Tra Semiotica e Design: l’analisi dell’oggetto-libro

This work explores the areas of intersection between design and semiotics by investigating the book as an object undergoing profound metamorphosis, increasingly dematerialized, and a product of a design culture drawing closer to the field of art. The semiotic examination of the book object offers an opportunity to contemplate the concept of “hybrid” in the context of Bruno Latour’s theory, considering the relationships formed between humans and artifacts. Additionally, it allows for an exploration of inter-object relationships that come into play. After surveying the current state of semiotic studies on objects, the first part of the essay focuses on analyzing the theoretical and methodological aspects underlying the semiotic analysis of the book object. The second part delves into the specifics, examining pop-up books as unique cases within the realm of design projects. These books, with their distinctive features, provide rich material for semiotic and socio-semiotic reflections on the book object.