Visual Arguments

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Visual Arguments

• EH 1302

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Magnum Photos
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Visual Arguments

• We are a visual culture.
• Primary way we receive information.
• Pay attention to
• What we need/what we are interested in
• What grabs our attention

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Visual Arguments

• We are a visual culture.
• Visual media compete to send us their message.
• Effects
• Choices we make
• Things we buy
• How we perceive ourselves

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Theres a thin line between love and obsession.
Drive it.
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Asking the Right Questions

• What do I see when I look at the image?
• How is color used?
• What is the significance of the layout?
• What are the relative sizes of the objects that
  compose the image?
• What is the role of text (language)?
• Where did I first see this image?
• Who is the target audience?
• What is the purpose of this image?
• What is the message?

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Color

• Most of the media representations you see around
  you make careful use of color.
• Is the eye drawn to a certain spot on the page by
• the strength of a color?
• the contrast of colors?
• the absence of color?
• How is color being used to capture your eye and
  keep it on a certain part of the visual?

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Source USA Today
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Source USA Today
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Layout

• Layout of objects on the page.
• What is your eye drawn to first because of its
  position?
• Sometimes focal point will be right in the center
• obvious
• Sometimes central image or message is in upper
  left hand corner of page
• Because we read left to right, tend to look there
  first

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Magnum Photos
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Size

• Size of people and objects in an image helps
  designer communicate his/her message.
• Our eyes are drawn to largest image first.

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Text

• Sometimes image is powerful enough on its own.
• Images speak for themselves
• Marines raising flag at Iwo Jima
• Sometimes text is included.

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Text

• How much text is there?
• Where is it located?
• How big is the type?
• Is more than one font used?
• Does the text actually deliver the message?
• Does it enhance the message?

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Source USA Today
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Location

• To properly evaluate an image, reader must know
  where the image appeared.
• Billboard?
• On side of a bus?
• In the pages of a magazine?
• TeenPeople?
• National Geographic?
• On a t-shirt?

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Target Audience

• Need to take into consideration for the image to
  reach its target audience.
• For whom is this image intended?
• What are the characteristics of this target
  audience of viewers?
• What is the age range?
• What is their socioeconomic status?
• What work do they do?
• Where and how do they live?

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• http//www.whitehouse.gov/president/gallery/photoe
  ssay/
• http//www.time.com/time/photoessays

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Purpose

• Every image has a purpose.
• What is this ad for?

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Message

• What is the message of this image?
• Challenges the viewers to probe beyond the
  obvious visual effect to find the message.
• wear this
• drink this
• click here
• think this way
• feel this emotion
• affirm this value

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http//www.themeatrix.com/