Skipping a few steps in the world of semiotics, Peirce's three types of signs are reached. An icon visually represents what it stands for. For example, the famous Ceci n'est pas une pipe picture is, as the title suggests, not a pipe. It is, however, an image of a pipe, therefore an icon.
Symbols are signs that are not directly related to what they represent, but are agreed on by societies to have a specific meaning. Ranging from symbols such as on eject buttons to all words (e.g. the word "dog" is not a real dog, nor a photo of a dog, but to an english speaker it conjures a mental image of a dog), symbols are a broad topic.
Indexes are perhaps the most complex of the concepts to grasp, despite indexes surrounding us. Sitting here, I can see a scuff on the wall - an index that someone has dragged a chair leg across it. If I see a door down a hallway closing, that is an index that somebody has very recently gone through it.
Peirce's classifications of signs can be difficult to get to grips with to begin with, but with examples it further aids understanding. Now all I need to do is relate them to my image and subjectivity in the realm of media...
For reference, the mediums I am working in are text based and photographic (as that's what I work best in), in a complementary manner. Also, I write in American English, due to a combination of aspirations for the future and the oversaturation of American media I've subjected myself to over the years, but that's another story for another day. I've written over 2,500 words for this digital sketchbook in a rambling look through my thoughts on the representation of the self, which I hope you enjoy and/or find interesting.