This week was all about visual rhetoric. It was discussed that both visual rhetoric and digital rhetoric can be similar. It is similar to digital rhetoric in the sense that one can create forms of content using technology. As we have discussed in class rhetoric is a form of persuasion and that is what both of these rhetorics accomplish.
Old Vs. New
We also know that digital rhetoric relies on the technology we have become very familiar with over the years. As the technology is still developing and will continue to, it is known as the newer field compared to visual rhetoric. Visual rhetoric has been studied longer and has overall been around longer than digital rhetoric has been.
The images in visual rhetoric also have way deeper meanings that have more sources of influence behind them. Roland Barthes was explaining in this piece of Eyeman the difference between denotative and connotative. He explained that denotative is what we see and connotative is essentially the deeper symbolic meaning behind it. These images with deeper meanings are what can make an audience be persuaded.
Can’t Have Digital Without Visual
As both rhetorics can become intertwined, there are specific limits that shouldn’t be crossed. You can use visual rhetoric within digital rhetoric on online spaces. Scholars argue that in video games the images are created by the use of coding. They say that this takes away from the regular use of visual rhetoric and makes it less effective all together.
Overall, the images from this kind of rhetoric are used to persuade an audience and give deep meaning to whatever the image may be. I was able to take away that this rhetoric plays a major role in the field of digital rhetoric which makes plenty of sense thinking about it now. These visual elements are what makes the digital field something new, innovative, and exciting.
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