphere where signs are quickly recognized and understood. Peirce’s model also reminds designers to embrace varied interpretations. Complete control over how an interface is perceived is impossible, because meaning is created during the user’s interaction and cannot be prescribed. Designers should account for unexpected user paths by incorporating error tolerance, customization, and redundancy. This is one reason open source projects are so important: as thousands of users work together to build an interface, they each contribute their own unique interpretation, and build models that account for more varied interpretations. Floppy disk icon used frequently as for the “save” function in user interfaces (source: public domain) Peirce’s three types of signs provide practical guidance for choosing UI icons. Using icons that leverage real-world visual parallels – such as a floppy disk to represent saving – offers an intuitive way to indicate functionality. Drawing direct visual analogies between digital and physical domains is known as skeuomorphism. Early desktop interfaces mimicked physical office desks, and digital notes apps replicated legal pads. Skeuomorphism was essential during the early days of personal computing, when users relied on familiar physical references to navigate digital spaces. As Cliff Kuang notes in User Friendly, “The right metaphor is like an instruction manual but better, because it teaches you how something should work without you ever having to be told” (Cliff Kuang, [User Friendly](https://www.mcdbooks.com/books/user-friendly), 2015, as quoted in [AI Needs Better Metaphors](https://metedata.substack.com/p/011-ai-needs-better-metaphors#footnote-1), Mete Polat, 2026). Skeuomorphism in early iPhone design, including the contacts, calendar, and maps app (source: [Flickr Creative Commons, image by David Martyn Hunt](https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidchief/7081464339)) The Sony Magic Link with Magic Cap operating system demonstrates skeuomorphism by displaying the visual analogy of a desk top (source: [Sony Magic Link image by Josh Carter, via Wikimedia Creative Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SonyMagicLink.jpg)) However, visual analogies can lose effectiveness as physical technology changes. As digital literacy grows, reliance on literal real-world analogies decreases. Floppy disks are rarely used today; the save icon has transitioned from a physical reference into an established symbol for saving data. Similarly, modern note-taking apps have abandoned physical paper styling in favor of streamlined digital layouts. Interface elements that endure are built on process and association – operating as Peirce’s symbols rather than literal icons. Computer semiotics differs from traditional semiotics through the deliberate role of the designer. While human experience automatically informs internal mental models, designers and engineers manually construct the computer’s system model. This dynamic manifests in two distinct ways. First, users may treat the interface as a proxy for the designer’s intent. For example, an English speaker navigating an Arabic website must recognize that Arabic text reads right-to-left, shifting key visual hierarchy from left to right. An example of different languages (English and Arabic) changing the design, in this case alignment, of a website Second, users often adapt their communication style to match machine processing models. For instance, searching for “release year Ubuntu Noble Numbat” in a search engine reflects an understanding that keyword indexing yields better results than natural conversational language. This dynamic is shifting with artificial intelligence. Users increasingly interact with interfaces as conversational human-like entities rather than static designer-curated tools. As people form interactive relationships with AI systems, the distinction between human and machine sign systems continues to blur. ## Conclusion As technology changes and interface design evolves, the power of semiotics lies in its theoretical and model-based nature: when we as designers understand the equation, we can react with agility when inputs change. ## Bibliography and further reading This article is based on research by Sophie Carroll published in [Why Designers Should Study Semiotics: Applications of Semiotics to User Interface Design](https://dukespace.lib.duke.edu/items/6629f2a5-668a-4644-b84c-396ab701d416) (Duke University, 2023). 1. Andersen, P. B. [Computer Semiotics](http://aisel.aisnet.org/sjis/vol4/iss1/1?utm_source=aisel.aisnet.org%2Fsjis%2Fvol4%2Fis%20s1%2F1&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages), 1992 2. Andrews, E. [The Interface of Iconicity and Interpretants](https://scholars.duke.edu/publication/1018549), 1994 3. Eco, Umberto [A Theory of Semiotics,](https://archive.org/details/umbertoecoatheoryofsemioticszlib.org/page/n13/mode/2up), 1979 4. Eco, Umberto [The Role of the Reader](https://archive.org/details/roleofreaderexpl0000ecou), 1984 5. Lotman, Yuri [Universe of the Mind,](https://archive.org/details/universeofthemindasemiotictheoryofcultureasemiotictheoryofcultureyurilotmanm._202003_972_g) 1990 6. Norman, Don, [Cognitive Engineering](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qWCMcAuyjcKJ301pCd32MFqt4zrXs9xz/view?usp=sharing), 1986 7. Saussure, Ferdinand de, [Course in general linguistics](https://archive.org/details/courseingenerall00saus/page/n5/mode/2up), 1916 8. Seaborn, Katie, [Towards a Semiotics of Visual Texture in Touch-Based Interaction](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299668159_Towards_a_Semiotics_of_Visual_Texture_in_Touch-Based_Interaction), 2012 9. Souza, Clarisse de, [The semiotic engineering of user interface languages](https://doi.org/10.1006/imms.1993.1082), 1993 --- ## **Join the Canonical design team** We’re looking for designers who care about craft and how systems work under the hood. At Canonical, design sits at the intersection of UX, engineering, and open source, where we shape cohesive, accessible experiences across cloud, desktop, and IoT products. If you enjoy solving complex problems and turning technical depth into clarity, explore our open roles: [**canonical.com/careers**](https://canonical.com/careers/web-and-design/?utm_source=ownedcontent-canonical-design-blog&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=evergreen-recruiting&utm_content=evergreen-blog) [Get in touch Interested in running Ubuntu in your organization?](https://ubuntu.com/about/contact-us/form) ## Sign up for our newsletter Get the latest Canonical news and updates in your inbox. 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