![]() ![]() The structure of a document and the use of graphics or typefaces can create a rhetorical effect. 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 argument, to the arrangement of elements on a page for rhetorical effect, to the use of typography (fonts), and more (). It can present an argument to a specific audience, entice or convince them to think or act differently. Rhetoric is typically known as the “art of persuasion ” it informs, motivates or entertains an audience through the means of written or verbal communication. Therefore, being visually literate empowers the visual communicator to think critically when solving complex visual communication problems. Additionally, visual communicators need to be armed with a vocabulary of principles and analytical tools (discussed later) to allow for effective discourse of the design process and its applications. Visual literacy-as well as composing effective visual messages-is a required skill needed to comprehend what we constantly see in the media. The Internet alone puts forth a plethora of visual messages via Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and Flickr, just to name a few. Today, we are driven by rapid advances in technology, which add to the barrage of visual messages we encounter every day. Elements of visual language include typefaces, color, page structure, photographs, illustrations, graphs, and charts (Kress et al., 2006, p.2). ![]() The definition of visual grammar is the creation of meaning through visual language. Visual literacy is the ability to read, analyze, and evoke meaning from visual text through the means of visual grammar. The proper use of grammar-nouns, verbs, and sentence structure-can define or express meaning, but it is the viewer’s perception based on their own intuition and experience that enables them to interpret the message and form their own meaning. Therefore, it is necessary for visual communicators to hone in on these skills to effectively communicate ideas to their peers as well as their clients. Kress and Van Leeuwen, authors of Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design, explain that grammar can be viewed as a set of rules that one needs to abide by to “speak or write” effectively in order to be accepted socially (2006, p. Through the process of becoming literate, we learn a set of skills to develop effective verbal and written skills. Literacy generally means the ability to read, write, analyze, and evaluate text. But first, let’s review the definition of literacy. Before we begin to understand visual rhetoric, it is important to also understand visual literacy. ![]() How do we know what they really mean? When you see an ad in a magazine about homeless animals, does it make you want to go to your local shelter and adopt one? Does a poster advertising a movie inspire you to go see it? When you are surfing the Internet, do you wonder what entices you to stop at a particular website? Creating visual arguments through the use of visual language (typography, color, layout and images) is referred to as visual rhetoric. A Rhetorical View of VisualsĮverywhere we look we see visual messages. This article explores the rhetorical use of visuals, visual arguments, and tools for visual analysis such as gestalt principles and visual cognates. As visual communicators, we are responsible for obtaining the necessary resources and skills to compose and analyze effective visual messages. Visual communicators design artifacts such as posters, advertisements, annuals reports, diagrams, and websites, all referred to as “visual text.” Communicators are also challenged by rapid advancements in technology, particularly smartphones and tablet computers such as the iPad, allowing everyone to access visual information at the touch of a finger. We see them constantly-in television commercials, on billboards, driving to school or work, reading magazines, and surfing the Internet. Karlyn Kohrs Campbell, Suszn Schultz HuxmanĮvery day, visual messages inundate our lives. The familiar expressions ‘seeing is believing’ and ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’ capture their high ethos appeal.” Visual messages are volatile, eliciting positive and negative responses simultaneously. “Visual rhetoric is pervasive, in part, because it is powerful.
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