Write a thoughtful, well-organized 2-4 page memo describing and defending the
rhetorical choices you made in creating your visual argument. (Consult your first essay
for remember the format for a memo). Use these headings:
• Purpose, Audience and Context: What is the purpose of your argument? Who is
your audience? What’s their attitude toward the claims or your argument? What’s
their level of knowledge about your claims? What are their values in regard to this
issue? What’s important to them? Where will they encounter your argument and
what will that context be like? (Will they be hurriedly passing your poster in the
Union? Will they be forced to watch your Power Point in a classroom?) What
particular challenges does this audience, purpose or context present?
• Rhetorical Strategies: How have you created logical or emotional appeals
appropriate for this particular audience? What did you do to establish your own
credibility? What have you done to gain and hold audience attention in a public
space?
• Visual Strategies: Why did you choose these particular images (photos, drawings,
charts, graphs, etc)? Why are they effective for this audience, purpose and context?
Why did you choose the words of your written text, the font and the font size? What
color choices did you make and why did you make them? How did you create
visual coherence, salience and impact? How did you create a well-organized text?
(You can consult Ch. 16 of Writing Public Lives for more information on these
topics)
