The Interplay between the Verbal and Visual in Outdoor Interpretive Panels

Abstract

Outdoor interpretive panels inform visitors about the features of a heritage site and the events and objects they encounter during their visit with the aim of improving their awareness and understanding of the site. In addition to having this educational role, interpretive panels are also regarded as ameans of enhancing visitor experience and the quality of natural or cultural heritage sites – especially since the information on these signs is available at all hours and can be accessed by large numbers of visitors. Various disciplines have treated outdoor interpretive panels as communication and a formof product development, highlighting topics such as visitors’ use of interpretive panels, strategies for capturing and holding visitors’ attention, the effective conceptual design of interpretive panels, their efficiency in educating visitors and enhancing visitor experience, and others. This study will focus on outdoor interpretive panels in natural sites. To deliver their message, interpretive panels combine verbal and visual information. The analysis of the intersemiotic logical relations between themaims to reveal the ways in which the two modes interplay in interpretive panels and create cohesive messages through logical relations. Keywords : heritage interpretation, outdoor interpretive panels, textual-visual intersemiosis, intersemiotic cohesion, intersemiotic logical relations