ENGL307T - Digital Writing

    As one of our final projects, we were asked to create an infographic on a topic that we have discussed in this class. I chose to make mine on visual rhetoric, because of how interesting I think it is to study how the specificities of what we see affect our thoughts, opinions and eventually, our actions. While this infographic only touches lightly on the four basic elements of visual rhetoric, it is only meant to introduce people to the topic of visual rhetoric.       It lays out the four elements:  1. Images 2. Type 3. Arrangement of space 4. Visual analysis      When you combine all of these elements, you are left with a digital design that will accurately display and deliver a specific message. Most times, this message is meant to be persuasive, or to encourage the viewer to act or think in a certain way. This can range all the way from an idea, to donating money to a cause. Either way, the designer is making decisions that all con...

          Because of how much content we are able to consume on a daily basis, I personally find it easy to forget about how much thought goes into how those things look and what those visuals may be swaying you to do. There are many different ways that visuals influence what information you trust, as well as what you do with that information. Visual influences can range all the way from an actual image, to the layout of the text you are reading. In many ways, what we trust is largely dependent on what is familiar to us. It's when we see something out of the ordinary that we stop and question the credibility. We consider the reason why something is out of place. This is the balance that designers of digital layouts must consider. They try to make their design interesting enough that people are willing to give it a chance, while also keeping it familiar enough to be widely trusted information.      In a book titled "Writing Spaces", the author...

          One of the main focuses this week in the content was on the power we have as a collective mind, rather than just as individuals. This idea was so impactful for me, because of the fact that for so long I believed that I could be fully sufficient forever without the help of anyone else. Luckily, I have learned that that is not the case, and that having support in your life is essential and necessary to add to the quality of your life. Despite the fact that I understood that concept in my in-person interactions, I neglected to carry this mindset over into the digital world of writing and interacting. I thought of the digital space as one that wasn't totally necessary and one that I could remain passive in without noticing a difference in my life. After reading chapter four of Rheingold's "Net Smart", I see that again, it is not about whether you can survive without it, but rather it is about what it can add to your life as well as what you could add ...

         In our first week of class, the focus of the content revolved heavily around the idea of attention. It focused on every aspect of attention: what we pay too much attention to, what we don't pay enough attention to, how our attention diverts without us even noticing, and how we can use our attention to better ourselves as humans in this "always on" world, where we are constantly consuming information, thanks to the digital universe at our fingertips.      In Rheingold's book, "Net Smart: How to Thrive Online", he dedicates the first two chapters to describing the power that lies in what we pay attention to, and how easily it has been manipulated to pay attention to things that aren't necessarily beneficial or effective for us as humans. According to Rheingold, one of biggest ways we can take control of our attention is to focus on our intention . Without intention in our surfing of the web, we are vulnerable to be caught in any and ev...