Proposal: Visual Argument / Rhetorical Collage

[benmiller314]

Write a brief proposal for your visual rhetoric project. What idea or argument will you try to represent? What claim will you try to make – or, at least, what is the triggering idea (starting point) of that claim?

See the full range of thought-questions in the assignment prompt and/or in lesson 10 for brainstorming strategies.

NB: I am asking you to include a prospective assets list, i.e. a table of the images you think you'll need and where you might be able to source them. You can choose to include that assets list here or place it in your repository (whether as its own file or in the README), to more easily track changes as the list moves from prospective to actual assets.

Either way, please include a link here to your visual-argument repository, making it easier to find when we get to group work.

[paullewis2013]

https://github.com/paullewis2013/visual-argument-2022spring

For my visual argument, I'd like to do something about urban planning and make a case for how much we collectively sacrifice in our communities to support infrastructure for cars. There's a youtube channel I really like called not just bikes that focuses on how urban planning can be used to create much more livable and walkable communities and many of the solutions come down to reducing our dependence on cars. I've also recently read a book called The Geography of Nowhere by James Howard Kunstler that focuses on how our public spaces have become so unpleasant at the expense of cars.

I've included two possible ideas for what my collage may look like. I want to emulate the style of a PSA campaign because that will allow me to make the message more directly. Below is a prospective assets list.

Asset	Source
Car	creative commons
Oil texture	creative commons
Text	Generate on my own
Clean natural environment	creative commons
well planned Urban environment	creative commons
Freeway	creative commons
Polluted environment	creative commons

For creative commons sourced images I plan to search wikimedia commons, use advanced google searches with usage rights specified, or unsplash

[ellagrant]

I'm interested in creating a visual argument that explores themes of individualism and feeling helpless against the world. I've observed among people my age an intense sense of hopelessness for the future and an overall trend of nihilism, and I want to challenge that by encouraging people to think collectively. I have two rough ideas of how I want to display this visually, which I've included pictures of below. I like the first image because it subverts the left-to-right motion, almost as if the earth is rolling up the hill. My ideas are still being developed and the sketches I've included don't communicate a clear enough message, so I have to figure out a specific message and maybe make it pertain to a singular issue. However, I do want to incorporate some imagery of the Earth paired with people and play around with scale because I think it's a good visual display of my argument.

Asset	Solution
Earth	Source from CC
Stick figures	Source from CC
Incline image	Source from CC
Plain background	Probably self-generated
Text	Self-generated
Speech bubbles	Self-generated

[jennakupferschmid]

https://github.com/jennakupferschmid/visual-argument-2022spring

For my visual argument I want to focus on the effects that social media has on youth and mental health. I want to make the claim that the fake validation people get through social media and the Internet creates a cycle of addiction to social media itself. Therefore, a void is created within the lives of youth today because real life can never provide the frequency and quantity of validation that social media can. I have two ideas on how this could be visually portrayed. First, a women pictured on her bed crying with her phone in her hand while a social media "like" notification pops up. The second design pictures a women with her head in her knees crying as well while her phone eclipses most of the picture with notifications popping out of the phone simultaneously. The difference between the two pictures is the focus on the girl or phone. They are similar because I want the colors to be dull, other than the "like" notification and her tears in order to focus on this connection. Assets List:

Asset	Solution
Background color (wall of bedroom)	self-generated
Bed	CC
Girl	CC
Teardrops	CC
“Like” notification	CC
Text	self-generated
Phone	CC

[mknuth5]

Here's a link to the proposal:

https://github.com/mknuth5/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/Proposal.md

[andres-trujillo7]

Link to proposal:

https://github.com/andres-trujillo7/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/proposal.md

[aej37]

For my visual argument I would like to focus on the positive effects of turning to a plant based diet. I personally have been doing research into converting to a plant based diet by watching documentaries such as “What the Health” and “The Game Changers”. This type of diet would not only help people’s health but would also help with climate change. With my argument I would like to encourage people to look into a plant based diet and try it to see if it is right for them. For my idea I want to have a rainbow but inside there will be fruits and vegetables that match the color of it. I also want to have different animals such as cows and pigs roaming freely around the rainbow in a field. Then above or below the rainbow I want to have a catchy slogan about going plant based. I was also considering adding the benefits / statistics in clouds or a sun, but I didn’t add that in my drawing.

Asset | Source -- | -- Background of clear sky | CC Rainbow | CC Fruits and vegetables | CC Green field | CC Pigs | CC Cows | CC Slogan | self-generated

[19jinjinwu]

Proposal: https://github.com/19jinjinwu/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/README.md

[kaitlynmchugh]

Proposal: https://github.com/kaitlynmchugh/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/README.md

[glittaua]

Proposal: https://github.com/glittaua/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/README.md

[evankozierok]

I'd like for my visual argument to focus on the impact of gerrymandering in U.S. politics, potentially with a focus on Pennsylvanian gerrymandering but not for sure (there's gerrymandering around Philly, but I'm not super familiar with it and I'd like to remain accurate, factual, and politically neutral). I'm hoping to make a metaphor/pun with a sort of glass fracture pattern, showing how gerrymandering can "fracture" or perhaps "shatter" communities and prevent your vote from mattering nearly as much. I'd probably put this on a backdrop of a congressional map, perhaps PA's.

I do have a couple other plans since I'm not sure if the fracture thing will work. Another option that might not work would be to craft my own gerrymandered districts in the shape of an R and a D for the Republican/Democratic parties (they both do it!). My surefire "should work" idea is a more simple justice scale, with gerrymandered districts weighing down one end compared to more natural/fair districts. I think no matter what there will be a bit of a slogan (TBD) against gerrymandering, perhaps with some extra info/links (QR code maybe?)

This idea is less clearly-cut and well-envisioned than my audio project was (and if we're being honest, I don't think I'll have as much time to devote to it) so we're going to take a bit more of a "roll with it" attitude on this one and see what happens!

(Top Right: Glass fracture idea; Top Left: R/D districts; Bottom Left: Scale idea; ignore Bottom Right, I decided I didn't like that idea)

Asset list is assuming the glass fracture idea works... if not, it will obviously change significantly.

Asset	Source
Glass Fracture	CC etc.
Map of PA	CC etc.
Text	Generate in GIMP
QR Code	Generate on website and cite it
Red and Blue districts	Color in GIMP (overlay on glass fracture)

https://github.com/evankozierok/visual-argument-2022spring

[isabellebautista]

https://github.com/isabellebautista/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/README.md

[jsw64]

I would like my visual argument to promote the message of being quiet and being happy by yourself. It seems like nowadays everybody has an opinion about everything and people are always trying to find something to be negative about, and I want to go against that by promoting the idea of being content and tuning the noise out. For how I want to portray this idea, I wanted to have a crowd of people arguing and yelling amongst each other, with a large cloud of various text overflowing everywhere. In the middle of the crowd will be a lone person smiling to himself and looking at you from the image. As for text, I'm still thinking of what would be appropriate.

Asset	Solution
Background color	GIMP
Stick figures	Source from CC / Drawn
Text	self-generated
Speech bubbles	CC / Drawn

[amo104]

My visual argument will be convincing the audience of one simple idea: green onions make any meal better. Plainly, it's just true. However, aside from being a hill I would die on, I'm interested in using this project to explore how persuasion translates when there is nothing pressing within the contents; how do I convince people to care about a concept when the concept itself is not particularly important? My primary goal is to get viewers to remember my composition, and hopefully by remembering it will seep into their everyday consciousness. I have a few ideas for my design. One of the more notable ideas is replicating an ice cream advertisement, but instead of sprinkling on sprinkles, they're green onion slivers. Another idea is to take that concept of putting green onions on several unconventional foods (and maybe not-foods?) with text essentially saying they're good for any time. Lastly, I'm playing with the shape of the whole green onion and might try to transform it into some other object like a fishing rod with text saying how green onions = good eating. Below are sketches of the first and last ideas.	Assets	Solution
Green onion (whole)	CC or Self-Generated
Green onion (cut)	CC or Self-Generated
Text	Self-Generated (find a font online)
Hand	CC
Ice cream cone	CC
Fishing rod	CC
Cooked fish	CC

https://github.com/alocampo/visual-argument-2022spring

[KatelynKunzmann]

My Visual Argument Proposal: https://github.com/KatelynKunzmann/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/proposal.md

[ellsimm]

I propose to create an argument for the adoption of dogs over the purchasing of a "designer" or "puppy mill" dog. The inspiration for this design will come from a puppy store in Clearwater, Florida where I am from. They are known for their cute white fences and adorable puppies that you can come in and play with for free. I will be looking to incorporate their locally famous white fences inn my design as shown inn the sketch. However, little do many patrons know the horrors that lie in the behind the scenes of these types of shops. My family took in a "breeder dog" which is a highly desirable female dog that's life's purpose is to have as many puppies as possible in order to fill these stores. I hope to create a visual argument that makes patrons rethink supporting these types of institutions, and rather turn to the adoption route.

Assets	Source
Puppy face	CC
Fence Posts	Create
Text	Online font (create message myself
Background color	CC

https://github.com/ellsimm/visual-argument-2022spring

[kfm24]

I propose to create a visual that argues for prison reform. There are many sigmas that come with getting arrested, going to jail and having been in prison. This ad will (hopefully) draw attention to this topic and promote a change within the prison system. I want to call for stronger educational courses for inmates as well as programs to help inmates prepare for the outside world professionally and socially (if needed). I believe that the prison system is a toxic system that does not promote the bettering of people who have made mistakes but creates a cycle: if someone goes to prison once--they are bound to return eventually. I have been having some difficulties figuring out how to display this message visually so I would love any suggestions or constructive criticism on my drawings:

[elisewebb6]

https://github.com/elisewebb6/visual-argument-2022spring/blob/master/proposal

[Mapatterson379]

https://github.com/Mapatterson379/visual-argument-2022spring