Visual rhetoric is the study of how document design (including the use of illustrations, charts and graphs, typography and layout) communicate, as opposed to aural or verbal messages. Visual rhetoric examines also the relationship between images and writing.
#19512
The Rhetoric of Typography: The Awareness and Impact of Typeface Appropriateness 
Extends previous research on the rhetorical role of typography that has examined typeface persona and typeface suitability. Investigates whether clashes in typeface and text persona affect readers' perceptions of the text.
Brumberger, Eva R. Technical Communication Online (2003). Design>Typography>Rhetoric>Visual Rhetoric
#19511
The Rhetoric of Typography: The Persona of Typeface and Text
Provides strong empirical support for the notion that readers ascribe personality attributes both to typefaces and to text passages. Establishes a foundation for investigation of the interactions between typeface and text personas.
Brumberger, Eva R. Technical Communication Online (2003). Design>Typography>Rhetoric>Visual Rhetoric
#31678
Road Signs: Finding Your Way in the Visual World 
An illustrated to Jean-luc Doumont's theory of high-context and low-context cultures and the contrast between their visual rhetorics.
Doumont, Jean-luc. Principiae (2007). Presentations>Usability>Risk Communication>Visual Rhetoric
#20126
Say It in Pictures: Crash Course in Visual Literacy
Today, communication requires more than just pages of printed words. Producing effective documents and training requires the ability to understand, think and communicate graphically. This demonstration shows how to communicate almost anything graphically. Through creative brainstorming you will start to think visually and learn valuable principles that you can use back on the job to refine your own graphics.
Horton, William K. III and Katherine W. Horton. STC Proceedings (1996). Design>Graphic Design>Rhetoric>Visual Rhetoric
#24315
Say it in Pictures: Visual Literacy for Business and Technical Communication
Today’s communication media demand more than just words. Producing effective documents, training materials, and Web pages requires the ability to understand, think, and communicate graphically' to be visually literate.
Horton, William K. III. STC Proceedings (1998). Design>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric
#24098
Seeing and Using Theories for Design
In recent years, the subject of research has attracted much attention within the field of design. In this discussion, suggestion has been made about the importance of descriptive/explanatory theory for the practice of design. Given that design is prescriptive by nature, between description and prescription, there is a gap. The gap suggests that the function and value of theory in design practice and thus its evaluation require further examination, clarification and demonstration. The practical value of theory in scientific inquiry is unquestionable. Theory is often referred as the foundation of sciences. Since the immediate goal of scientific practice is different from that of design practice, can the same be said about theory for design? Taking a perspective of a designer, my starting point is that theory, like any information, needs to be brought to life by our way of seeing and using it. Through reflecting on how I have evaluated and used developmental theories for a conceptual design of HIV prevention communication. I will bring up the issue of user in theory evaluation, attempt to demonstrate theory is (made) useful (by)/to designing and put into perspective the value of descriptive/explanatory theory to designing.
Chow, Rosan. University of Alberta (2003). Design>Document Design>Theory>Visual Rhetoric
#29529
Seeing Cells: Teaching the Visual/Verbal Rhetoric of Biology
This pilot study obtained baseline information on verbal and visual rhetorics to teach microscopy techniques to college biology majors. We presented cell images to students in cell biology and biology writing classes and then asked them to identify textual, verbal, and visual cues that support microscopy learning. Survey responses suggest that these students recognized some of the rhetorical strategies used and conflated others, revealing intriguing questions for further research in undergraduate microscopy education.
Dinolfo, John, Barbara Heifferon and Lesly A. Temesvari. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2007). Articles>Scientific Communication>Biomedical>Visual Rhetoric
#20537
Seeing is Believing and Content Counts
Even if you are a confident, seasoned speaker, you still need to connect with your audience with terrific content and visual aids. Knock `em dead with your words and the visual aids you use in order to truly have audiences on the edge of their seats! How can you get a crowd of hungry or tired conference attendees interested in your presentation? How can you stand apart and be remembered out of a series of speakers? Be daring and different. Seek untraditional methods to relate your information. Investigate all your options and all resources. Never rule anything out.
Brody, Marjorie. Presenters University (2002). Articles>Presentations>Visual Rhetoric>Microsoft PowerPoint
#30169
Seeing is Believing: Communicating Information Graphically
Diverse work situations and varied skills, abilities, and motivation affect how users handle documentation to do their jobs. Communicating graphically challenges the communicator to 1) select illustrations that orient users ana' 2) use dynamic arrows to show the motion required. The communicator then 3) shows the order of steps within a task by using numbers with 'numberness.' Users' eyes seek information dynamically: help them find needed i$ormation by 4) keeping tasks within eyespan on a page. Then 5) use a grid to consistently layout an interesting page.
Lisberg, Beth Conney. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric>Charts and Graphs
#30094
Seven Things You Should Know About Data Visualization
Data visualization is the graphical representation of information. Information technology combines the principles of visualization with powerful applications and large data sets to create sophisticated images and animations. Representing large amounts of disparate information in a visual form often allows you to see patterns that would otherwise be buried in vast, unconnected data sets. Data visualizations offer one way to harness infrastructure to find hidden trends and correlations that can lead to important discoveries. Visual literacy is an increasingly important skill, and data visualizations are another channel for students to develop their ability to process information visually.
Educause (2007). Design>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration>Visual Rhetoric
#29334
Some Graphic and Semigraphic Displays
Graphs and semigraphic displays are made for purposes. Different purposes usually call for different graphs.
Tukey, John W. Edward Tufte (1972). Design>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric>Charts and Graphs
#26375
Can sound and motion illustrate the personality of color? The Animation class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design set out to discover the answer.
AIGA (2005). Design>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric>Color
#26319
Both spatial and visual rhetorics attend to issues of boundaries. From the structure of our classroom spaces to the margins of the page, rhetoric and compositionist are investigating the ways spatial and visual experiences are impacting our work as teachers and scholars.
Kimme Hea, Amy C. University of Arizona (2005). Resources>Education>Cultural Theory>Visual Rhetoric
#23882
Both spatial and visual rhetorics attend to issues of boundaries. From the structure of our classroom spaces to the margins of the page, rhetoric and compositionist are investigating the ways spatial and visual experiences are impacting our work as teachers and scholars.
Kimme Hea, Amy C. University of Arizona (2003). Academic>Courses>Visual Rhetoric
#31241
Anyone can relate the facts of an event, just like anyone can hold a camera up to a scene and document it. But bare facts and badly composed images make for poor communication. It takes skill and talent to write a good story, one that will inform and entertain. The same is true for photography. Images have always been storytellers. A good image can relay large amounts of data in a format that is pleasing and quickly absorbed by the viewer. That makes photos potentially more influential than a massive amount of words.
Salvo, Suzanne. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Graphic Design>Photography>Visual Rhetoric
#19189
Stuckness and Low Vision: How Technology and Socratic Classroom Dialogue Changed my Life
Gloria discusses her low-vision condition, the problems it poses in her life and work and the accommodation strategies she has developed.
Reece, Gloria A. Usability Interface (2003). Design>Usability>Accessibility>Visual
#14567
This course is designed to teach you to: recognize the variety and characteristics of styles of technical communication; adapt your writing style for different aims and audiences; revise efficiently and appropriately; and articulate reasons for revisions in your writing.
Dragga, Sam. Texas Tech University (2009). Articles>Information Design>Visual>Technical Writing
#23090
The Successes and Challenges of Visual Language
Discusses efforts to create manuals that rely entirely on pictures for communication.
Hofmann, Patrick. Intercom (2004). Design>Document Design>Graphic Design>Visual Rhetoric
#31198
Summer Internship @ Google, Inc.: Accessibility Experiences
This paper summarizes some of the major lessons learned about conducting usability tests with visually impaired participants while working as interns at Google, Inc. The lessons were in four major areas: (1) recruitment and scheduling, (2) preparing the usability lab for testing sessions, (3) using think-aloud protocol with screen readers, and (4) helping observers to get the most out of the test sessions.
Shaikh, A. Dawn and Philip Strain. Usability News (2007). Careers>Internships>Accessibility>Visual
#30156
Supra-Textual Design: The Visual Rhetoric of Whole Documents
Supra-textual design encompasses the global visual language of a document and operates in three modes: textual, spatial, and graphic. The rhetoric of supra-textual design includes structural functions that provide global organization and cohesion and stylistic functions that affect credibility, tone, emphasis, interest, and usability. Supra-textual rhetoric extends to other documents through conventional codes and through sets and series. Because writers may not control the end product of supra-textual design, intention may also be a rhetorical factor.
Kostelnick, Charles. Technical Communication Quarterly (1996). Articles>Document Design>Rhetoric>Visual Rhetoric
#18614
Surpassing Gutenberg--Access to Published Information for Blind Readers
We examine some surprising reasons to explain why electronic book publishing will become a versatile medium comprising 10% of all consumer book sales in the U.S. by 2005, estimated by Anderson Consulting at $2.3 billion. The Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) both pin this expectation on open standards--any book, anytime, anywhere, for anyone. Electronic books will succeed, we argue, in part because they provide communicative opportunities not available in traditional, static print media. But, they will also succeed because of developments in technology for blind readers which will benefit all readers regardless of ability or disability. As evidence we offer, among other points, Microsoft Corporation's licensing of technology developed to benefit blind people for use in Microsoft Reader and mainstream publishing applications. We demonstrate, further, that technology transfer from disability to mainstream use has solid historic precedent.
Sajka, Janina and George Kerscher. American Foundation for the Blind (2002). Design>Usability>Accessibility>Visual
#30159
A Systematic Approach to Visual Language in Business Communication
Although business communication relies heavily on the visual, current approaches to graphics and text design are prescriptive and unsystematic. A 12-cell schema of visual coding modes and levels provides a model for describing and evaluating business documents as flexible systems of visual language. Emphasizing clarity and objectivity, the 'information design' movement has generated guidelines for creating functional visual displays. However, visual language in business communication is seldom rhetorically 'neutral' and requires adaptation to the contextual variables of each document, a goal the writer can achieve by com bining visual and verbal planning in the same holistic process.
Kostelnick, Charles. JBC (1988). Articles>Business Communication>Document Design>Visual Rhetoric
#23089
Tabular Data: Finding the Best Format
Discusses the results of a study comparing several formats for displaying data in tables.
Tullis, Tom and Stan Fleischman. Intercom (2004). Design>Document Design>Visual Rhetoric>Charts and Graphs
#31102
It is now possible to replicate Google Maps' functionality with open source software and produce high-quality mapping applications tailored to your design goals. Paul Smith shows how.
Smith, Paul. List Apart, A (2008). Design>Web Design>Visual Rhetoric>Geography
#31658
Although we all know that the colors viewed on your computer's monitor are not accurate for print reproduction, your screen color is probably good enough to yield reasonably accurate colorblindness test results. We invite you now to test yourself for colorblindness on-line.
Copresco (2005). Resources>Accessibility>Visual>Color
