Information Design I:

"Representation, Meaning and Language," by S. Hall

The chapter offers an introduction to the concept of representation, defining it as the means of connecting meaning and language to culture. In other words, representation is the production of meaning through language. While there are various theories of representation, the article focuses on the constructionist approach to representation, which posits that meaning does not merely exist in things but is constructed through the process of representation. Through the process of representation concepts are organized into meaningful categories or internal concept maps. The constructivist theory states, however, that meaning cannot simply be internalized but must be translated effectively into language as a means of representing these concepts, as we use symbols translated into language to communicate with others of a common culture. The understanding of meaning, language and representation are vital in the study of culture as members of a culture share a common concept map and language.

If meaning is constructed through the process of representation, the representations selected in a learning context must be translatable to the language or understanding of the learner. If representations are not chosen wisely, learners will not understand how to extract meaning from the situation, rendering the representation meaningless. Because representations and language are distinct to every culture, it is critical that designers choose representations that are appropriate for the culture of the audience.