Signifier
Don-Norman's definition:
For me, the term signifier refers to any mark or sound, any perceivable indicator that communicates appropriate behavior to a person. - Don-Norman
My definition:
I think we need adjust the definition of signifier to highlight that whether signifier will successfully communicate the appropriate behavior is very much dependent on the agent/user of the product. Hence, we need to add additional AIMS-TO clarification into the definition of signifier:
Signifier: Any mark or sound, any perceivable indicator that AIMS-TO communicate appropriate behavior to a person.
And add on additional term Signification:
Definition
When signifier successfully communicates the appropriate behavior to the customer/user of the product. In other words when the signifier communicates the affordance of the product that the customer wanted to use.
Signification is an add on to Don-Norman's framework of thinking about product design to highlight the fact that even when we add a signifier, whether the signifier is successful is also dependent on the person who is interacting with the product/signifier.
Why-Add-Signification
This distinction highlights the fact that when we add signifiers to products, not all of them will be able to successfully communicate the appropriate behavior to ALL users. For example, if a designer puts a PUSH sign on a door, while it is a clear signifier for English-speaking, non-visually impaired users of the door, it won't provide signification (communication of appropriate behavior) to non-English speakers or visually impaired users.
Hence, adding this distinction is envisioned to make us think more about which customers are going to get dropped off in the transition from signifier (what we envisioned/aimed to communicate) to signification (what was actually communicated). Thinking about which customers will not be able to utilize our signifier should help us to come up with more UNIVERSAL signifiers.
For example, if we use colors to communicate something in the design as a signifier, the signification addition in the mental framework aims to highlight that color-blind users are not going to see the colors nearly as well as hoped. Hence, while the signifier of colors is added, the signification (communication) is not actually going to happen.
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