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The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction
Abstract
A theory of HCI that uses concepts from semiotics and computer science to focus on the communication between designers and users during interaction. In The Semiotic Engineering of Human-Computer Interaction, Clarisse Sieckenius de Souza proposes an account of HCI that draws on concepts from semiotics and computer science to investigate the relationship between user and designer. Semiotics is the study of signs, and the essence of semiotic engineering is the communication between designers and users at interaction time; designers must somehow be present in the interface to tell users how to use the signs that make up a system or program. This approach, which builds on—but goes further than—the currently dominant user-centered approach, allows designers to communicate their overall vision and therefore helps users understand designs—rather than simply which icon to click. According to de Souza's account, both designers and users are interlocutors in an overall communication process that takes place through an interface of words, graphics, and behavior. Designers must tell users what they mean by the artifact they have created, and users must understand and respond to what they are being told. By coupling semiotic theory and engineering, de Souza's approach to HCI design encompasses the principles, the materials, the processes, and the possibilities for producing meaningful interactive computer system discourse and achieves a broader perspective than cognitive, ethnographic, or ergonomic approaches. De Souza begins with a theoretical overview and detailed exposition of the semiotic engineering account of HCI. She then shows how this approach can be applied specifically to HCI evaluation and design of online help systems, customization and end-user programming, and multiuser applications. Finally, she reflects on the potential and opportunities for research in semiotic engineering.
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“If a representation (like a virtual exhibit) is intended to convey meaning, that meaning only truly exists when generated by a viewer, listener, or user [48].”
From Virtual Museums as Meaning-Modeling Systems in Digital Heritage (2025) · cites this paper as [48]
In the citing paper
“According to modeling theory, meaning lies not in the content itself but in how that content is understood by someone.”
From Virtual Museums as Meaning-Modeling Systems in Digital Heritage (2025) · cites this paper as [48]
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Items 701–756 of 756
Brezolin, C. V. S., & Silveira, M. S. (2022) · Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems (IHC) · doi:10.1145/3554364.3559116
“2470685 [7] Clarisse Sieckenius De Souza.”
BackgroundCultural Viewpoint Metaphors Resignification to Teach Programming
Corrêa, J. M., & Mota, M. P. (2022) · Interacting with Computers · doi:10.1093/iwc/iwac041
Pulizzotto, D. (2022) · Cygne noir · doi:10.7202/1089328ar · Cited by 1
Menezes, N. D. S., Rocha, T. Á., & Mota, M. P. (2023) · Anais do Computer on the Beach · doi:10.14210/cotb.v14.p339-346
Resenha do livro Computational Semiotics de Jean-Guy Meunier
de Souza, C. S. (2023) · TECCOGS Revista Digital de Tecnologias Cognitivas · doi:10.23925/1984-3585.2022i26p151-158
Self-citationApplying the Integrative Semiotic Framework
Mingers, J., & Willcocks, L. P. (2023) · Technology, work and globalization · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-34299-8_7
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Soleimani, A. (2023) · Lecture notes in networks and systems · doi:10.1007/978-3-031-37717-4_57
Scheffel, É. J. S., & da Motta, C. L. R. (2023) · doi:10.5753/sbsc_estendido.2023.206021
“A pesquisa também contribuirá com a área de Interação Humano-Computador (IHC), por agregar a experiência do cotidiano com crianças e adolescentes, na educação básica, ao desenvolvimento do jogo com requisitos de usabilidade eficientes, direcionados pela Engenharia da Semiótica [de Souza 2005].”
BackgroundXXI Congreso Internacional Interacción Persona-Ordenador
Lecuona, A. R., & Gallego, B. M. (2021) · UMA Editorial eBooks · doi:10.24310/mumaedmumaed.63
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Ed-dahbi, M. (2023) · Dirasat Human and Social Sciences · doi:10.35516/hum.v50i6.6517
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Fortunato, C. B., Costa, R. B. C., & Prates, R. O. (2025) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-05008-3_32
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Kundu, D., Milton, M. M. R., Ara, L. A., et al. (2025) · doi:10.1109/qpain66474.2025.11171641
“De Souza introduced a semiotic engineering theory to investigate the relationship between system signals (e.g., links, icons, buttons, etc.), semantics, and functionalities to facilitate communication between designers and users [18].”
Souza, R. G. L. E., Nunes, E. H. D. C., & Monteiro, I. T. (2025) · doi:10.5753/ihc.2025.10801
“[de Souza 2005] A comunicabilidade, por sua vez, o critério de qualidade de uso relacionado à metacomunicação.”
de Sousa, F. W. P., Leite, M. G. P., Ramos, H. R. D. S., et al. (2025) · doi:10.5753/ihc.2025.10914
“Por meio da Engenharia Semiótica, é possível obter indicativos que mensuram a qualidade da comunicabilidade, conceito de qualidade de sistemas interativos que concebe a lógica empregada no seu design e suas intenções [De Souza 2005].”
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Gaspar, F. D. S., & Monteiro, I. T. (2025) · doi:10.5753/ihc.2025.10965
“O conteúdo principal da mensagem transmitida pode ser descrito em um template genérico, chamado de template de metacomunicação, defnido por [De Souza 2005], que diz: “Este é o meu entendimento de quem você é, do que aprendi do que você quer ou precisa fazer, de que maneiras prefere fazer, e por quê.”
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Fortunato, C. B., Costa, R., & Prates, R. O. (2025) · doi:10.5753/ihc.2025.10771
“Among the existing qualitative evaluation methods is the Semiotic Inspection Method (SIM) [de Souza et al. 2006], grounded in Semiotic Engineering Theory (SemEng) [de Souza 2005].”
InfluentialSuen, Y.-M., & Kim, S.-I. (2025) · Journal of Digital Contents Society · doi:10.9728/dcs.2025.26.10.2671
A semiotic approach to ad-hoc networked environments
Hawizy, L. (2007) · Loughborough University Research Repository (Loughborough University)
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Averbukh, V. L. (2013) · CyberLeninK (CyberLeninka)
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“…interativos como processos de comunicação entre designers e usuários mediados por interfaces, buscando compreender como os signos e metáforas presentes no jogo são interpretados e utilizados [de Souza 2005] buscando compreender se a interpretação do usuário é semelhante a intenção do designer.”
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“The users perceive and interpret the message as they interact with the interface [de Souza, 2005].”
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“A escolha metodológica decorre de a inspeção heurística ser eficiente para problemas estruturais [2], enquanto o MAC revela dificuldades interpretativas emergentes em uso real [3], [4].”
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“However, they are still highly reliant on multiple human experts and frequently lack scalability [3]–[5].”
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“Semiotic designing was built up by De Souza [13] to survey the convenience and communicability of programs.”
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“Metacommunication is described using the following template [16]: “Here is my understanding of who you are, what I have learned you want or need to do, in which preferred ways , and why .”
InfluentialPascual, A., Martínez, R. A., & Granollers, A. (2021) · Revista de la Asociación Interacción Persona Ordenador (AIPO) · doi:10.65234/interaccion.38
“Para abordar los problemas de comunicación, se parte de la disciplina de la ingeniería semiótica, la cual sostiene que la interacción persona-ordenador, no es sino una interacción entre personas [29] [30].”
Virkus, T., Lepa, S., & Helberger, J. (2026) · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2026.2688490
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dos Santos, G. C., Silva, D. E. D. S., Reis, R., et al. (2026) · Journal on Interactive Systems · doi:10.5753/jis.2026.7447
“[2021], Benyon and de Souza [2011], De Souza [2005], and Rebelo [2016].”
Comes, L., Silveira, J. C. S., Martins, H. C., Lana, C. A., & Villela, M. L. B. (2026) · Journal on Interactive Systems · doi:10.5753/jis.2026.7388 · Cited by 1
“This shift from a single-version perspective to a longitudinal one aligns with the semiotic understanding of interaction as an ongoing communicative process between designers and users, mediated by interface signs [De Souza, 2005].”
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“…process into three dimensions: syntactics, which focuses on the formal structural relationships between signs; semantics, which focuses on the meaning relationships between signs and their referents; and pragmatics, which concerns the relationship between signs, users, and usage contexts [8].”
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Pender, H.-L., & Lamas, D. (2014) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-07233-3_52
Metadata
- Authors
- de Souza, C. S.
- Venue
- The MIT Press eBooks
- Publisher
- The MIT Press
- Published
- 2005-02-11
- OpenAlex
- W2117812870
- Cited by
- 757
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 25 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 33 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 39 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 58 · 2015: 61 · 2014: 36 · 2013: 67 · 2012: 39
- FWCI
- 22.30
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The MIT Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Usability and User Interface Design
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Innovative Human-Technology Interaction
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Interactive and Immersive Displays
- Keywords
- semiotic engineering, human-computer interaction theory, semiotics, designer-user communication, user-centered design, interface design, online help systems, customization, end-user programming
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