Visual Communication

In chapter 8 of Envision, titled “Designing Arguments,” the authors the various ways to set up an argument. Throughout chapter 8, the authors focus on using visual elements to help improve the argument trying to be made in a paper. The authors discuss how to use decorum in writing to help choose the appropriate words of a situation. According to the authors, there are three levels of style for decorum: grand style, middle style, and plain style. Grand style is ornate while plain is close to spoken English and middle style has characteristics of both grand style and plain style. How to include images in writing is also described in chapter 8. Including an image within the text can help make the images an integrated part of an argument compared to placing them on a separate page. In the latter parts of the chapter, how to design arguments for the public, photo essays, visual arguments, and websites are described.

Once again Envision somehow managed to relate to my life outside of English 103. Some of the classes for my major, architecture, rely heavily on visual elements to help express what I am trying to accomplish in a project. In CAP 101, commonly referred to as “studio,” I am required to create a board in addition to the models that I build. On our board, I attempt to communicate the ideas, concepts, and thought processes behind my model. While I am not trying to create an argument, the basic concepts behind making a board and creating a visual argument are very similar. In both situations, an idea is trying to be communicated through the use of images and text, the main difference is that one is trying to convince the audience of something and the other is not.