The ability to read, produce, and share visual images, animations, and videos is a fundamental 21st Century literacy. Thanks to new writing and entertainment tools, it is increasingly easy to integrate images with words and sound. Strictly speaking, regular reading and writing are a form of visual literacy. The alphabetic, after all, is a visual representation of thought. That said, visual literacy is generally conceptualized as something beyond alphabetic texts. According to Association of College and Research Libraries, "Visual literacy is a set of abilities that enables an individual to...
Learning Objectives Design documents, visuals, and data displays that are rhetorically effective, accessible, and usable for specific audiences Recognize ethical, legal, and cultural issues in business and the professions Think of the maps you see produced by the television station or website from which you get your weather information. While the meteorologist explains that northern Florida has highs in the 70s, central Florida has highs in the 80s, and southern Florida has highs in the 90s, that information is accompanied by a map. That map may simply have numbers on it,...
We come across many images on a daily basis, but we rarely stop to think about what those images mean or about how they persuade us. Yet, images have power, which is why we need to understand how to analyze them. When you’re analyzing an image to understand the message it portrays, this is called visual rhetoric. Visual rhetoric is a means of communication that uses images to create meaning or to make an argument. The first thing to consider when breaking down, or analyzing, an image is the rhetorical situation: the audience, context, and purpose....
Something seems wrong A few days ago, I tweeted something that wasn’t particularly funny, but I got this response:1 I don’t know anyone named Cory Folse, and I don’t know who this @jokesallnight person is, either. So I ignored the tweet, kind of glad I had made someone happy, but kind of confused. But then a couple of days ago, I was still thinking about this weird tweet, so I decided to see who this Cory Folse person was. I clicked on his user name, which showed me a list...
Use animations to illustrate processes, to entertain, and to engage readers' attention. An animation can be as simple as a GIF file that blinks on and off and as complicated as online screen movie. Many of the clever animations you see online today are for amusement or artistic purposes. In time, more prosaic uses may be employed--as people become more comfortable with the software needed to created an animated images. Examples Big Bunny. This is a playful site for kids or anyone who wants to be cheered up. Modern Living. Various...
What is Page Design? Page design refers to the strategic arrangement of information on a printed or digital page to attract and maintain the attention of the intended audience to adhere to guidelines provided by teachers, professional organizations (e.g., APA or MLA), funding agencies, and various other audiences to enhance readability to underscore the author's purpose to clarify the structure of the writer's argument or analysis. What is Scannability? Scannability refers to the ease with which a reader can scan a document and discern the gist of the author's message a text that...
