Note: Fall 2018
Visual Rhetoric Analysis & Affect Technique
Visual Rhetoric Analysis
Visual Rhetoric Analysis is the analysis of visuals from the perspective of rhetorical models.Rhetoric is considerd to be the art of persuasion in a comprehensive sense, which aims at an effect (influence) on the addressee.
3 basic means of persuasion can be distinguished:
1- Logos (as factually logical work of persuasion | logical convincing) : lowest affect
2- Ethos (as ethical value and character based | self-portrayal of the speaker) | moral convincing
3- Pathos (emotional convincing) : highest affective instrument of persuasion
these 3 means of persuasion can be understood in rhetoric as different degree of affect, whereby the largely emotionless work of persuasion is ascribed to the logos, the gentle to ethos, and the passionate and violent emotion excitation to pathos.
Affect Technique
Affect technique means the intentionality of elements used while aiming to communicate a certain message through a certain medium to reinforce a certain emotion in the target audience or to persuade the latter.
Affect (result):
example: seeing a specific advertisement makes me sick and disgusted and I feel nauseous.
Affect: to influence or make "a difference to"
Effect:
verb: to bring something about as a result
noun: a result or influence
Visual rhetoric analysis examines the intended rhetorical effects and affect techniques of those elements used.
The IS photographs produced are examined with regards to their implicit assumptions, explicit effects and counter intentional elements (i.e. conflict of objectives that appeaer in them).
Reading recommendations from Arne Scheuermann
- Leslie Atzmon: Visual Rhetorics and Eloquence of Design
- Visible Language Journal or Visual Communication Journal
by Sharom Helmer Poggenpohl
- Charles Kostelnick (to have a look at applied approach)
- Hanno Ehses: Visual Rhetoric Theatre
Articles:
- Declaration by Design by Richard Buchanan | published in Design Issues (republished)
"Design itself has a rhetorical perspective"
- The Visual Rhetorics of IS
Rhetoric as a Framework for Design as Intentional Communication:
"Visual rhetoric provides a useful means of analysing, evaluation, and discussing the production and design of any kind of media [...]" (from The Visual Rhetoric of IS, page 34).
"The main aspect here is the intentional use of material to evoke a certain effects" (from The Visual Rhetoric of IS, page 34).
"[...] Visual rhetoric does not judge design in general by its aesthetic quality but by its appropriateness (decorum), it is especially useful to describe the design mainstream and thereby be able to identify new or unusual form" (from The Visual Rhetoric of IS, page 34).