Reading landscape design representations as an interplay of validity, readability and interactivity: a framework for visual content analysis

Abstract

Considering the importance of visual representations for communication between stakeholders in landscape planning and design processes, the authors identify a lack of critical visual research methods supportive of the disciplines involved. As part of such a method, they have developed an analytical framework based on semiotic and iconographic theory that enables a visual content analysis and iconographic interpretation of landscape design representations. Two projects from Rebuild by Design, a participatory transdisciplinary design competition organized in the New York City area after hurricane Sandy, were analysed to demonstrate this framework. The article presents a semiotic vocabulary based on four categories: medium, mode, formulation and knowledge with which to ‘read’, discuss and potentially create design representations. This enables a syntactic analysis for assessing the semiotic complexity of design representations in terms of validity, readability and interactivity. This assessment enables further qualitative study of the production and interpretation of landscape design representations in practice.

Mind the Gap: Towards a Typology of Climate Service Usability Gaps

“…In short, the study of the communicational qualities and potential usability gaps of CS can benefit from the use of an analytical framework that is based on an information design for climate change communication: a 'climate information design' (CID) template ( Figure 2). This framework is based on a critical semiotic perspective on visual communication in participatory climate adaptation processes, assumes that climate service visualizations have an implicit or explicit goal, and assumes that the quality of visualizations as communication tools depends on the extent to which that goal is achieved [36]. Climate data visualizations, such as CS, that do not lead to the appropriate climate adaptive action taken by its targeted audience can therefore be considered unsuccessful.…”

“…According to Raaphorst et al, three additional communicative qualities of the audience, purpose, information, and format are distinguished within the CID template: validity, readability, and interactivity [36]. Operationalized for the study of CS, validity addresses whether a CS reaches and affects the appropriate audience, the purpose with which a CS is created fits the policy cycle, the type of climate information presented is correct, and its visual format is coherent with the type of audience, purpose, and information.…”

“…At the moment, the annual Delta Program (Dutch: Deltaprogramma), and especially the section 'Delta Plan Spatial Adaptation' (Dutch: Deltaplan Ruimtelijke Adaptatie; DPRA), is the leading policy document in the Netherlands in regard to climate adaptation. This document dictates the necessary processes that regional and local governmental stakeholders (municipalities, provinces and water boards) go through to become climate resilient [36]. The DPRA section outlines the necessary steps to reach this goal as well, as the moments in time when these steps should have been completed.…”

“…The 'climate information design' (CID) template depicting several examples per category (adapted from reference[36]). …”

Photographic comparison: a method for qualitative outdoor thermal perception surveys

“…Other signs and, perhaps more importantly, combinations of signs are specific to the spaces addressed in this study. Furthermore, the precise meaning that signs have for survey respondents is difficult to ascertain as interpretations of signs are shaped by personal and professional backgrounds, experiences and preferences (Raaphorst et al 2018).…”