The CODE-X series catalogs a vast codex of source codes (aka “signs”) extracted from past audits.

The object of study in semiotics is not the signs but rather a general theory of signification; the goal of each “audit” is to build a model demonstrating how meaning is produced and received within a category or cultural territory. Signs on their own, therefore, only become truly revelatory and useful once we’ve sorted them into thematic complexes, and the complexes into codes, and the codes into a meaning map. We call this process “thick description”; the Code-X series is thin description.

“FRIENDLY ADVICE” NORM: You can feel confident in your decision making thanks to the guidance of an approachable, wise, caring expert.

“FRIENDLY ADVICE” FORMS: Experts who aren’t suits in skyscrapers, or doctors/scientists in labs. They are warm, personable, yet authoritative. Welcoming. “You’re not alone.” “You can feel better now.” “I’m going to walk with you.”

From a 2018 study of the BELIEVE IN US space, defined as “When making a big change, trust us for advice and guidance.“