Semiotics in Digital Visualisation

Digital visualisation is a way of representing data and information with the aid of digital means, engages human interpretation on information in order to gain insights in a particular context. Digital visualisation is always purposeful that will illustrate relationships; discover patterns and interdependencies; or generate some hypothesis or theory. However, it is still bound to the semantic (interpretation of visual displays and the meaning in the context) and pragmatic (effect and intention to be achieved) issues. These two issues can be addressed by semiotics, a formal doctrine of signs introduced by Peirce back in the 1930s; where digital visualisation is seen as a process of abduction. Abduction is a key process of scientific inquiry, which involves norms. Norms are patterns, regulations, rules and laws which are the reflection of knowledge in a cultural group or an organisation; which has an effect on the human interpretation on information. This paper pioneers a new perspective of digital visualisation by positioning digital visualisation as a process of abduction and proposes the key principles in digital visualisation.