Category: Communication Design

I’ve discussed the setting for my worldbuilding project, so today I’d like to get into the ecosystem. To take a look at how life evolves – the rules it follows and how it will change over time. I also want to explore what animals might evolve in this environment based on what animals we know live around the hydrothermal vents on Earth.

Animal Architecture – Repetition, Symmetry & Polarity

First, let’s get down the facts of animal architecture – how is life structured?

When looking at fossils, we can draw a lot of conclusions about evolution’s pervasive use of repeating parts and modular architecture in animal designs. Even individual body parts reflect this theme of modular design – the limbs of four-legged vertebrates are all made up of thigh, calf, ankle or upper arm, forearm, wrist and the hands and feet bear five similar digits. Something that can be found as far back as the Jurassic.

No matter how complex or bizarre the outward appearance of an animal may be – beneath it they are all constructed along recognizable, similar themes. It’s all about repetition; repeated parts and within those repeating units. The most obvious difference between groups of animals are the number and kind of repeated structures. When comparing these parts however, it’s important to discern if it’s the same body part that might have been changed/adapted. This is referred to as a “homolog” and would apply to our fore- and hindlimbs, for example. Or different shapes of teeth that are specifically adapted for biting, tearing or compacting food. These are all structures that arose as a repeated series and over time differentiated to varying degrees in different animals.

Another point in animal architecture is symmetry – most animals are bilaterally symmetrical, meaning their left and right sides match and they have a central axis of symmetry running down the middle of the long axis of the body. This also enables a front/rear orientation, which played an important part in the evolution of locomotion.

Thirdly, let’s talk about polarity. This is essential to how we are built from a purely structural point. Most animals possess three axes of polarity: head to tail, top to bottom/back and front and near to far from the body/torso (e.g. limbs).

Diversification of Life

Variation in shape also directly leads into evolution – the changes in the number and kind of serial homologs are considered a principal theme here. Early groups of animals tended to have a large number of similar repeating parts, but later groups would specialize these structures more and more. These specialized structures also wouldn’t revert back to more generalized forms.

The Basis for Life in Europa

Researching about primitive life during the last semester taught me that even with the animal itself long gone, we can draw conclusions about it by drawing parallels to animals known today. Similar features and structures are likely to have served a similar purpose, so it makes sense to take a look at what lifeforms live around our hydrothermal vents on Earth and use them as a stepping stone for creating an alien ecosystem.

These animals would be the following:

• Bristle Worms (e.g.: pompeii worm, sulfide worm)
• Segmented Worms (e.g.: tube worms)
• Jellyfish (e.g.: Lucernaria janetae)
• Sea Anemones (e.g.: Relicanthus daphneae)
• Crustaceans like shrimp, crabs, lobsters – many of which lack eyes (e.g.: Alvinocarididae, Bythograeidae, Yeti Crabs/Lobsters)
• Molluscs like mussels, clams, snails (e.g.: Bathymodiolus thermophilus, Calyptogena magnifica, scaly-foot snail)
• Tonguefish (e.g.: Symphurus thermophilus)
• Ray-Finned Fish (e.g.: Eelpouts)
• Cephalopods (e.g.: Vulcanoctopus)

Sources:

(1) Carrol, Sean B.: Endless Forms Most Beautiful. The New Science of Evo Devo. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 2005 [E-Book]

(2) Wikipedia. Die freie Enzyklopädie (21.03.2017), s.v. Category: Animals living on hydrothermal vents, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Animals_living_on_hydrothermal_vents (zuletzt aufgerufen am 31.03.2025)

Last time I talked about using Jupiter’s moon Europa as basis for worldbuilding. Today, let’s look at what the parameters are – what we can surmise about Europa as well as the bottom of the sea floor.

The Oceans of Europa

Europa is covered by an ice shell, which could be from a few kilometres to as much as 30 km thick. The fractures in the ice criss-cross along its surface, showing regions that are “geologically chaotic”. Here the ice would be especially thin and allow sunlight to peak through.

Europa has a density of about 3,000 kg/m3, same as our moon. This means it has enough rock mass to form a proper sea floor. Unlike our moon however, water makes up about 6% of its total mass. In comparison, Earth is about 0.02% water. This means the oceans on Europa are much vaster and deeper than on Earth – about 100 km of depth. Earth’s deepest point, the Challenger Deep, only ranges about 11km.

Europa has a lot of sulfur, as seen in the yellowish-reddish-brown regions on its surface. It has about the same amount of carbon dioxide as in our atmosphere, which means carbon as a basis for life is available.

Life Around the Hydrothermal Vents

Hydrothermal vents exist in total darkness, under relentless water pressure. They spew hot water loaded with dissolved gases and minerals, which quickly cools down and forms solid structures around the vent – these are also known as vent chimneys. Depending on the temperature these vents expel white or black “smoke”.

White smokers occur at lower temperatures, they appear white because of the minerals they carry. These are usually silica and barite. Black smokers are hotter and carry iron sulphides for the most part.

Life around the hydrothermal vents is rich and bizarre – ranging from red tube worms, molluscs and crustaceans all the way to octopuses and eelpout fish. The food chain relies on chemosynthesis, which works similar to photosynthesis. But instead of using sunlight as energy, the bacteria use chemicals from the vent smoke.

First Explorations

I started my process by looking at how life by the thermal vents looked like – making studies of the structures, finding ways to translate what I see into my personal drawing style.

Afterwards I started to experiment; how could I estrange the shapes, but keep them looking believable? What diversity could exist in its forms?

Sources

• Hand, Kevin Peter: Alien Oceans. The Search for Life in the Depths of Space. New Jersey, Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press 2020 [E-Book]
• Tamisiea, Jack: Strange Ecosystem Found Thriving below Seafloor Hydrothermal Vents. An expedition using a deep-sea remotely operated vehicle has uncovered a hidden underground ecosystem below hydrothermal vents on the seafloor. In: Scientific American 9.8.2023, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/expedition-discovers-worms-and-other-life-below-hydrothermal-vents/ (zuletzt aufgerufen am 07.03.2026)
• Osterloff, Emily: Hydrothermal vents: survival at the ocean’s hot springs. In: Natural History Museum O.D., https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/survival-at-hydrothermal-vents.html (zuletzt aufgerufen am 07.03.2026)

In order to continue my research into how we could depict life outside our known world, I began reading the book Alien Oceans by the astrobiologist and planetary scientist Kevin Peter Hand. The book explores the possibility of life within our solar system – though not on a planet, but on Jupiter’s moons.

I want to explore what alien life on one of these moons, more specifically Europa, could look like – what environment could exist, what flora, what fauna. What intelligent life could look like – how it would behave, communicate, what culture it would develop. Using both science and my own imagination I want to create a far-off world and use this book as basis for storytelling.

Life Here and Possibly Elsewhere

But first of, what’s so special about Jupiter’s moons? How could life possibly exist there? Well, for a long-time we believed alien life was only possible in the habitable zone, on a planet not too hot or too cold. But that’s not true. Life is possible on the floor of our oceans, down where no light or warmth from the sun may ever reach. Entire ecosystems have grown around hydrothermal vents deep in the Arctic Ocean. It’s quite likely that under the frozen surface of Jupiter’s moons lie unknown oceans, brimming with life.

What is needed to sustain an ocean out there?

Ice: The ice surface of Saturn’s moons serves as a kind of blanket – it keeps in the heat generated in the bottom of the ocean.

Seafloor: The moons would need the necessary space and materials to form hydrothermal vents – it has to have a rocky seafloor.

Tidal Pull: The heat needed for creating and sustaining liquid water oceans would be most likely generated by tidal energy – for this the moons would need to experience a changing gravitational field. Meaning they would need elliptical orbits. E.g..: Europa and Ganymede

Planet Size: If a moon is too large, it’s possible that that the pressure within may be high enough for ice to form at the bottom of the ocean, thus stopping hydrothermal vents from forming. Thus, smaller to medium-sized high-density moons are more likely to have the right measurements for chemically rich liquid water oceans in contact with rocky seafloors. E.g.: Enceladus and Europa

This leaves three moons as possible hot spots for alien life – Europa and Enceladus possess the right combination of liquid water, elements, and energy to sustain life. While Titan might be too big to have a rocky seafloor, it’s flush with carbon and interesting organic chemistry that could support life.

Sources

• Hand, Kevin Peter: Alien Oceans. The Search for Life in the Depths of Space. New Jersey, Oxfordshire: Princeton University Press 2020 [E-Book]

Before beginning this master’s program, my work already revolved around questions of storytelling and communication. Coming from a background in interior and exhibition design, I became interested in how people understand narratives through space, atmosphere, and visual cues rather than through long textual explanations. In my previous thesis, I explored how lighting can support storytelling and guide perception within an installation. The project focused on how visitors interpret meaning through sensory experience, even when verbal guidance is limited.

Alongside this academic interest, communication has also been a personal challenge in my everyday life. Living and studying in a country where my mother tongue is not spoken has created a constant negotiation between languages. I regularly move between Persian, English, and German depending on the situation and the people I interact with. Often I notice that certain thoughts are easier to express in one language than in another. At times I struggle to find the right words, even when the idea itself feels very clear in my mind. Because of this, communication has become something I am highly aware of in daily life. It is not simply a neutral tool but something that requires constant adjustment and creativity.

This experience has gradually led me to search for ways of expressing ideas that are less dependent on words. Over time I have experimented with different forms of expression that allow communication through other senses or forms of perception. One example is music. When I began learning the violin, part of the motivation came from a desire to express emotions that are difficult to articulate verbally. Music can communicate mood, tension, and rhythm without requiring a shared language.

Visual expression has played a similar role in my life. Drawing and painting have been lifelong challenges for me. I have repeatedly tried different mediums and techniques in order to find a visual language that feels natural. Although this process has often involved frustration, it has also kept my interest in visual communication alive. Photography became another way to observe and communicate moments visually. Through photography I became more attentive to gestures, light, and composition as ways of conveying meaning.

Even baking has played a role in this exploration of communication. Through my small project Dot Pastry I experimented with recipes, presentation, and packaging. While baking might appear unrelated to design research at first glance, it also involves communication through sensory experience. Taste, color, form, and presentation all contribute to how people interpret and experience something. In this sense, the process also became another way of thinking about how meaning can be conveyed without relying on written or spoken language.

In the first semester of this master’s program I explored storyboarding as a method of visual communication. The project focused on how a narrative can be conveyed within a group that shares a common language while using as few words as possible. The aim was to experiment with visual sequencing and the minimal use of text, relying instead on images, gestures, and context to communicate meaning. Through this process I became more interested in how people read visual sequences and how much information can be communicated through images alone.

Now, in the current semester, I feel the need to deepen my skills in illustration. While storyboarding allowed me to think about narrative structure and the sequence of events, illustration focuses more on the creation of individual images that carry meaning on their own. I am interested in experimenting with different illustrative approaches and visual styles to understand how ideas, emotions, or instructions might be communicated with little or no text.

At this stage the direction is still developing and not yet fully structured. For this reason this section reflects a process of thinking through possibilities and connecting past experiences with current interests. This process of reflection is also part of the research itself. By looking at the different ways I have tried to communicate over the years through language, music, drawing, photography, and even baking, I begin to recognize a common thread. It is an ongoing search for ways to express meaning when words alone are not enough.

Im Laufe des Semesters wurde deutlich, dass Self-Branding ein vergleichsweise junges, aber zunehmend relevantes Konzept ist, das stark mit aktuellen gesellschaftlichen, wirtschaftlichen und medialen Entwicklungen verknüpft ist. Besonders im Kontext von Digitalisierung und Social Media hat sich Self-Branding von einer Strategie für Selbstständige und Künstler*innen zu einem allgemeinen Bestandteil beruflicher Positionierung entwickelt.

Zahlreiche Forschungsarbeiten zeigen, dass Self-Branding längst nicht mehr nur für Self-Employed oder Personen in kreativen Berufen von Bedeutung ist. Auch Bewerberinnen im klassischen Angestelltenverhältnis profitieren davon, da Arbeitgeberinnen verstärkt auf persönliche Profile, Online-Präsenzen und individuelle Außenwirkungen achten. Die eigene Darstellung wird somit Teil der beruflichen Qualifikation und kann neue Türen öffnen.

Ein weiterer zentraler Aspekt ist das Vertrauen, das durch Personal Branding aufgebaut werden kann. Menschen neigen dazu, sich stärker mit anderen Menschen als mit anonymen Marken zu identifizieren. Ein klar erkennbares Gesicht, eine konsistente Haltung und eine nachvollziehbare Geschichte schaffen Nähe und Glaubwürdigkeit – besonders dann, wenn ein Produkt, eine Dienstleistung oder eine künstlerische Arbeit vermittelt wird. Self-Branding kann hier als Schnittstelle zwischen Person, Werk und Publikum fungieren.

Gleichzeitig bringt dieses Konzept jedoch auch wesentliche Herausforderungen mit sich. Ein häufig diskutiertes Problem ist die Frage der Authentizität. Die bewusste Inszenierung der eigenen Person birgt die Gefahr, eine konstruierte oder verzerrte Identität zu präsentieren, die nicht (mehr) dem eigenen Selbst entspricht. Die Grenze zwischen strategischer Selbstdarstellung und Selbstverfremdung ist dabei oft fließend. Besonders im digitalen Raum kann der Druck entstehen, Erwartungen zu erfüllen, anstatt sich ehrlich zu positionieren.

Die Analyse der Künstlerin Ellen Sheidlin verdeutlicht diese Dynamiken auf exemplarische Weise. Ihr Werdegang zeigt, wie Self-Branding – ursprünglich über Social Media und einen YouTube-Kanal aufgebaut – als Einstiegspunkt für eine künstlerische Karriere dienen kann. Durch eine starke persönliche Präsenz und Reichweite gelang es ihr, Aufmerksamkeit zu generieren, Kollaborationen einzugehen und schließlich mit Galerien zusammenzuarbeiten. Dieses Beispiel macht sichtbar, wie Self-Branding nicht nur Sichtbarkeit schafft, sondern auch als Brücke zwischen digitaler Selbstinszenierung und professioneller Anerkennung im Kunstfeld fungieren kann.

Zusammenfassend lässt sich festhalten, dass Self-Branding ein ambivalentes, aber wirkungsvolles Instrument ist. Es bietet große Chancen in Bezug auf Sichtbarkeit, Vertrauen und Vernetzung, erfordert jedoch zugleich ein hohes Maß an Reflexion. Besonders im Design- und Kunstkontext stellt sich die zentrale Frage, wie eine authentische Identität kommuniziert werden kann, ohne zur reinen Marke zu werden. Genau in diesem Spannungsfeld liegt das kreative und forschungsrelevante Potenzial von Self-Branding.

See you in SS26! 🤗

In this research, I have explored the world of object perception and communication from multiple perspectives: from the psychology of perception to the involvement of the body and the senses, and finally to the semiotic analysis of design and brands. I discovered that objects are never neutral: they guide behavior, communicate values and influence emotions and social relationships, often even before they are consciously interpreted.

Personally, I found the topic very engaging. It is fascinating to see how even simple gestures, like turning on a faucet, can carry cultural meanings and design choices.

For the next steps of the research, I would like to delve deeper into the practical and social dimensions of object perception through interviews, workshops or other direct observations. I want to understand how people interpret and use objects in everyday life, what values they associate with certain designs and how affordances guide behavior. At the same time, I would like to further explore the connection between objects and visual communication, reflecting on how to design more conscious and coherent messages.

The next step will be to observe firsthand how people interact with objects, transforming theoretical reflection and analysis into real, meaningful experiences.

In the field of visual communication and marketing, semiotics becomes a strategic tool.
A brand’s success depends not only on product quality but also on its ability to create a coherent and recognizable universe of meaning.

Brands as Systems of Signs

A brand communicates through its logo, colors, shapes, materials, packaging, sounds, and tone of voice. All of these elements function as signs that refer to shared cultural values.
Coca-Cola, for example, uses red to convey energy, vitality, and sociability.
Apple emphasizes simplicity, essentiality, and innovation through clean forms and carefully selected materials.
Nike tells stories of overcoming limits and determination, embodying the archetype of the hero.

Floch’s Contribution to Communication

Jean-Marie Floch shows that a brand functions like an object: not only for what it does but for the meaning it produces within a network of values and relationships.
His semiotic square of values allows us to analyze brand positioning: some emphasize efficiency, others pleasure, and still others identity or ideals. Effective communication arises from balancing these values and maintaining consistency over time.

Coca-Cola, for example, does not highlight the product’s functional qualities but builds a predominantly playful narrative. Through colors, images, and music, it associates the beverage with moments of sharing and happiness. In this way, consumption is not just about the object—it becomes a socially shared ritual, where emotional experience outweighs product function.

Objects, Advertising, and Perception

Packaging, commercials, and digital interfaces do more than inform: they guide emotions, expectations, and behavior. Semiotics shows that the form of the message is part of the message itself: colors, images, symbols, and rhythm act before the content is even consciously processed. Meaning emerges in the encounter between design and interpretation, between what the brand proposes and what the audience perceives.

Advertising and Meaning-Making

Advertisements do not merely describe a product; they shape the way we see and experience it.
An object becomes “desirable” not only for its material characteristics but for the meaning attributed to it. A smartphone, for example, is not just a tool: through images, colors, music, and storytelling, the brand communicates innovation, elegance, and social status. In this sense, the advertisement transforms the product into a symbol, influencing consumer perception, emotion, and behavior.

With the web and social media, brand communication no longer stops at the message: the audience contributes to creating meaning around objects, shaping perceptions and values.

A brand is not just a product or a logo: it is a complex system of signs capable of acting on culture and emotions. Today, with digital evolution and active consumer interaction, brands become open, ever-changing worlds, where meaning, aesthetics, and participation coexist.

Sources:
• Prastani, A. (2025). Semiotics: How It Supports Companies in Marketing Strategies. Online article.
• Floch, J.-M. (2000). Semiotics, Marketing and Communication: Beneath the Signs, the Strategies. Palgrave Macmillan.
• Codeluppi, V. (2020). Semiotics and Advertising: The Problem of the Brand. Filosofi(e)Semiotiche, Vol. 7, No. 1.

Every object, even the most mundane, constructs meaning through what it invites us to do and through the way it fits into everyday practices.

The Faucet

A faucet immediately communicates how it should be used: turn, pull, push.
But it does more than indicate the action—it also conveys how the gesture should be performed. A minimalist steel faucet suggests control, precision, and modernity, while one with separate knobs evokes tradition, ritual, and a slower, more deliberate interaction.
Turning the water on and off is not a neutral gesture: the rotation of the knob, the resistance of the mechanism, and the flow’s gradualness shape how the body relates to the object. A knob faucet requires attention, a lever faucet speeds up the gesture, and an automatic faucet introduces values of control and efficiency, delegating part of the responsibility to the object itself.
Here, the practical value intertwines with the utopian: it is not just about getting water, but about suggesting an idea of comfort, hygiene, and lifestyle.

The Chair

The chair is one of the most studied objects in design precisely because it connects body, space, and culture. A rigid, upright chair communicates formality, discipline, and control over the body; a low, soft armchair, on the other hand, invites relaxation, lingering, and informal use of space. Its ergonomics are not merely functional—they guide behavior and social interaction.

The Remote Control

The remote control is a clear example of an object-interface. Its role is to translate a complex technological system into a series of simple gestures. Button layout, colors, and visual hierarchy communicate what is important, what is secondary, and what is reserved for advanced users.
When a remote is difficult to use, the problem is not with the user: it is the object that communicates ineffectively, making the connection between gesture and function difficult.

The Water Bottle

Even a water bottle constructs meaning through its material and visual characteristics.
A lightweight plastic bottle conveys practicality and quick consumption, while a glass bottle suggests quality, care, and sustainability. Shape, cap, and label do not speak of the water itself but of its symbolic value, consumption context, and the brand identity it represents.

The Smartphone

The smartphone is an object-system: it communicates through screen, sounds, vibrations, and interfaces.
It is not just a tool, but a node of intersubjectivity: it connects apps, notifications, images, and social timing. The interface is not neutral: it invites, guides, interrupts, and captures attention. Every gesture (tap, swipe, scroll) is anticipated, designed, and normalized. In this sense, the smartphone becomes a delegated actant: it acts for us and on our behalf, reorganizing time, attention, and social interaction.

In all these cases, objects never communicate alone: they acquire meaning within networks of objects, spaces, instructions, and habits. This is what semiotics calls textuality: an object can be read like a text, but its meaning emerges only in context and through the relationships it maintains with other elements.
Kitchen, bathroom, desk: these are not random collections of things, but systems of objects that produce social meaning, identity, and lifestyle. Analyzing them reveals the design choices that transform signs into experience.

Sources:
• Floch, J.-M. (1995). Visual Identities. Continuum. 
• Marrone, G. (n.d.). From Design to Interobjectivity: Introductory Issues. Filosofi(e)Semiotiche, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2020.

Semiotics is the discipline that studies how signs produce meaning. Applied to design, it helps us understand how objects communicate values, roles, and worldviews, even in the absence of words.
An object is never neutral: it is designed by someone, placed in a cultural context, and interpreted by its users. Semiotics does not only ask what an object represents, but analyzes the relationships it activates: with the body, with other objects, with daily practices, and with social systems.
In this sense, semiotics does not merely decode isolated objects; it studies the networks of relationships that generate meaning and helps us understand how objects influence behavior, emotions, and interpretations of the world around us (Mangano & Ventura Bordenca, 2024).

Greimas and Structural Semiotics

Algirdas Julien Greimas (1917–1992) is one of the fathers of modern semiotics. His theory showed that meaning does not arise from isolated elements but from relationships and oppositions. Meaning is always constructed: through structures, roles, and values in tension with each other.
Applied to design, this perspective implies that an object communicates not only through its function but also through the value it assumes within a system of oppositions such as useful/useless, simple/complex, modern/traditional. Every artifact, therefore, is never neutral: it is part of a kind of everyday narrative, assuming different roles and guiding behavior, perception, and social interactions.
A chair, for example, is not just a support for sitting; it can communicate elegance, informality, authority, or a particular lifestyle.

Floch and the Semiotics of Design

Jean-Marie Floch (1947–2001) applied Greimas’ semiotics to design, visual communication, and consumption. In his book Visual Identities (1995), Floch demonstrates how even a simple object, like the Opinel knife, can communicate much more than its function.

The Opinel is not just a cutting tool: through its essential form, humble materials, mass production, and rural associations, it conveys values of authenticity, tradition, simplicity, and reliability. It is an object that tells a way of life and a cultural belonging even before it is used.
For Floch, objects are actants: not passive tools, but elements capable of acting on humans, guiding behavior, choices, and desires. The object becomes the protagonist in the relationship with the user.

One of his best-known contributions is the semiotic square of values, often used to analyze products, brands, and communication. Floch identifies four major value regimes:

• Practical → function, utility, efficiency
  
• Utopian → ideal values, identity, vision
  
• Critical → quality/price ratio, rationality
  
• Ludic → pleasure, aesthetics, gratuitousness
  
  

These values do not exclude each other but coexist and balance. Every object or design project communicates a specific combination of these regimes.

Semiotics of design, therefore, does not study “what an object means,” but how it produces meaning within a system of relationships.

Sources:
• Mangano, D., & Ventura Bordenca, I. (Eds.). (2024). Stories of Semiotics and Design. AIS/Design Journal: History and Research, Vol. 11, No. 20.
• Greimas, A. J. (1987). On Meaning: Selected Writings in Semiotic Theory. University of Minnesota Press.
• Floch, J.-M. (1995). Visual Identities. Continuum.