Eng. 658 – Week 8 Blog 1

Richard Buchanan offers information in his "Design" essay that I had not pondered before. Up until now, I've thought of design as something we feel, something we do, something we learn as we go along--and some of us have this as a natural ability, and some of us don't. However, I see Buchanan's point that it should be possible to create a theory that explains how to go about designing a "thing" for any given purpose. But is it feasible to think we can distill art and inspiration into a step-by-step procedure?...

Richard Buchanan, in “Rhetoric, Humanism, and Design” (1995), asserts that design theory needs a re-thinking and a new conception of the discipline which incorporates a humanistic element along with the recognition of the inherent rhetorical nature of design thinking (228). Buchanan states, “The exploration of design is therefore, a contribution to the philosophy of culture in our time” (252), and he supports this view with a strong and extensive background view of design, its inherent rhetorical purposes, its uses in commerce and art, and its beginning in Aristotle’s day through to the industrial revolution and on into today’s post-modern world. Buchanan’s intent is to call for the creation of a concrete theory of design that can be utilized to put design theory into practice for lay persons and professionals. Buchanan’s fervent argument interests his audience of graduate students, scholars, artists, and instructors who are interested in the implications of design upon society.

Eng. 658 – Week 6 Blog 2

McCloud’s terrific comic stands out as a groundbreaking piece of theoretical imagery. His assumption and theory that we connect with cartoon characters because we can see ourselves in them versus life-like images within whom we cannot view ourselves seems revolutionary. To date, I have not heard of, although it may exist, a similar theory into this element of our psyche…

Scott McCloud, in “The Vocabulary of Comics” (1994), asserts the new historicist notion that if “who I am matters less, maybe what I say will matter more” (208). McCloud brilliantly supports his claim through an excellent and fascinating comic strip that utilizes McCloud himself as a cartoon character exploring the rhetorical discourse and rhetorical ramifications visual icons and cartoon characters have on their audiences. McCloud’s purpose is to educate his audience concerning the influence of rhetorical visual imagery and rhetorical writing in order to make his audience more critical thinkers. McCloud successfully connects with his audience of graduate students and scholars interested in the rhetorical uses of visual imagery.

Eng. 658 – Week 6 Blog 1

Ehses’ handling of the posters associated with Macbeth creatively lays a foundation for artists and visual designers of all types to study rhetoric and its influence on visual design in and out of the classroom...

Hanno H.J. Ehses, in “Representing Macbeth: A Case Study in Visual Rhetoric” (1989), suggests that “The creative process of finding appropriate design solutions to visual problems would become more accessible and more probable, and could be enriched if designers were more conscious of the underlying system of concept formation” (164). Ehses supports her claim by arguing that rhetoric is the “underlying system of concept formation,” and she bolsters her declaration through examining the principles of rhetoric as they pertain to images (i.e. metaphor, metonymy, personification, synecdoche, irony, etc.). Ehses’ intent is to inform readers of the value of understanding rhetoric in order to create images with more visual impact as well as to argue that visual design and rhetoric go hand-in-hand. Ehses establishes a trusting relationship with her audience of graduate students, instructors, and scholars through her clear mastery of rhetorical practices and by using Macbeth posters that clearly show design elements of visual rhetoric.

Eng. 658 - Week 5 Blog 3

Kenney's article (a joy to read), concise and clear, with numerous visual examples, defines and clarifies not only visual rhetoric but verbal rhetoric as well...

Keith Kenney, in “Building Visual Communication Theory by Borrowing from Rhetoric" (2002), lays the groundwork for the somewhat new discipline of visual communication theory that can be used by critics and scholars to understand the impact of visual rhetoric. Kenny masterfully supports his position through numerous examples of images; for example, the Tienanmen Square tank photo, that have acted in rhetorical ways upon society. Kenney’s purpose is to argue and create a communication theory that combines elements of verbal and visual rhetoric so as we may have a foundation to study the effects of visual rhetoric upon all of us. Through his well-conceived and clear understanding of the topic, along with a personable style, Kenny establishes an informal relationship with his audience of critics, scholars, instructors, and students interested in understanding the impact of visual rhetoric.