What makes a semiotician tick? SEMIOVOX’s Josh Glenn has invited his fellow practitioners in the field of commercial semiotics, from around the world, to answer a few revealing questions.

Taipei…

SEMIOVOX

When you were a child/teen, how did your future fascination with symbols, cultural patterns, interpreting “texts,” and getting beneath the surface of daily life manifest itself?

SONIA SKINS

I inherited an innate curiosity for all things culture and symbols from my grandma.

For as long as I can remember, she was either working diligently on her Chinese watercolour paintings or practicing calligraphy in her home studio. The smell of slightly dried mineral pigments, the pungent scent of ink, and the feel of paintbrushes made with different animal hairs had a way of drawing me into her world of creation — one filled with symbols, patterns, and words. Although I didn’t yet understand their meanings, I could sense that these expressive elements allowed her to tell stories about her culture, upbringing, and worldview. That quiet power of visual language sparked my early interest in the arts, eventually leading me into a career in design.

SEMIOVOX

Describe your first encounter(s) with the theory and practice of semiotics.

SONIA SKINS

My first encounter with semiotics was at my university in Taiwan. I was studying textile design with a focus on prints, so much of the time we were working with and inspired by patterns, colours, and symbols from different parts of the world and the histories behind them. I wasn’t studying semiotics directly, but my world was surrounded by it! Looking back, it was less about theory and more about feeling and interpreting, which laid the foundation for how I understand visual language today.

SEMIOVOX

How did you find your own way to doing semiotics?

SONIA SKINS

My professional encounter with semiotics was at Seymourpowell, a renowned strategic design agency based in London. I spent a good number of years deciphering signs and symbols in trends, design concepts, and campaigns. For me, the most valuable experiences came from fieldwork — being in consumer environments and seeing their product universe up close. Semiotics is the cultural backbone of what I do as an ethnographer.

SEMIOVOX

What are the most important attributes of a good semiotician?

SONIA SKINS

An innate curiosity, and the ability to step back and see the bigger picture when needed.

SEMIOVOX

What three books about semiotics have you found the most useful and enlightening in your own work?

SONIA SKINS

As a visual ethnographer who practices semiotics, the books that inspire me most are image-led rather than strictly theoretical. These three have been especially useful recently:

• John Berger’s About Looking. Here Berger examines how the act of seeing is culturally constructed, extending his semiotic lens to topics like photography, art, and animals. His essay “Why Look at Animals?” resonates deeply with my 2020 photo series on human–pet relationships for The Reporter (Taiwan). Berger’s framing of the gaze as a signifying act informs how I view images — not just as visual records, but as coded exchanges shaped by power, context, and cultural memory.
• [Spanish-Belgian photographer] Cristina de Middel’s Journey to the Center exemplifies the power of extended documentary. She invites viewers to decode layered narratives, blending fact and fiction to reveal deeper truths — an approach closely aligned with semiotic thinking. Through her lens, storytelling becomes a semiotic space where symbols, gestures, and context reshape meaning. It’s this dynamic between image and interpretation that I find most compelling in my own practice.
• I’m using Taschen’s The Book of Symbols as a reference in my current photography project to deepen the symbolic layers within my imagery. Compiled by ARAS, the book offers cross-cultural reflections on archetypal symbols alongside carefully chosen visuals. While not a traditional semiotics text, its associative, open-ended approach invites nuanced interpretation — making it a valuable tool for visual storytelling.

SEMIOVOX

When someone asks you to describe what you do, what is your “elevator pitch”? How do you persuade a skeptical client to take a chance on using this tool?

SONIA SKINS

“I explore how images communicate meaning beyond what’s visible — using photography to uncover cultural symbols, gestures, and narratives.”

I’d show a client how thoughtful visual storytelling can engage audiences more deeply, shifting perception through subtle, layered cues that stay with people longer than direct messages or those taking at face value.

SEMIOVOX

What specific sorts of semiotics-driven projects do you find to be the most enjoyable and rewarding?

SONIA SKINS

To me, the most rewarding semiotic-led projects are those that turn into real-life products or campaigns. Because they show how abstract ideas can shape real-world impact — turning cultural insight into something tangible, visible, and lived.

SEMIOVOX

What frustrates you about how semiotics is practiced and/or perceived, right now?

SONIA SKINS

Even though I’ve been in the research industry for over a decade, I still feel there’s so much more to learn about semiotics — perhaps that’s part of what frustrates and excites me!

SEMIOVOX

What advice would you give to a young person interested in this sort of work?

SONIA SKINS

Know who you are first, and explore areas that align with your values and ways of seeing. Most importantly, find a place that resonates with you — where the energy, people, and purpose feel right. That connection matters as much as the work itself.

MAKING SENSE series: MARTHA ARANGO (Sweden) | MACIEJ BIEDZIŃSKI (Poland) | BECKS COLLINS (England) | WHITNEY DUNLAP-FOWLER (USA) | IVÁN ISLAS (Mexico) | WILLIAM LIU (China) | SÓNIA MARQUES (Portugal) | CHIRAG MEDIRATTA (India / Canada) | SERDAR PAKTIN (Turkey / England) | MARIA PAPANTHYMOU (Greece / Russia) | XIMENA TOBI (Argentina) | & many more.

Also see these global semio series: MAKING SENSE (Q&As) | SEMIOFEST SESSIONS (monthly mini-conferences) | COVID CODES | SEMIO OBJECTS | COLOR CODEX | DECODER (fictional semioticians) | CASE FILE | PHOTO OP | MEDIA DIET | TATTOO YOU (semioticians’ tattoos).