Design Psychology 2 Chapter 4

Social semantic symbol

Although the world is complicated, most of us have succeeded. We can even deal with some brand-new situations well without prior knowledge or experience, and in some cases, through subtle clues in other people's activities. People's actions have additional effects, leaving traces so that we can trace back to their activities. Most traces are left by accident, but the additional effect is an important social signal: I call it "social semantic symbol". Social semantic symbols enable us to find our way in a complex and potentially chaotic environment.

"Semantic symbol" is a bit like an indicator, which makes some signals in society get meaningful interpretation. Intentional semantic symbols are consciously created and arranged, incidental semantic symbols are accidental by-products of behaviors and events in life, and social semantic symbols come from other people's behaviors. Designers use deliberately placed semantic symbols to help people adopt appropriate usage.

In the vocabulary of design, semantic symbols are usually called "functional visibility", or more accurately, "perceived functional visibility", which is actually my fault because I introduced this term into my design psychology. Unfortunately, the term functional visibility has a deeper meaning than the sign signal: functional visibility does not even need to be perceived. The introduction of "semantic symbols" is to make the design vocabulary more accurate. (I will discuss this more comprehensively in Chapter 8. )

Suppose you are in a hurry to catch the train. When you get to the platform of the railway station, how do you know if the train has left? The state of the platform acts as a semantic symbol (see Figure 4. 1).

In Figure 4. 1, the two semantic symbols are not equal: the waiting crowd can be regarded as strong evidence that the train has not arrived at the station, while the empty platform implies that the train may have left. Of course, if the platform is empty, it may be that the train hasn't arrived yet, but no one wants to take this train. In a busy railway station, such as the central station of a big city, many trains arrive frequently, so the crowded platform can't provide information about specific trains. On the contrary, it represents the rush of people who commute to work every day. Even here, the difference between the existence and expectation of the crowd is still meaningful: "Why is it so crowded?" You may be surprised and surprised to see a large group of people at noon on weekends. "What's the matter?" Similarly, it is meaningful not to see people when you are busy, even if you don't know what it means. Accurate interpretation of semantic symbols depends on other knowledge, such as different periods of the day (peak hours or quiet hours of the day).

Even though the semantic symbol itself is only a by-product of life, it still shows key evidence. Many semantic symbols are intentional: they are deliberately designed and equipped with information functions. Some are unintentional side effects. For example, a shadow is an additional effect that a person or an object exists in front of the light source, but when we see the shadow, we can immediately infer the existence of the object. Shadow is accidental and natural: it is not designed or placed somewhere, but the natural result of the material world.

Do you want to find your own seat in this restaurant or wait for the waiter to take you there? Look around. How to eat unfamiliar food or use unfamiliar tableware? See what others do. Which way should I take to cross the snow? Follow the footprints. Is it difficult to move forward in a dense crowd? Stay close behind sb. Which book to read, which movie to watch and which restaurant to choose? Ask others how they choose, especially those friends with similar tastes. People, society and others have a lot of wisdom to enjoy. They provide clear information when answering questions or releasing news. When the influence of their activities creates an interpretable signal, they provide implicit information: footprints in the snow, people in restaurants, even if it is just worn-out information.

The trend of imitating others' actions triggered a children's prank: standing at the corner of the street and pointing to the sky. Soon there will be others staring with you, which is nothing, but it won't be long before a group of people gather. Why is this happening? Because other people's behavior is usually informative, it will remind us of important or interesting aspects of the world. Why not look where others are looking? We may find something interesting. Children's practical jokes take advantage of this natural behavior. In the material world, social semantic symbols themselves are material, but in the virtual world composed of electronic interaction and electronic community, they are not material.

Nevertheless, the traces of activities in the virtual world are as powerful as those in the material society, which is proved by a large number of "recommendation" systems in websites, social networks and location-based and topic-based messaging systems. The recommendation system makes use of the traces left by human activities. "People who like this," they will tell you, "also like other things." If you think these are similar to your preferences, this enables you to track their tracks. Browsing, reading and buying in electronic media are completely equivalent to the virtual path of material path, just like footprints in the snow.

Biologists and people in the field of "artificial life" call this phenomenon "stigma": they usually cooperate indirectly through traces of previous activities, often footprints left by animals, such as chemical traces left by ants. Complex animal structures, such as termite mounds, beehives, ant mounds, beaver dams and hexagonal beehives of bees, have no clear needs and conscious goals when they are built. But the traces of previous activities constrain and guide future activities, and the final result is a building with complex structure and performance, which is completed through the self-organization process without setting goals or leaders' organizational behavior. This concept is very good, but it uses a strange word: indirect communication.

These marks are semantic symbols, mainly unconscious and accidental, although it may be that evolutionary forces "intentionally" let ants and other animals leave chemical marks, and even let animals evolve to use traces of previous activities to guide them to build nests. After all, every animal is endowed with the ability to build its own special and unique architecture in its genes.

In human behavior, unintentional semantic symbols can be used by designers. Based on this observation, a group of researchers recorded that they designed a computer system that can leave traces where people stopped to read or edit: they called it "reading traces and editing traces", which imitated the traces left by readers and editors in physical books. Look at the salt and pepper bottle in Figure 4.2: Which bottle contains salt? I ask people all over the world this question, and the result is always the same: half of them think that salt is in the bottle on the left, and half think that salt is in the bottle on the right. When I asked them why, both sides answered with good reasons. The most common ones are the number and size of holes, "salt is in the bottle on the left because it has more holes" and "pepper is in the bottle on the left because it has more holes".

Figure 4.2

I asked the waiter and restaurant manager which is salt and which is pepper. I always get an authoritative answer, but different restaurants have completely different answers. Once, in a fancy restaurant in Amsterdam, they told me that when salt bottles and pepper bottles are put together in pairs, the salt bottles are always closer to the door of the restaurant. I asked a few waiters at random, and they all agreed: obviously, they are well trained. Then I walked several rooms in the restaurant to test the new rule. I found this rule invalid on several tables. I quickly went to the restaurant manager and asked him what was going on. "Oh," he said, and immediately adjusted the position of the saucepan. "These are all misplaced." Rules are useful unless they are not followed.

This story has several meanings, all of which explain why we have so many difficulties in using our technology. First of all, to understand how we exercise, we must understand how we interact with others. Secondly, in the real world, many things are unknown or uncertain, and many things are beyond our control, so the best strategy is usually to be "careful". If possible, do an experiment first. Therefore, when facing the opaque metal salt bottle shown in Figure 4.2, most people will sprinkle a little on their hands to see if it is salt or pepper.

Finally, good design can make the whole problem disappear. So as shown in Figure 4.3, the contents of the seasoning bottle are visible, so there is no problem.

There are many ways to add social skills to these devices, and all kinds of salt and pepper bottles around the world do so. In order to overcome the confusion shown in Figure 4.2, some popular methods are to make the seasoning bottle transparent so that the contents can be seen [Figure 4.3 (a)], or to put a label on the bottle [Figure 4.3 (b)], or to arrange the openings in the shape of "S" or "P". These improved designs integrate information into life and make the operation method self-evident. Now, the existence of these simple things or the lack of sociality is not an important part of life. But these examples can illustrate the principle that they are applicable to almost everything we come into contact with. No matter how complicated the object is, no matter how sophisticated the mechanical structure is, no matter how sophisticated the electronic technology is, no matter how sophisticated the communication technology is, the same is true.

Although the cultural complexity of judging which container salt is in can be overcome by properly designing the seasoning bottle, the problem still exists: a large number of cultural explanations are implicit in the point of view. This will lead to unnecessary complexity and potential confusion, mistakes and embarrassment, unless the designer makes special efforts to provide identification information to guide correct use.

Figure 4.3

Functional design-that is, the part of design that makes the objects around us available and understandable-is mainly about communication. If you can't communicate correctly, the best situation is that you are frustrated, and the worst situation is that there are accidents and disasters. Correct design can minimize the need for obscure knowledge or experience; But we live in a human society, so to live comfortably in the modern world, we must understand the roles played by social interaction, groups and culture.

Social semantic symbols, such as whether there are people on the railway station platform and lines drawn on the road surface, are all examples of signal systems. For a long time, the role of signals has been regarded by biologists, anthropologists and other sociologists as the study of how animals and people express information of interest in another object. The academic field named "Semiotics" is devoted to "the life of symbols in society". In some cases, when animals pass their size, roar, and horns.

Or antler horn to show its strength, the signal comes from evolution; Sometimes it comes from behavior, such as many courtship ways of animals, or even the "obstacle-setting" behavior of strong animals to show off their abilities by overcoming obvious obstacles. The long tail of male peacocks is considered as such a signal, which will hinder flight, but a contemporary theory holds that their long tail is actually a show-off behavior, and the male peacocks with long tails are preaching that they are strong enough to overcome this obstacle. For another example, the gazelle found that the lion didn't run away, but jumped up and down on purpose, as if to say, "Haha, you can't catch me." It seems that the clever lion agrees with this and chases the weak or young people who show signs of weakness and run away first. Semantic symbols are an important means of communication for the receiver. My view on this issue is different from that of many theorists, who want to communicate with both the sender and the receiver. In order to survive in the world, it doesn't matter whether the signal useful to the individual is intentionally or unintentionally generated: there is no necessary difference for the receiver. Does it matter to me whether this flag is deliberately placed there as a wind warning (for example, on the mast of an airport or a sailboat) or as an advertisement or a symbol of patriotism (as shown in Figure 4.4)? Flags can be used as semantic symbols in nature, but because they can convey very useful information, they are also used as weather vanes in airports and other places to indicate wind direction and speed. Therefore, in Figure 4.5, an artificial flag and a bag-shaped weather vane are displayed as intentional semantic symbols.

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, semantic symbols can provide valuable clues about natural and social activities. For us, in order to live normally in this social and technological world, we need to develop internal models about the meaning of things and the way they work. We look for everything we can find to help us finish the work. In this way, we all look for any guidance we can find like detectives. Sometimes, careful designers will give us clues; At other times, we must use our creativity and imagination.

Figure 4.4

Figure 4.6 shows all kinds of surprising intentional semantic symbols, which are designed to ensure that we can safely walk through the city streets. Different kinds of lines drawn on the ground are cultural signals, because we can guess their meaning according to their cultural background. This is a unique traffic culture in Britain, and Americans don't understand the meaning of sawtooth line. Even the color signals of traffic lights have cultural judgments. It is quite common to use red as "stop" and green as "pass", but there are few measures to remedy those cases where discrimination is limited, that is, about 65,438+00% men can't distinguish between red and green (this is a fact that perceptual psychologists and human engineers are familiar with, but the inventors of early traffic lights don't understand). The physical barrier in this photo, that is, the fence, is more likely to restrict people's behavior than those changeable lights and cultural symbols that draw lines, and pedestrians who cross the road in violation of the lines can see it. Please also note that even the correct location of vehicles is variable, which is determined by culture: trucks drive on the left side of the road, which is correct in London, but it is against traffic laws in most European countries.

Figure 4.5

Figure 4.6

Social semantic symbols can't prompt people to make proper behaviors. The pedestrian in Figure 4.6 directly violates many social semantic symbols, including a traffic light and some lines used to mark the proper place to cross the road. Social semantic symbols are an agreement, which sometimes plays a role of prompting and helping, but it is completely voluntary; Sometimes it is legally defined and enforced by the police and the legal system. However, many societies are tolerant of minor violations of these semantic symbols, so pedestrians who violate traffic rules are rarely punished, and cars who also violate traffic rules will also be punished. Why is this? Social semantic symbols depend on social interpretation, social system and cultural structure. In addition, social semantic symbols are highly sensitive to the level of authority. Imagine that you are a low-level guest at a formal dinner. One of those dull things is the seemingly endless knives, forks and spoons on the table. If you take the wrong tableware, be prepared for embarrassment. If you pick up fried chicken with your fingers-this is a normal behavior when eating fast food and having an outing-be prepared to be expelled from the table. Obviously, in these cases, the right thing to do is to look at the people around you and do as they do.

But if you are the host of this meal or a visiting VIP, you can do anything you feel comfortable with. Eating salad with your fingers? Don't be surprised if some other guests at the party start doing the same thing: they believe in following the leader too much. A quick search on the Internet for the phrase "drink water from a bowl for washing your fingers" shows that this is indeed a big problem. For many guests, they have never seen a bowl of water next to the plate, so they will guess that it is for drinking rather than washing their fingers. There is a well-known rumor in Britain that when a guest of Queen Victoria made this mistake, the Queen did the same thing to avoid embarrassing the guest.

The story of Queen Victoria may be fictional, and it is likely that the charm of the story itself exceeds its accuracy, which makes this story about cultural knowledge spread as an urban legend. However, his cultural views are true. If someone drinks the water in the finger washing bowl without knowing it, some consultants advise the owner to do the same to avoid embarrassment. This is an interesting example of deliberately creating obviously appropriate sexual behavior:

When a person violates the standard cultural behavior rules, others should follow the violator to make his behavior appear normal and appropriate. The driveway and crosswalk painted on the ground are deliberate and clear social semantic symbols. Once you get used to them, they are everywhere: a large number of workers are hired to paint, or on the other hand, these intentional semantic symbols are placed to guide correct behavior, although I doubt that fewer people understand their meaning than those who design them and put them into life. I found these semantic symbols in airports, airport runways and ramps, hotels, hospitals and many other places. These symbols will appear almost anywhere where people must be guided to stay in the right lane, park in the right place, or even swim, run or ride a bike in the right place. Intentional semantic symbols are the easiest to find because they are usually designed to be visible to better guide behavior.

When cultural norms are ambiguous and misunderstood, cultural complexity will arise. Do you know what to do with your napkin when you have to leave the table at a luxurious banquet? In fact, the society has strict regulations on the handling behavior of napkins when they leave. I was in the magazine Oprah (O:? That? Oprah magazine? ) I saw this lovely anecdote on the website: this is an excellent typical case of intentional and clear social semantic symbols, which is not only included in the clear signal conveyed, but also included in the unique social essence of the signal. How many guests know this etiquette? How many waiters know? I am a person who doesn't understand this norm. I didn't find this specification on the website until I was ready to write this chapter. Even the most exquisite and clear social semantic symbols only work when other people concerned know about them.

If there are problems with intentional and clearly defined social semantic symbols, what about those that are intentional but completely invisible? Consider queuing. The social semantic symbols here are not clear. In many cultures, the existence of queues indicates that people are waiting for services in an orderly manner, and the actual existence of queues acts as a deliberate semantic symbol for waiting in line. Especially, it is inappropriate to jump the queue anywhere except the last one, and violators will be stopped immediately. In some cultures, friends are allowed to insert into the front position, while in others, they are not allowed, and some cultures do not follow the orderly queuing behavior.

I witnessed a cultural conflict about this hidden social semantic symbol in an amusement park in France, where customers showed a mixture of many European cultures. Some cultures follow a patient and orderly way of waiting, while others think it is appropriate to move the body to the front of the queue as soon as possible. This requires the park staff to constantly intervene and mediate with each other to prevent fighting in these cultural conflicts. I will return to this problem in chapter 7 and talk about my solution. )

Sometimes semantic symbols that seem obvious are not caused by their appearance, but by completely different events. Therefore, the obvious direct explanation will be wrong: we call these "misleading semantic symbols". A typical example of misleading semantic symbols is that on a crowded highway, the speed of cars becomes very slow or even stops. For most people, slow speed is a signal that there is a problem ahead. Maybe the accident blocked the driveway. But sometimes traffic deceleration is a misleading semantic symbol, which is actually a sign of non-traffic events.

How do non-traffic incidents lead to traffic stagnation? Suppose a house is on fire, and cars on crowded roads nearby can see the flames. The driver slowed down to see the scene of the fire, which means that the cars behind him must also slow down to avoid collision. The cars behind slowed down in turn, and every driver behind noticed that the deceleration time was accumulating, resulting in increasing delay time. The result is a "slow traveling wave" familiar to a traffic engineer, which propagates from the fire point to the back. The farther it spreads, the more obvious it slows down and the longer it lasts. Finally, in a surprisingly distant place, a few kilometers or miles from the fire, all the traffic stopped. "Something must have happened." Drivers will definitely think so, taking the stagnation of traffic as a semantic symbol of serious problems ahead. This is a misleading semantic symbol. In this case, the unique and interesting point about sudden behavior will certainly be loved by traffic engineers and professors.

How many events that we personally see and understand as meaningful are actually accidental semantic symbols of completely different things? Traffic stagnation caused by a small amount of slow traffic in the distance is not only an accidental semantic symbol, but also an example of sudden behavior caused by the collection of many unplanned actions.

Even though social semantic symbols are sometimes vague and sometimes misleading, they are valuable clues about the operation of the world. They provide a powerful example for our clue library, which helps us to understand the meaning of this complex world, and also helps us to understand how to arrange our own behaviors by observing others' behaviors. Whether these behaviors are conscious or unconscious, they all convey some kind of information.