Alphasignal, Parasignal, Infrasignal

When we listen to instrumental music, we are receiving parasignaI completely without any alphasignal. In such, there are no hard data, only soft data that require a far lower level of energy to decode.

Alphasignal is, by its very nature, encoded into a specific language either alphabetical or numerical - and requires specific linguistic knowledge to decode properly.

For this reason, alphasignal can be stopped dead still at many language boundaries and not allowed to pass.

Parasignal, on the other hand, although rarely truly global, is allowed remarkably free passage across language barriers. Thus, parasignal can be used where alphasignal is worthless.

Read: Alphasignal, Parasignal, Infrasignal: Notes Toward a Theory of Communication, Crawford Dunn, from Print Magazine, Nov./Dec. 1970. [Crawford Dunn]
http://visualstudies.buffalo.edu/resources/classnotes/art319/exercises/parasignal/Dunn_article/Alphasignal%20Parasignal%20Infrasignal.pdf


Also read: Universal Principles of Design, by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler:

Archetypes (p. 24)
Heirarchy of Needs (p.106),
Iconic Representation (p. 110),
Mimicry (p. 132),
Mnemonic Device (p. 134)

Using one generally recognized and accepted symbol, trademark, service-mark, word or phrase, develop and execute four variations of that symbol exemplifying each of these four approaches for manipulating parasignals:

Alphasignal with neutral parasignals
Alphasignal with common parasignal
Alphasignal with contradictory parasignals
Contradictory alphasignal[s]

Search for advertisements, magazine illustrations, magazine layouts, book jacket designs, etc. for outstanding examples of each of the 4 approaches for manipulating parasignals. Or start out with one commonly understood alphasignal and parasignal combination and create variations 3 and 4 for them.