Visual rhetoric is the use of images and layout to convey meaning and clarify traditional rhetorical techniques. It emphasizes the importance of typography and placement, and can stand alone or support text. It is important in modern culture to draw attention to information and can convey messages without words.
Visual rhetoric is an area of study and practice in rhetoric based on the ability of images not only to have an aesthetic effect but also to convey meaning. Rhetoric traditionally relies on the use of words, both in speech and writing, to convey meaning of some form, such as in performance or discussion. The field of visual rhetoric seeks to explore the various ways images can work towards the same ends. An image of a politician in an advertising campaign, for example, might show him reading a story to children. This communicates, without the use of words, that the politician cares about children and the community.
In addition to the use of images, visual rhetoric emphasizes the importance of the layout and appearance of elements in a given presentation. Typography, for example, is an important part of visual rhetoric; text presented in a comic font is likely not to be taken as seriously as text presented in a stiffer, more uniform font. The placement of various elements on a page is also very important, as placement determines what people will see and when they will see it. This can be very important for the overall perception of a given text or presentation.
Usually, visual rhetoric serves primarily to emphasize and clarify more traditional rhetorical techniques. An image of a politician displaying a good quality can, for example, accompany a paragraph about his various good qualities. The information contained in the text is supported by the image, and the text refines and clarifies the meaning conveyed by the image. In some cases, however, images can largely stand on their own with little or no support from text. This is especially true when they feature or are contextually related to known places or people, as little or no additional clarification may be needed.
The importance of visual rhetoric in modern culture cannot be understated given the sheer amount of information most people encounter in the course of a day. People tend not to invest time in reading or examining something unless presented with a good reason to do so. A plain text page tends not to attract anyone’s attention. The techniques of visual rhetoric, therefore, are used to draw attention to particular information. In some cases, images and designs based on visual rhetorical techniques are used to convey information without words, thus allowing people to receive a message passively or with minimal time or energy.
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