與文字親密聯繫的標點符號是一般大眾最常接觸和使用的符號,只要有文字的地方,都會有標點符號的蹤跡。標點符號在文體中是輔助文字記錄語言的符號,用來表示停頓、語氣以及詞語性質。隨時代的演變,標點符號的意義不斷在改變,運用的文本和表現方式也在變化。標點符號從在古書中的句讀作用,到現今15個符號各有所蘊含的意義內容和功能;在現代詩人筆下,標點符號更是被賦予圖像的功能,造成一種視覺上的圖像、情意暗示。現在標點符號也不單只是在書面紙本中使用,數位通訊即用標點符號的形狀圖像來創造組合表情符號。海報設計也可見運用標點符號來做為視覺表現元素,由此可發現標點符號的功能已不只限制在傳統閱讀。 本研究以文獻配合作品分析來探討標點符號轉化為視覺設計表現元素的運用方向,發掘標點符號在輔助文字閱讀功能以外的傳達功能,進而應用於視覺設計創意思維上。由分析傳統文學中基本的意義功能、現代文學中標點符號的圖像效果和情意傳達、到數位通訊中標點符號與圖情緒語言以及平面設計中標點符號的視覺與創意運用,上述四個標點符號的運用和表現,論述標點符號從傳統閱讀到視覺情緒語彙之傳達手法的變化與運用方向。最後提出「意義性」、「圖像性」以及「聯想性」三方面思維之互動關係,歸納標點符號於轉化為視覺設計表現元素之應用概念,建構新的創意概念並付予其非傳統的傳達機能。
Punctuations are auxiliary symbols for words to record the languages in any article or paragraph. They manifest as pausing, tone and attributes of vocabularies. Punctuations close to words are the most commonly used symbols for the public. There will be presence of punctuations as long as there are words. As the era evolves, the meanings of punctuations somewhat evolve as well. The functions of punctuations are to arrange the words among the phrases in ancient books. There are totally fifteen types of punctuations that contain different meanings and functions. Nowadays punctuations are illustrated by poets functionally in order to make images, meaningful implications visually. Modern punctuations not only are used in the books and papers, but also they are used by digital communication to create symbols of emotional expressions. Punctuations are also part of elements in visual poster design. Therefore, we know the uses of punct-uations are not just for reading traditionally. This research supported by literatures and analysis of works is to discover and convert punctuations into manifestations of elements of visual design in many ways. This research is also to reveal the expressive functions in addition to be auxiliary on reading words. Moreover they can be applied on creative ideas of visual design. By four ways from the perspe-ctive of meaningful function in conventional literatures, the perspective of the use of punctuations on image effect and emotional expression in modern literature, the perspective of the use of punctuations and emotional languages with images in digital communication, and the perspective of the use of punctuations on creative and visual utilization in graphic design we discuss the evolution of punctuations and the way how we use them from traditional reading to modern expression visually and emotionally. Eventually we come up with the interrelation of “meaning” ”graphic”, and “associative” to summarize that punctuations could be converted into the concepts of expressive elements of visual design, and produce new cre-ative ideas and make it own the nontraditional expressive mechanism.