Visual Analysis Practice

Log into canvas, go to Collaborations, and click the Visual Analysis Practice collaboration for your group. If you don’t have one, you probably have not authenticated your google email address.

Groups 1, 3, 5, and 7

In groups of three or four, analyze this image by responding to the following questions:

  1. What is the historical or cultural background the audience must have to understand the argument being made in the image? Who is the target audience for this image, given the context?
  2. What aspect of this image provokes an emotion? How does it provoke this emotion, and what emotion does it provoke?
  3. What sort of behavior does this image inspire? Does it want you to do something? To believe something? Buy something? Support a cause or organization?  Vote a certain way? Donate money? Become more conscious or aware of a problem?
  4. What is the interpretation that ties the affect or emotion to the desired behavior? What must you believe for the emotion to move you to the behavior?
  5.  Are there any ideas or symbols that will likely resonate with a certain segment of a population in a particular way?

Groups 2, 4, and 6

In groups of three or four, analyze the image on the first page of this pdf by responding to the following questions:

  1. What is the historical or cultural background the audience must have to understand the argument being made in the image? Who is the target audience for this image, given the context?
  2. What aspect of this image provokes an emotion? How does it provoke this emotion, and what emotion does it provoke?
  3. What sort of behavior does this image inspire? Does it want you to do something? To believe something? Buy something? Support a cause or organization?  Vote a certain way? Donate money? Become more conscious or aware of a problem?
  4. What is the interpretation that ties the affect or emotion to the desired behavior? What must you believe for the emotion to move you to the behavior?
  5.  Are there any ideas or symbols that will likely resonate with a certain segment of a population in a particular way?

Go over your thoughts together, then take a peek at what two students did with these ads a few years ago.