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<p>This paper revisits two foundational design and UI/UX concepts: “affordance,” introduced by J. J. Gibson, and “signifier,” rooted in Saussurean linguistics and later adapted for design theory. Despite their widespread use, both terms remain loosely defined, limiting their long-term effectiveness in design research, practice, and pedagogy. We argue that human-system interactions are fundamentally shaped by computing and information-theoretic principles, guided by cognitive uncertainty (modeled as entropy), and driven by logical processes analogous to data sorting and database indexing. Building on this perspective, we propose a statistically rigorous, cognitively grounded analytical framework capable of addressing real-world semantic complexity.&#xa0;By examining the algorithmic underpinnings of affordance and signifier, we highlight their complementary theoretical and practical roles, thereby strengthening both conceptual rigor and usability.&#xa0;Finally, we refine the application of information theory as a systematic lens for modeling UI/UX interactions, offering new insights for design scholarship and practice.</p>

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A computational view of affordance and signifier: indexing and logics in UI cognition and design

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月24日

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  • Lance Chong

摘要

This paper revisits two foundational design and UI/UX concepts: “affordance,” introduced by J. J. Gibson, and “signifier,” rooted in Saussurean linguistics and later adapted for design theory. Despite their widespread use, both terms remain loosely defined, limiting their long-term effectiveness in design research, practice, and pedagogy. We argue that human-system interactions are fundamentally shaped by computing and information-theoretic principles, guided by cognitive uncertainty (modeled as entropy), and driven by logical processes analogous to data sorting and database indexing. Building on this perspective, we propose a statistically rigorous, cognitively grounded analytical framework capable of addressing real-world semantic complexity. By examining the algorithmic underpinnings of affordance and signifier, we highlight their complementary theoretical and practical roles, thereby strengthening both conceptual rigor and usability. Finally, we refine the application of information theory as a systematic lens for modeling UI/UX interactions, offering new insights for design scholarship and practice.