Vocabulary for visual texts

Semiotics

The theory of how signs and symbols construct meaning.

Icon

An abstraction of the thing that it represents. It might resemble the thing it represents.

Symbol

An object that stands for a person, place, thing or idea.

Image and Words

Adding meaning to visual text by using them in combination. Similarly one can add meaning to a text by including a visual.

Tagline

A phrase of sentence that serves to clarify and idea or product.

Composition

How the subject of the image appears in relation to other objects and space.

Visual Narrative

How an image tells a story. The relationship of the subject to the other things and people in the visual text.

Colour and contrast

Used to construct meaning along with light, depth and focus in anaylsying a visual text.

Logos

Appeal to logic

Pathos

Appeal to emotion

Ethos

Ethical appeal

Trivialization of Sex

Sex is suggested as not serious.

Unrealistic depiction of 'beauty'

The depiction of women is simply unrealistic. Women appear abnormally skinning, or young.

Infantilism of women

Women behaving like children and appearing sexually aroused.

Eroticism of violence

Sending the message that women take sexual pleasure in being bullied, or beaten.

Commodification of sex

Once a person is objectified, then they can be bought, sold or consumed like a commodity.

Objectification of women

Treating the woman as an object.

Copy

Refers to the message or writing in a text (as opposed to the image), the letters on the page. It is a common term in the advertising world

Slogan

A memorable phrase or motto used in advertising, political campaigns, speeches or religious contexts. They express an idea succinctly.

Rules of Thirds

If an image were divided into a grid of nine equal parts, the subject of the image should not appear in the middle part. By decentralising the subject, the audience is drawn to the image. Important elements of the image should appear close to the lines of the grid.

Plain Folks

This argument suggest that you should do something in order to fit in with the normal crowd. If you can identify with an average person, and this average person buys a particular product, then you are more likely to buy this product as well. It is found in advertising and speeches.

Bandwagon Effect

This persuasion technique suggest that you should do something, because everyone else is doing it. It plays off the audience's fear of missing out.

Benefit

This technique is common in advertising, where advertisers present a product or experience as a solution to the audience's problems. Audiences may not be aware of their problem before reading the advertisement.

Appeal to Authority

When an argument is made that suggests that it must be correct because someone in power said it is correct. It is an argumentation fallacy, as it is not based on valid reasoning.

Double-entendre

Words in advertisements often have a double meaning.

Word-play or 'pun' often force audiences think, involving them longer with the advertisement and the brand.

Association

An argumentation technique. It is the act of suggesting that one thing, person or idea is associated with another thing, person or idea. For example, the text 'in God we trust' on US coins and the text 'God bless America' in presidential speeches suggest that the United States is associated with Christianity.

Metonymy

A form of figurative language in which something is referred to by something else that is associated with it. For example 'Hollywood' is often used to refer to any US made film.

Synecdoche

Afigure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa