
(F39)_Job:12-40337 Title:RP-Design Elements 2nd Edition
#175 Dtp:160 Page:198
186-231_40337.indd 198 12/19/13 7:53 PM 186-231_40
TEXT
the world of image
198
THE NATURE OF IMAGES
An icon is a visual sign that shares
a structural similarity with the
object it signifies. Usually, icons
are devoid of detail and are literal
representations of their signified
object.
An indexical sign, or index, is a
visual sign that points to its signi-
fied object indirectly, or “indexes”
it—for example, a nest indexes
a bird.
A symbol is a pictorial or abstract
image whose form is unrelated to
its signified object or idea; it de-
rives its power from the arbitrary
agreement ...