Old from session 1

6. Reading Process and Perception

6.1. Pre-attentive Perception

Visual variables support rapid, unconscious discovery of groupings and patterns.[7]
“Selectivity” relates to perception: some variables (color, size) create instantly distinguishable groups, while others require sequential search.[7]

6.2. Cognitive Load

Bertin aimed for graphics with the “least mental cost”: images readable at a glance, but acknowledged such universality ignores cultural/experiential differences.[5]

7. Functional Types of Graphics

7.1. Graphic Functions

Recording: Visuals act as storage, often exhaustive and detailed.[1]
Communication: Designed to highlight, simplify, persuade (editorial, presentations).[10][1]
Processing/Analysis: Dynamic or interactive graphics for active reasoning, including the “mobile” Bertin Matrix for pattern-finding.[5]

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8. Application Examples

8.1. Diagrammatic Uses

Bar/line charts for temporal or categorical progression.
Matrices for comparing variables and uncovering structure (e.g., Bertin’s reorderable matrices).[5]

8.2. Network Uses

Force-directed graphs for social/political ties.
Flow diagrams for process and logistics.

8.3. Spatial Use (Maps)

Thematic maps using hue or texture for data distribution.
“Image-file” arrangements for sorting and exploring spatial patterns.[5]

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9. Semiotic Theory in Graphics

9.1. Signs and Meaning

Signifier: Visual mark/symbol.[11][5]
Signified: The concept/data represented.[11][5]
Literal (denotation) and cultural/contextual (connotation) meaning may differ.[12][11][5]

9.2. Category of Signs

Icon: Resemblance (e.g., shape of a tree for a forest).
Index: Causality/association (e.g., thermometer icon for temperature).
Symbol: Arbitrary or conventional representation (e.g., blue for water).[11]

10. Critique and Evolution

Bertin’s work is foundational, yet some properties such as cognitive differences and cultural bias were underexplored.[5]
Later work in visual analytics, user-centric/cultural semiotics, and digital technology broaden the grammar Bertin established.[3][5]

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References

Jacques Bertin - Semiology of Graphics: Diagrams, Networks, Maps (1967/2010) {: #source-1}
The foundational work that established graphic semiology as a systematic approach to visual information design. Bertin's comprehensive treatise on how visual variables encode data meaning.

Nicolas Kruchten - Interactive Exploration of Bertin's Semiology of Graphics {: #source-2}
Modern interactive interpretation and exploration of Bertin's principles, demonstrating their continued relevance in digital visualization.

InformationVisuals.com - Jacques Bertin's Semiology of Graphics {: #source-3}
Contemporary analysis and explanation of Bertin's theoretical framework, making his concepts accessible to modern designers and data analysts.

St. Mary's College Archive - Jacques Bertin: Semiology of Graphics {: #source-4}
Academic archive containing Bertin's work on graphics as a language system, exploring the linguistic properties of visual communication.

Hypergeo/EHESS - Jacques Bertin Biography and Theory {: #source-5}
Comprehensive biographical and theoretical overview from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, detailing Bertin's contributions to geographic and graphic sciences.

History of Information - Bertin's Visual Variables {: #source-6}
Historical documentation of Bertin's eight visual variables and their impact on information design methodology.

International Cartographic Association - Associativity and Disassociativity of Visual Variables {: #source-7}
Reimer's analysis of how visual variables interact, focusing on the crucial concept of associativity in multi-variable graphic design.

Digital Society School - Bertin Semiology of Graphics Excerpt {: #source-8}
Educational excerpt focusing on the practical applications of Bertin's plane geometry concepts in contemporary design.

Anthony Masure - From Semiology of Graphics to Cultural Analytics {: #source-9}
Modern interpretation connecting Bertin's foundational work to contemporary cultural analytics and digital humanities approaches.

ESRI Press - Semiology of Graphics Sample Pages {: #source-10}
Publishing sample demonstrating practical applications of Bertin's principles in geographic information systems and cartographic design.

Squarespace Archive - Semiotics and Graphic Design {: #source-11}
Resource on the broader semiotic foundations underlying graphic design, extending beyond Bertin's specific contributions.

Aiello, G. - Visual Semiotics: Key Concepts and New Directions (2020) {: #source-12}
Contemporary academic analysis published in The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods, updating semiotic theory for modern visual research.

All structure, distinctions, and categories directly referenced from leading analyses and primary sources on graphic semiology, ready for highly detailed study or code-linked illustration.