#bottomupsign

[linguisticlandscapequeenstr-blog]

Above is a sign which stands on the side of Queen Street outside a guest house called Queens Place, and is a sign which designates a specific area for parking vehicles for anyone who is going to any of the shops in Queens Place. The words which occupy the top position of the sign, which is the ideal position,  are “PRIVATE PARKING”. These two words are written in the largest and boldest font and in the colour red. The colour red is a bright and visible colour, more often associated with warning signs and therefore the use of this colour fulfills the purpose of informing people that this parking is strictly reserved for certain people only. 

The words below PRIVATE PARKING, are written in a smaller font and in a dark blue colour which is not as bold and apparent as the red colour. These words seek to inform anyone on this road that this area is specifically reserved for customers of the shops in Queens Place, and only for the time that they are in these shops. The words “AND ONLY WHILE IN ANY SUCH SHOPS”, indicates that there is a time limit for parking in this area. The word “only” is written in red to place emphasis on the rule that no one else may occupy this space or park in this space. 

Below these words is a warning which is once again written in red font, which states that “WHEELS OF ALL OTHER VEHICLES WILL BE CLAMPED”. This means that any other vehicle parked in this area without the purpose of going to any of the shops at Queens Place will suffer the consequences of doing so,by having their vehicle wheels clamped.

Below this warning the words “UNCLAMPING FEE”is written once again in blue whereas the amount itself, being “R200″, is written in red, once again emphasizing the warning. This sign is a sign which informs people of the use of a specific space in this area and also acts as a warning for the public. It is a bottom up sign as it has been probably made by those who are in charge of Queens Place and possibly also has been put up by the owner’s of the guest house or maybe even owners of the shops at the guest house.

[linguisticlandscapequeenstr-blog]

The above photograph is of a book store which goes by the name of Paulines, which is probably an indication of a person’s name. Directly below the name, is written “Book & Media Centre”, which is directly informing the audience about the products and services available at this particular store. this wording obeys the function of a signage being informative. This sign would be a bottom up sign because it is issued by a social actor, who is probably the owner of this shop. One of the visual cues in the photograph that is found just towards the left of the word “Paulines”, is a globe. This imagery creates an idea of what the store specializes in. By being informed that it is a book store and media centre, it encapsulates the idea that this store is a space that embraces globalization and is a space of learning, education and information based on a global scale. The use of the written and verbal cues are factors which encapsulate the concept of multimodality.

[linguisticlandscapequeenstr-blog]

Above is a signage that represents a space reserved for only a certain group of people. This sign is located on the bottom of a wall, which is definitely not easily visible to a large audience of people, but rather is aimed at a minority of people, particularly those intending to use this reserved space. On the sign, the words “Private Parking” is imprinted in big bold font,indicating that this is the Ideal position of the sign, which means that this is the most important message on the sign. This sign indicates that this parking space is reserved for the patrons (customers) of the shop. The shop name is also written on the sign, which is “Barter Buy Antiques.” Below the shop name, written in a red font is a warning that other vehicles parked in this space will be removed. The use of the red colour is commonly known to be used for warning and this is precisely its use in this sign. Although there is no visual cue found in this sign, the colour scheme has an effect on the conveyance of the message. This sign makes use of both the functions of signs, it is symbolic through its colour scheme and is informative via its written elements. Although this sign is intended to assign this space to certain individuals, it also informs viewers of the shop’s content by simply making use of the shop’s name. By reading this sign, not only are viewers informed of the space allocation, but also of the products and services rendered by this shop. This is a bottom up sign as it most likely has been placed outside this shop by the shop owner. 

[linguisticlandscapequeenstr-blog]

The above photograph depicts a sign which appears to be located at a higher level compared to the other signs in the area as it appears to be almost the same height as the street light in the background. This suggests that this sign can possibly be seen clearly from a further distance than other signs which may be located on lower levels. The signage makes use of the colour red, which is a vibrant and attractive colour which easily captures the attention of many viewers. On the sign, verbal and written linguistic elements are used to convey the message that this is the location of a restaurant. The words “The Rusty Lady” indicates simply the name of the shop and may appear vague as to what the main purpose of this shop is, however, we know its specificity due to the use of the word “Restaurant” at the bottom of the sign. The visual cue does not entirely aid in conveying the message of this shop being a restaurant as it is an image of an old fashioned bicycle. The use of this antique artifact may suggest that this shop may possibly be a collectibles shop, however this suggestion is refuted by the use of the word “Restaurant”. In the curve of the bicycle wheel, the telephone number of the shop is written in a red font as compared to the shop name is written in a white font. The use of the word “restaurant” and the telephone number are the written cues which obeys the function of the sign being informative. This information conveys the message to the viewers that the shop is a place to eat, and that communication with the owner is possible and encouraged, perhaps for specific services which may be available to the viewer. This sign is considered to be a bottom up sign, issued by a social actor,most likely being the shop owner. This sign may not entirely be helpful with regards to it’s visual element if we consider the aspect of a sign being informative, however, the sign does deliver the message to its viewers via its written element . Due to the present visual and written cues used on this sign, it is evident that the concept of multi-modality is adhered to. 

[linguisticlandscapequeenstr-blog]

The photograph above presents 3 different shops, each one with its own language, own products and own target audience. The name of the shop on the left is in English, the shop name in the middle is in Italian and the shop name on the right is also in English. This conveys that more than one language is spoken and understood in this area and people of different ethnicities occupy this space.

The shop to the left has the name “ Bespoke” which means custom-made items. It is written in big and bold uppercase characters. Below the shop name are several words which are written in a smaller font with uppercase letters as well. The change in font size places emphasis on which of the words are more important to be seen and in this sign, it would be the shop name. The smaller words are “ Lamps, Bags, Mirrors ....and more”. These words merely indicate which are some of the products sold at this store and that there are more to what is mentioned. On the right of the shop door is a mobile sign which says “ Open” and is used to indicate the operating hours of the shop. 

The shop in the middle is called ITALIA which is the Italian name of the country Italy. It is written in a green font, which appears curvy, unlike the shop name Bespoke which is more straight and bold. The name Italia is written on a background which is green, white and red, which represents the Italian flag. On the left top of the sign is an image of a pizza slice, which depicts the food choice being sold at this restaurant. Below the pizza image is written “ clay oven”  which informs the audience of the manner in which the pizza is made. Below the shop name are two bowls of pasta which also indicate that pasta is sold at this restaurant.  Just above the two bowls are the words “Pizza and Pasta”  which are clearly indicative once again about the food choice being sold here. Together with the imagery and written cues, the concept of multi-modality is expressed. On the right bottom corner of the sign are contact details which provide customers contact with the owners our of operating hours or for other services. 

The third shop name is “ Hair by Christine” which indicates that this shop specializes in hair services or hair products.The name is written in big bold font, whereas the words surrounding the shop name are written in smaller font. The words on the left and right are informative to the customer of further products and specials that this store provides. Included in the shop name is an image of a scissor and clump of hair which indicates that this is a hair salon. With the written elements and the visual cues this sign also portrays multi-modality. 

All three signs have also been professionally made, however they have not been placed there by the government, or any official institute but rather the owners of these private businesses. Therefore these are all bottom up signs.