One of the first things you’ll want to do when analyzing a static (or still) image is to determine what kind of image it is. Certain types of images do certain work and should be used for specific purposes. Consider the images in the chart below. The genre of each example is given along with a common use for each type of image.

Think about an image you see every day—perhaps a billboard or subway map you see on your way to work or class. What type of image is it? What does it mean to you? How might it work differently—or not work at all—if it were a different type of image?

Take a look at Figure 4-1, an image included in a set of instructions for applying women’s hair dye. The image is a sketch, meant to represent any woman who might use the hair dye. If a photograph of a particular woman were used instead, viewers who look nothing like her might not be able to relate to her. But by using a sketch with generic features, the manufacturers are inviting all prospective users to imagine themselves following the instructions and using the hair dye carefully.