Task 4: Communication Theory

Use Shannon & Weaver's model of the communication process to write a 300-400 word analysis of a work of Graphic Design. Comment on the ways in which the piece of Graphic Design attempts to communicate to a specific audience, using techniques of redundancy, entropy or noise.

Using the Shannon-Weaver Mathematical model () showing the process of communication I will explain the process of communication within a piece of advertising from American Apparel. In the ad the information source is the American Apparel designer who came up with the idea for this piece of advertising, the message is that American Apparel is "for the people" and the staff also buy into the product too, it expresses high end fashion through personal shots 'Meet Melissa' employees engaging with the consumer. I think their are semantic problems from Level B as the message is not clear.

The transmitter is the photography and design for the advert and the channel is where it is seen, magazines, the internet and billboards. The channel will be entropic and chosen carefully to target the right consumer and therefore increase sales through an understanding of the message. Especially due to its risky nature it is important the right channel is chosen, in this case high end fashion magazines and retail windows to target the consumers aware and used to high end ads like these.

As the viewer our sight is the decoder and our brain is the destination. Our reading of this advert is effected by Noise culture and currently with American Apparral there is a lot of noise in the press that could manipulate our perception. 'according to "Living on the Edge at American Apparel" from Business Week's Web site, since American Apparel's conception in 1997, Charney (Director of AA)  has been charged several times by employees with sexual harassment complaints, including allegations that he has exposed himself to workers and propositioned sex within the workplace. This can effect how we interpret these images. What once was read as a quirky, way of grabbing the attention of young, trendy consumers and bringing the company out of increasing debt could now be read as a risky piece of advertising that is sexually exploiting its staff through use of pornographic images.