In the article Defining and locating digital rhetoric by Doug Eyman discusses the concept of visual rhetoric. At first, it seemed as if they could not agree on a definition. As mentioned in the article at first some people believed that studying only the visual consisted of studying representational images. Others believed it was the study of the visual aspect of anything created by human hands. For example, buildings, toasters, writing pieces, art or even clothing. Essentially Doug Eyman believes that visual rhetoric is an essential part of digital rhetoric. Also, visual elements such as images,layouts and design are a critical part of how texts are interpreted and understood.
Eyman mentions Sonja Foss’s idea on visual rhetoric and she believes that visual rhetoric can refer both to a visual artifact and to a perspective on the study of visual data. So essentially it explains that visual rhetoric can be used for communication and understanding. In the first sense it is a product that people create as they use visuals, symbols etc to communicate. In the second sense it is more of a perspective people can apply that focuses on the symbols by which visual artifacts can communicate through.
How can we use visual rhetoric
Visual Rhetoric can be applied in many different ways. For example, when creating presentations for a class using well designed slides with relevant images and a clear layout can help the audience understand your message more clearly. Especially when it comes to topics that others may not be familiar with. The right visuals such as the photos can help enhance the art of your content. Also, visuals can also help it be more engaging by using different fonts/colors to be more visually appealing. Essentially visual rhetoric helps make your communication more persuasive and easier to understand by using visual elements strategically.
Read my latest blog post: Text in the digital age
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