Yellow as “Non-Black”: Prosthetics, Semiotics, Hermeneutics, Freedom and Function

Abstract

Abstract: Semiotic knowledge is crucial to professionals dealing with both the material and the visual elements of our socio-cultural surroundings: architects, graphic designers and industrial designers, just to name a few. However, in some cases, unique design situations call for a different approach. To understand the changes undergone by prosthesis designers we wish to use a hermeneutic approach, embedded in designers’ interpretation of artificial limbs. In this article, we wish to highlight the ways designers convey socio-cultural meaning through their designed products, while combining semiotic and hermeneutic knowledge. Understanding this practice of viewing prosthetic limbs as a combination of visual, material and above all cultural depiction of society, as well as the designer’s interpretation, will add a dimension to our understanding of the designer's influence on society. As a conclusion, we will show how this intriguing mixture of semiotic and hermeneutic knowledge could aid designers in the design of better suited medical products.