David Crow, until his sudden death in 2022, was UAL's (University of the Arts, London, UK) Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of Colleges for Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts. He studied Communication Design at Manchester Metropolitan University and subsequently worked as a designer in London for Assorted iMaGes and as Art Director for Island Records before running his own consultancy. As a freelance designer he worked for a range of clients in the cultural sector including Rolling Stones Records, Virgin Records, Phonogram and The Royal Shakespeare Company. Crow then moved into academia as Head of the Department of Graphic Arts at Liverpool John Moores University, UK. He was Dean of the School of Art at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK before his move to UAL.

Introduction
Chapter 1: Components. What is Theory?; Agreement; Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 2: How Meaning is Formed. Categories of Sign; Value; Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 3: Reading the Sign: The Reader; Convention and Motivation; Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 4: Text and Image: Digital and Analogue Codes; Advertising Writing; Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 5: Official and Unofficial Language: Habitus; The Production of Legitimate Language; The Competition for Cultural Legitimacy; Unofficial Language; Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 6: Politics of Semiotics: fake news, propaganda, diversity in 'neutral' communication (like emojis); Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 7: Junk and Culture: Dirt and Taboo; Rubbish Theory; Rubbish as a Resource; Portfolio; Exercises.
Chapter 8: Open Work: Information and Meaning; Openness and the Visual Arts; Openness and Information; Form and Openness; Portfolio; Exercises.
Glossary
Bibliography
Index