Chapter 8. Arga slide activity sample 8

Introduction

Arga slide activity sample 8
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Author

Cheryl E. Ball, Illinois State University and Kristin L. Arola, Washington State University

Activity Objective:

In this tutorial, you will explore how visuals are designed to appeal to different audiences.

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Audience: Define

Photo of a large audience
© Corbis/Bettmann

The first definition of audience fits the group you see here—people gathered to watch a performance, like a movie, a football game, a play, or a political speech.

Audience: Define

Photo of a large audience
© Corbis/Bettmann

Less public, or less performed, texts—e-mails, diaries, advertisements, novels—have an audience too, even if the audience will never be gathered together in one place.

Audience: Define

Photo of a large audience
© Corbis/Bettmann

Writers and designers must always think about their audience when creating a text so that the communication they intend to make will be effective. It is easy to say when we write something creative or funny that it doesn't have an audience—or that we are its only audience. But this is seldom true, even for texts we read and compose in our classes.

Audience: Define

Black-and-white photo of a woman peeking through window blinds
Courtesy Mandie Rose Danielski

The choice of black-and-white photography is often associated with serious, artistic images and an audience of people who appreciate serious, artistic texts.

Audience: Define

Close-up of a woman peeking through window blinds
Courtesy Mandie Rose Danielski

Visual theorists have noted that when we look at images, we tend to try to see or look at what the subject is looking at—to share their visual sight line. So we want to join this woman as an audience, but we are also voyeurs, peeking at her the same way she's peeking through the blinds.

Audience: Define

Colorized photo of a woman peeking through window blinds
Courtesy Mandie Rose Danielski

Do you think this would have a different audience if it were in color? Why or why not?

Audience: Define

Black-and-white photo of a woman peeking through window blinds. The photographer’s name, Mandie Danielski, appears at the bottom with the title, Self in Waiting.
Courtesy Mandie Rose Danielski

When you know the title of this text, does it change your understanding of its audience?

Audience: Define

Black-and-white photo of woman peeking through window blinds. The title at the bottom reads, “Sara waits for nightfall to make her break for freedom.”
Courtesy Mandie Rose Danielski

How would your understanding of its audience change if the title were, "Sara waits for nightfall to make her break for freedom"?

Audience: Analyze

Three posters by the WPA
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was an unprecedented relief measure to offer work to the unemployed on highway, education, art, and public programs. The WPA gave unemployed artists the opportunity to decorate public buildings. Hundreds of posters were also created to publicize health and safety, education, and community programs.

Audience: Analyze

Three posters by the WPA
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

These posters were all aimed at the general public, but we can also identify more specific audiences for individual posters.

Audience: Analyze

WPA poster. The equation “6 + 8” is at the top in large font, with six animated penguins in neat rows of two below the numeral 6 facing 8 matching penguins below the numeral 8.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

The engaging colors and graphics in this image turn math into something fun. It might be aimed at an audience of educators, or at people who might join the cause of the WPA—6 + 8 is a greater number in sum than either number is alone.

Audience: Analyze

WPA poster. The sentence at the top reads, “John is not really dull he may only need his eyes examined,” in the style of an eye chart. Below is a drawing of a young student reading with his female instructor as she holds a piece of paper up to his eyes.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

This poster has a clear message—get the struggling child (the “dull” one) straight to an optometrist. The audience for this poster is probably educators or parents.

Audience: Analyze

WPA poster. The phrase “FORGING AHEAD” is prominently placed in capital letters at the top, above a statuesque rendering of a blacksmith holding a sickle high above his head, ready to strike the iron he is holding in tongs below. The group’s full name, Works Progress Administration, is listed at the bottom.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

This poster promotes the progress and sense of purpose made possible by the WPA. The iconic blacksmith makes this poster feel like propaganda (reminiscent of the Soviet hammer and sickle or Chairman Mao’s red sun). The primary audience is the general public, as well as politicians and WPA administrators.

Audience: Respond

Color photo of a blonde woman walking past three men on a city street. The photo is taken from behind the woman as the three men walk toward the camera, showing the facial expressions of the men. The men are all smiling and looking at the woman as they walk past. The woman’s face is not visible.
Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Work through the following questions to use the concept of audience to analyze this photograph by Lauren Greenfield called “Sara, 19,” which is part of a larger body of work titled “Girl Culture.”

Audience: Respond

Color photo of a blonde woman walking past three men on a city street. The photo is taken from behind the woman as the three men walk toward the camera, showing the facial expressions of the men. The men are all smiling and looking at the woman as they walk past. The woman’s face is not visible.
Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Use the space below to answer the following question.

Question

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Your response has been provisionally accepted and will be graded by your instructor.

Audience: Respond

Color photo of a blonde woman walking past three men on a city street. The photo is taken from behind the woman as the three men walk toward the camera, showing the facial expressions of the men. The men are all smiling and looking at the woman as they walk past. The woman’s face is not visible.
Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Use the space below to answer the following question.

Question

JRDXl6wdbW3aPhZ51r/KMtarIcnpMx4b6QEjelpAYbLHmjFOe5hmOYooXMpBk84KIDmE9a2Y8AOysKld7ipxPvwXwQ8qTzmlUctHS4H+k1hUkk2Bay+FVIoknEOXNuPUQ7Cff4jr0CazCPrm2chQ/sxrw5AKRzTlyw+mROBlZC9AWEYpFQbE48td2e0i8m4HL032xmy+G6OOY9WcPKghIsjcQTdiQJhECy6XKsdivlqqulGIAT/ypJy5pMBGL4xgVO9wby0sbaapuYpXGubHA7DUdQyJNKrIOzKoPw0oIRHWtuXbkVNR/ENM0qDoHdYu
Your response has been provisionally accepted and will be graded by your instructor.

Audience: Respond

Color photo of a blonde woman walking past three men on a city street. The photo is taken from behind the woman as the three men walk toward the camera, showing the facial expressions of the men. The men are all smiling and looking at the woman as they walk past. The woman’s face is not visible.
Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Use the space below to answer the following question.

Question

53oGrhBNj9M32227ZHkiC5kFZ7SV4de1oXwaL9wReAY3qp+iFHyaGmWsqUJNraKvkQji0QqZueYUeA6FGTriC5fdrhZbhk2d90N6rpH9xIbicOxeo1QRGb9/gvW/qtNTI2xcO7CdYwKfpShb+H36DhocMJAafyolWF61GDJNO/+sMaz/5Y8mYZloER+rT+uYZr4QERjYofkmpdofJz4+1ugSp8ZWaWxsqVZTMvqxcssz/gO1d1UlPM3WMpyUGQjQoPvaqcSUZbVWD5NK/4Zfl2ip7sdtPgTrIhEAIxKNtC7lrmvYN23Kxw==
Your response has been provisionally accepted and will be graded by your instructor.

Audience: Respond

Color photo of a blonde woman walking past three men on a city street. The photo is taken from behind the woman as the three men walk toward the camera, showing the facial expressions of the men. The men are all smiling and looking at the woman as they walk past. The woman’s face is not visible.
Lauren Greenfield/INSTITUTE

Use the space below to answer the following question.

Question

2itafd3lBWZqwwS9lP/hnBNLLNLvP4OG3ebWKfGg+SbjkCyByFyAyslcoMfE1tZ2SWFxK5s6WWOnGWez+SU30fV9I8cyKe7x7GvJCFVYiMOWVv4yLC+izNNkkxzxmpdtaUFwMzZPhxWMC2a0SAApOyNs03vHvxJwMThVolKtTH50y0gj
Your response has been provisionally accepted and will be graded by your instructor.

Congratulations! You have completed this activity.

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