Module 4 Overview
So, what exactly is digital and visual rhetoric? If you asked that question, don't worry, so did I. As someone who was not familiar with much about the inner workings of technology, the use of the web and the many elements of it, I am here to explain it in simple terms. Given my last post, we know that rhetoric is the influence and meaning taken from a work of writing. Expanding off of that, digital rhetoric is the influence and persuasion that is taken from a work that is done digitally, and visual rhetoric is the influence from a visual piece, whether it be a meme, a photo, a infographic, and so on. Writers in the digital world must understand their audience in order to use digital and visual rhetoric in a way that sits with their audience and hopefully creates a positive reaction. As someone who is writing a blog for the use of digital writing, it would simply be pointless to add a meme or photo about wildlife conservation. While both topics may be important, my audience is those interested in digital writing, so adding a photo that they may not understand would not encourage participation.
Along with rhetoric, when creating a digital piece of work, one must understand how to create it in a way that is easy to readers to look through and understand. Focusing on aspects such as layout, balance, and the color scheme used can either result in a work that draws readers in or pushes them out the door. When making a creative digital piece, it is crucial to understand how the elements you use may influence your audience. By knowing and understanding your audience, and the small details of what will flow within your chosen genre, you can successfully create a work that encourages participation and easily gets your point across.
Module 4 Reflection and Thoughts
Have you ever started a new job and had no clue what you are doing? Welcome to my life. I recently started my first "adult" job, and with it came the learning curve of things I probably should've already known how to do. One of my job tasks is running the social media, which seemed easy enough, until I had to create the material to post on the social media accounts. It took many tries and many, many corrections until I created my first successful flyer. I was clueless about aspects such as balance, emphasizing certain details, making the colors balance well and overall making a professional looking flyer. While reading through module 4, I realized it's not as difficult as I had first thought. It simply comes down to understanding what the consumer's eyes will go to first, and making it visually appealing based on what is needed from the material. To learn more, I looked up previous flyers from my company and made note of a few things. What do my eyes go to first, and why? What is my first reaction of the flyer? Would this flyer catch my attention if I were scrolling on social media? What is the ratio of text, to blank space, to images? By asking these questions, I put myself in the shoes of the consumer which allowed me to better understand what I should be doing, and how I should be creating. To make a seemingly irrelevant quote have meaning in this context, I was recently told "don't sweat the small stuff, and everything is small." It's not about being perfect the first time you create a visual or digital work, it's about getting better with each try.
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