The Visual Rhetoric of Instagram

"Appropriate Metaphors"

Have students create "visual metphors" wherein they experiment with how visual messages are perceived by an audience. Begin by having students choose a piece of text that they would like to represent visually. Does the choice of color, subject or line alter how an audience perceives the message? Is the inclusion of text necessary to create an effective metaphor? If text is included, how do the visuals constrain or afford the audience particular interpretations?

"Inappropriate" Metaphors

As a follow up activity, and as a way to further emphsize the power of visual choices, have students create "innapropriate" metaphors. In this activity, the composer will intentionality choose text or visuals that confuse or obscure the message that the student created in the first assignment. Do certain fonts, colors or images obscure the message?