Rhetoric and Visual Rhetoric for Professional Writers Using Rhetorical Principles and Art / Design Theory to Analyze Images

What is Rhetoric? ?

Rhetoric The Art of Persuasion The Arts and Rules of Effective Communication Aristotle: “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.” The Art of Speaking and Writing Effectively.

The Five Canons or Parts of Rhetoric Invention inventio heurisis Arrangement dispositio taxis Style elocutio lexis Memory memoria mneme Delivery actio hypocrisis

The 3 Rhetorical Questions Who is speaking to whom? For what ostensible purpose? Through what mask?

Audience Analysis Who are my readers? –What do they know? –What do they need? What are my readers’ purposes? –Information? –Online shopping? –Customer Service? –Interactive Order Forms?

Visual Rhetoric & Visual Literacy Ability to “unpack” images by using principles from: Classical Rhetoric Gestalt Principles of Visual Perception Principles from Art / Design Theory Color Line Shape Spatial relationships

Visual Rhetoric & Visual Literacy Understanding how to analyze images and their effect on viewers leads to the ability to manipulate images – figures, photographs, drawings, graphs – and the visual display of documents, so that you can effectively get your message across, so that you can persuade your audience to accept your point of view.

Classical Rhetoric: Aristotle’s 3 Modes of Argument, the entechnoi Ethos Logos Pathos Kairos

Gestalt Principles Figure/Ground Segregation Symmetry Proximity Closure

Figure/Ground Segregation

Poor Figure/Ground

Conscious Manipulation M. C. Escher

M. C. Escher’s Moebius Strip

Art / Design Theory Unity –Often achieved by repetition of color and shape Emphasis or Focus –Where your eye is immediately drawn to Balance –Symmetrical & Asymmetrical Visual Rhythm –The “pattern” your eye makes as it moves from area to area on a visual field

For Example:

Metaphorical Code of Color Hot and warm colors -- those toward the Red end of the spectrum convey different emotional associations from Cold and cool colors -- those toward the Blue end Each color has negative and positive pathetic / emotional associations

Spatial Relationships & Affect Triangular Relationships –Spirituality, aspiration Rectangular or 4-square –Stability, groundedness, earthiness Circular Relationships –Movement, fluidity, dynamism, completeness

Triangularity and Aspiration

Line & Emotional Impact Vertical Lines –Strength, Power, Aspiration Horizontal Lines –Calmness, Balance, Repose, Groundedness Diagonal Lines –Tension, Movement, Direction Real, Implied, Perspective, Gestural Circular –Movement, Unity, Dynamism

Vertical Lines

Horizontal Lines

Diagonal Tension

Kandinsky – Yellow, Blue, Red

Search for a Universal Grammar of Color and Shape Match the Primary Colors – Red, Blue, Yellow, With the Primary Shapes – Circle, Triangle, Square Kandinsky felt there must be some intrinsic match up – some universal code

The Four Contents 1.Formal Content Line, Color, Shape, Texture, Spatial Relations 2.Narrative Content Story, Allegory 3.Rhetorical Content Aristotle’s Appeals, 3 rhetorical questions 4.Expressive Content Combined effect of 1, 2, and 3. Effect upon viewer

Effective Communication for the 21st Century Principles of Document Design –Technical Writing Studies Principles from Art Theory –Color, Form, Spatial Arrangement Principles from Rhetoric –The Rhetorical Situation –Aristotle’s Appeals New Rhetorical Principles Will Evolve from the Old