The most interesting thing that I have found about geosemiotics is how icons, symbols, and indexes take meaning based on their place in the world. For example, seeing certain symbols, icons, or indexes in different places in the world may have different meanings from place to place. Also, some of these signs have the same accepted definition universally.

The research I enjoyed the most was the primary research for the group project. I am more of hands on person and I’d much rather let the discourses in place be played out live in front of me than read about them. I also feel that this makes it more tangible and makes learning about geosemiotics, people’s body language in public space, etc. much easier.

A possible question that relates to public space and how people navigate about it could deal with the use of icons. Fore example, the question may be phrased:

How do the use icons and symbols that create icons impact the way humans interact with public space? How do the use of icons and symbols that create icons in conjunction complicate the communication of the message that is being brought forth by these icons?

The way this question can be researched is by setting up an index such as an arrow that shows how people should navigate through public space. After recording the way people react to the sign, the same index can be used but now accompanied by words point to the same meaning. Finally, the index would be used but the words would point to the opposite meaning (opposite direction) and record how people react to the use of conflicting indexes. The purpose of this study would be to see how people interact with visual indexes versus symbols that create an index. The research question can further be elaborated by asking several questions:

To what extent do people have a right to navigate space in the fashion they would like? Who has the authority to affect the way we navigate through space? How do signs that are accompanied by indexes written in a certain language exclude different groups of people that speak different languages?

The specific site of interest to me to conduct this research is the Syracuse University area. I could possibly use DPS in aiding me with the signs. I could place these signs where there is a constant flow of people so I can gather sufficient data to illustrate how people interact with sign as they navigate through public space.

Other ideas that can be used for the sustained research project can be the way people interact with surveillance cameras. Another idea that can be used is how people interact with signs, such as billboards, with and without words. I can then observe how people interpret the different meanings. These ideas relate to my questions in that they deal with interactions with signs and how people react to these signs in public spaces.