I’m coordinator of Semiofest’s series of informal online “sessions.” These events are intended not only to share best practices among, but to nurture collegiality and friendship within the global semio community.

Coming up on October 27th (at 2 pm UK time)…

SEMIOTICS & THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Does commercial semiotics lack scientific rigor? Is the approach too ad hoc? How should commercial semioticians counter perceived “expert” bias? What is the optimal balance to strike between “science” and “art”? Our panelists will address such concerns — and along the way, bust a few myths about how semioticians explore cultural meaning.

Get tickets (suggested donations only) at the link above.

Our sessionists:

• ROMÁN ESQUEDA has developed new methodological approaches to marketing, design, and communications using Semiotics, Rhetoric, and Cognitive Neuroscience. He is the author of books on persuasion, the cognitive neuroscience of mental imagery in design, and abduction in design and innovation. He is director of the marketing research company Synapsen, and he lectures often at Mexican universities. 

• JAMIN PELKEY is Professor of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at Toronto Metropolitan University, President of the International Association for Cognitive Semiotics, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of Semiotica, journal of the IASS-AIS. His research explores issues of embodiment and meaning drawing on insights from semiotics, cognitive linguistics, historical linguistics, linguistic anthropology and years of fieldwork in southwest China. His books include Semiotics of X and the four-volume major reference work Bloomsbury Semiotics.

• HAMSINI SHIVAKUMAR is a co-founder of Leapfrog Strategy Consulting, one of India’s premier brand consulting companies, as well as of Semiofest. Prior to starting Leapfrog, she was Strategy Head at JWT Mumbai, member of the National Planning Council at JWT India, and Regional Planning Director for Asia at Unilever. She is a prolific writer on consumer and brand issues.

Session host: VIJAY PARTHASARATHY is a business philosopher and cultural strategist with a multidisciplinary background in anthropology, journalism, and physics. His essays have appeared in Campaign, The Times of India, and Guernica. He is a Senior Director at The Hartman Group. 

SEMIOFEST SESSIONS: R/D/E | BINARIES | SEMIOTICS & UX | BODY SEMIOTICS | AI & SEMIOTICS | SEMIOTICS & CINEMA | FICTIONAL DECODERS | ON COLOUR | & more.

Also see these international semio series: COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | MAKING SENSE | COLOR CODEX | DECODER | CASE FILE