Visual rhetoric and composition
The term visual rhetoric falls under an umbrella term known as visual literacy, which is generally split into three categories: visual thinking, visual learning, visual rhetoric/communication (though visual thinking and visual learning must occur to communicate visually). The following diagram illustrates these ideas. The graphic is modified from Sandra Moriarty's diagram in her essay, "A Conceptual Map of Visual Communication" and from "Teaching Visual Literacy and Document Design in First-Year Composition" (MA Thesis) by Allen Brizee.
In the field of composition studies, the place of visual rhetoric is often uncertain or contested. Proponents of its inclusion in composition typically point to the increasingly visual nature of society, and the increasing presence of visual texts. Literacy, they argue, can no longer be limited only to written text and must also include an understanding of the visual.[1][2] The exact role of visual rhetoric in the composition classroom, however, is unclear.
Despite this focus on new media, the inclusion of visual rhetoric in composition studies is distinct from a media theory of composition, though the two are obviously related. Visual rhetoric focuses on the rhetorical nature of all visual texts while new media tends to focus on electronic mediums.
Rhetoric is commonly defined as the “art of persuasion,” as it informs, motivates, or entertains an audience through the means of written or verbal communication. It can present an argument to a specific audience to convince them to think or act differently. Visual rhetoric, on the other hand, as described by OWL, Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab, “has been used to mean anything from the use of images as an argument, to the arrangement of elements on a page for rhetorical effect, to the use of typography (fonts), and more (Visual Rhetoric). In other words, how a document is structured, i.e., font type, colors, layout, etc., can be meant to influence us. An ad for Coca-Cola sells soda, but it also might imply something about family values. A public service announcement about hand-washing might also imply a sense of fear about pathogens and the spread of viruses from abroad.
To understand a visual's intent of persuasion, we must consider the rhetorical situation, which is the audience, purpose, and context. Kostelnick and Roberts (1998), authors of Designing Visual Language: Strategies for Professional Communicators, suggest a few questions consider:
- Is the message intended to inform or persuade, or is it a call to action?
- Who is the message directed to?
- What is the purpose of the document and where will it be viewed?
As stated above, the components of a rhetorical situation are audience, purpose, and context. These considerations will directly affect the overall design of the project from the choice of typeface, the layout of a page, as well as the use of color and visuals (Kostelnick & Roberts).[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b George, Diana. "From Analysis to Design: Visual Communication in the Teaching of Writing." College Composition and Communication (2002).
- ^ a b Hill, Charles. "Reading the Visual in College Writing Classes." Intertexts: Reading Pedagogy in College Writing Classrooms. Ed. Marguerite Helmers. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003.
- ^ "Visual Rhetoric".
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