Introduction: the grammar of visual design -- 1. The semiotic landscape: language and visual communication -- 2. Narrative representations: designing social action -- 3. Conceptual representations: designing social constructs -- 4. Representation and interaction: designing the position of the viewer -- 5. Modality: designing models of reality -- 6. The meaning of composition -- 7. The materiality of meaning: surface and inscription -- 8. The third dimension -- 9. Colourful thoughts (a postscript).