의미론적인 시각적 접근을 통한 아시아대학스포츠연맹의 캐릭터 디자인 연구

Abstract

Sports characters are being used as visual language to inform people of contents about a sports competition and provide an opportunity for everyone to be unified and harmonized, so the importance of not only their form but meaning is being highlighted gradually. The purpose of this study is to systematize how to apply and develop character design considering which features of it through the design process focusing on the importance of semantic function for harmony and promotion of the Asian University Sports Federation. For the semantic visual approach in developing character, we figured out its connectivity with visual language based on William Empson’s ‘ambiguity’ viewpoint. Not directly applying Empson’s ambiguity types to the development of characters, the methods to produce ‘metaphor’ were classified, one of the rhetorical methods to create the derivative effects of meaning, into four types. In addition, we suggested the result of three AUSF’s character design plans based upon utilizing those methods intensively for the development of characters. After the voting of AUSF’s executive committee, one of the three characters was finally selected. According to the findings of this study, not making a character only with a certain ‘material’ but the semantic visual approach based on association produced positive effects in extending thought. Furthermore, it provides the recipients of characters the opportunities to experience a difference in interpretation of diversity as well as visual pleasure, so it will be stamped in their memory for longer period of time. The character will play better roles as more powerful visual language in terms of communication not remaining as a character developed while its material or form is emphasized only.