Week 2 - Assignment

Why is visual literacy important

Michael Hurrigan

Victor Smolensky

CGD 218 Visual Literacy in Business

November 1st, 2021

The definition of Visual literacy varies from person to person, but it is something that most people experience daily. Even if they ignore the image, they will still see it or hear it. Visual literacy affects people differently depending on what the image is and what message it conveys. The following person could come across the same image and get something different from how I interpret something. This assignment will compare and contrast Kennedy's definition of visual literacy with the textbook's definition, discuss which definition I agree more with, cover why visual literacy is a universal language, and how visual literacy can impact communication and global understanding.

Kennedy (2010) believes that literacy is the ability to construct meaning out of images. Ryan (2012), on the other hand, defines visual literacy as "the competent creation and consumption of visual messages." The text also states, "according to Debes's definition, visual literacy involves critical thinking abilities, which help us understand and interpret what we see" (Ryan, 2012). These definitions agree that visual literacy is a critical thinking process that requires more than eyesight to understand.

I believe that the more accurate definition in today's word is Kennedy's out of the two definitions. In the ted talk, Kennedy (2010), states "It's the ability to construct meaning from images. It's not a skill; it uses skills as a toolbox. It's a form of critical thinking that enhances your intellectual capacity." I believe that to interpret different images in today's media. You have to use critical thinking. As an adult, there are ads that you understand the message they are sending, but as a child would not because they do not yet know how to use critical thinking. Kennedy's interpretation of visual literacy connects more with today's society because everyone uses social media sites like Instagram to get their information, and Instagram is all pictures and videos.

Visual literacy can be considered a universal language because visual literacy is a concept that describes the daily life of everyone. For instance, if we make a kissy face, we can draw a picture of it on paper or make a romantic gesture by holding a candle. Images can describe feelings and emotions. They can also show wonderful sights.

Advertisements are meant to connect with their audience, and specific topics can have a similar effect globally. For example, my grandmother died from breast cancer because she was a chain smoker, so when I see an ad for smoking cigarettes, it pulls on my emotion of hearing my mom pleading with her mom to quit smoking. That is something that people can connect with around the world because cigarettes are available globally. Visual literacy can impact communication and global understanding in a multitude of ways.

To conclude, visual literacy is essential and is part of everyone's day-to-day lives. Visual literacy can affect someone through video, graphics, music, and more. It is going to continue to become more prevalent in everyone's daily activities. Visual literacy is about being able to interpret and understand visual images. This paper compared and contrasted Kennedy's definition of visual literacy with the textbook's definition, discussing which purpose I agree more with, covering why visual literacy is a universal language, and how visual literacy can impact communication and global understanding.

Reference Page:

Ryan, W. (2012).  Visual literacy: learning to see  [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.uagc.edu/

 Kennedy, B. (n.d.). TEDxDartmouth - Brian Kennedy - Visual literacy: Why we ... Retrieved November 2, 2021, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E91fk6D0nwM.