Denotation and Connotation — My Take

Whenever I search for courses on graphic design, most courses teach about the software — maybe they cover the fundamentals alongside it, but this is one of the few that teaches fundamentals on their own, without the software component.

I took Fundamentals of Graphic Design by CalArts — the first course in their Graphic Design Specialization on Coursera. I have only completed this first one, and it serves as a good introduction. My only complaint is that I wish an actual instructor would also review the assignments and give feedback, rather than leaving it solely to peers.

In one of the assignments, we were asked to create denotative images — meaning the image means exactly what it shows.

The first object that came to mind for me was a brush. I chose the flat brush because it's something I'm fond of, and also because it was easy to make prints with.

I explored different ways of image-making using printing, drawing, collage and scanning.

An optional additional assignment asked us to take the same object and create connotative images — meaning the image carries a symbolic or deeper meaning beyond the literal.

This was a bit tougher for me. The first one, 'Paint your own path', was the idea I came up with first, inspired by Robert Frost's 'The Road Not Taken'.

Paint your own path

The second one 'Add color to your life' also came to me quickly, inspired by paintings and images where a single object stands out from identical ones by being a different color, naturally drawing your attention.

Add color to your life

The third image, 'Paint Your Imagination', was where I struggled. The concept was about a child painting their dream or fantasy, but making the image was tricky.

In my first attempt, I wanted to depict a child's drawing, but as one of my peers pointed out, it came out too messy and the message didn't land.

Paint your imagination - first attempt

As you can see, it was a bit all over the place. So I decided to simplify. Since a childlike quality was the essence of the idea, I used an image of a child imagining or roleplaying, and this is what I came up with.

Paint your imagination

So yeah, these are the assignments I completed for now. Overall, I really liked them — they were thoughtful and pushed me out of my comfort zone. I plan to go back and complete the remaining ones and will share them here when I do.