Visual Rhetoric
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Visual rhetoric is used to describe the study of visual imagery within the field of rhetoric. In 1970, at the National Conference on Rhetoric, a recommendation was produced which called for “an expansion of the study of rhetoric ‘to include subjects which have not traditionally fallen within the critic’s purview; the non-discurvsive as well as the discursive, the nonverbal as well as the verbal’” (Foss 141).
The current understandings of rhetoric continue to support this expanded study beyond the traditional concerns for verbal texts. Since human experiences tend to be “spatially oriented, nonlinear, multidimensional, and dynamic,” they can often only be communicated “through visual imagery or other non-discursive symbols” (Foss 143).
In order to be considered rhetoric, the visual has to “be symbolic, involve human intervention, and be presented to an audience for the purpose of communicating with that audience” (Foss 144). An item can be a symbolic when it is attached to another object and communicates a specific idea. To be considered visual rhetoric, human action needs to be had in regards to the creation or interpretation of the item. This item must be concerned with appealing to a certain type of audience, regardless if this audience is real or not.
The current understandings of rhetoric continue to support this expanded study beyond the traditional concerns for verbal texts. Since human experiences tend to be “spatially oriented, nonlinear, multidimensional, and dynamic,” they can often only be communicated “through visual imagery or other non-discursive symbols” (Foss 143).
In order to be considered rhetoric, the visual has to “be symbolic, involve human intervention, and be presented to an audience for the purpose of communicating with that audience” (Foss 144). An item can be a symbolic when it is attached to another object and communicates a specific idea. To be considered visual rhetoric, human action needs to be had in regards to the creation or interpretation of the item. This item must be concerned with appealing to a certain type of audience, regardless if this audience is real or not.
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/2/8/29289809/5423848.gif)
CRAP Principles of Design
One of the important aspects of visual rhetoric is looking at the design principles of the item—contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. These four main principles can help the audience better understand the presented information in a manner that presented the most pertinent details in the situation.
Contrast deals with making elements within a deliverable not look too similar. Elements such as font, color, size, shapes, etc., should be purposefully designed to contrast each other on a consistent basis.
Turning to repetition, it is important to repeat visual design decisions throughout the document to help organization and clarity for the audience. If different sections are disjointed, the audience will be confused and potentially miss out on important connections within the provided information.
In regards to alignment, it is essential to keep elements logically aligned to ensure the audience finds the document easy to navigate and find information. Most audiences have an established understanding of what type of alignment to expect in certain situations, so it is important to address this, or break the expectations to catch the eye of the reader.
Finally, proximity permits to the rhetor to show connections through strategic placement of items within a document. By placing related items together, this increases the clarity of the intended message and enhancing overall organization. These four design principles help the audience to form to a complete understanding of the rhetoric created by the author.
One of the important aspects of visual rhetoric is looking at the design principles of the item—contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. These four main principles can help the audience better understand the presented information in a manner that presented the most pertinent details in the situation.
Contrast deals with making elements within a deliverable not look too similar. Elements such as font, color, size, shapes, etc., should be purposefully designed to contrast each other on a consistent basis.
Turning to repetition, it is important to repeat visual design decisions throughout the document to help organization and clarity for the audience. If different sections are disjointed, the audience will be confused and potentially miss out on important connections within the provided information.
In regards to alignment, it is essential to keep elements logically aligned to ensure the audience finds the document easy to navigate and find information. Most audiences have an established understanding of what type of alignment to expect in certain situations, so it is important to address this, or break the expectations to catch the eye of the reader.
Finally, proximity permits to the rhetor to show connections through strategic placement of items within a document. By placing related items together, this increases the clarity of the intended message and enhancing overall organization. These four design principles help the audience to form to a complete understanding of the rhetoric created by the author.