Abstract

Given the power of images to express feelings, to call to action, to create and use experiences, among others, in this paper, we aim to identify and analyse the various symbols and signs present in a set of photographs. First of all, we will discuss the concepts of nonverbal and visual communication, as well as some ideas regarding symbolism in communication. Then, we will focus on two qualitative and one quantitative research methods. On the one hand, we performed a visual analysis of images. We only used photos from the personal collection of one of the authors, which capture various aspects, in a specific way, from the author’s own perspective. On the other hand, to meet the research objectives, we used the focus group - a research method based on free collective discussions that explores a particular question or set of questions. Subsequently, we also conducted a self-administered questionnaire, as we considered it necessary to use qualitative research techniques, followed by some quantitative analysis such as the survey.