Special Topics Presentation

Above are just a few screengrabs from our Visual Literacy Special Topics Presentation. We created an interactive kiosk viewing with PowerPoint and 5 hands-on boxes that incorporated our theme of visuals versus written reports in relation to war.  Rather than rearrange the news articles, we retained a similar placement and font to provide viewers with the most authentic experience.  In other words, we tried to make articles appear as though we had cut them out and placed them on the side of the box.  Secondly, on some pages we included a collage of pictures, while others were of a single visual.  By creating a connected layout, with colors (red and black), and a similar frame (appearance of burnt paper), we created a basic theme that gives emphasis to the emotion of war.  We repeated the colors and layout on each of the five boxes, as well as the PowerPoint visual.

Evaluating Components: Connotation, Attributes, and Placement

Certainly the color choice of red and black signify war.  Our largest challenge was the amount of text that was required for our demonstration.  Additionally, the arrows at the bottom were sometimes overlooked by viewers.  The initial arrow may have been created slightly larger to gain viewers' attentions.   I like our theme and the background of burnt paper allows viewers to easily read the text and see the pictures.  Of course, the screengrabs do not justify the three-dimensional boxes, but the font was large enough to read since viewers held the boxes in their hands.  However there is a chart (not shown) on one particular box that may appear somewhat small.

Placement also presented challenges, as did cropping.  In presenting the overview of a journalist, we realized that cropping, editing photos, and even adjusting brightness may alter the theme or intentions of the original photographer.  Therefore, rather than over edit, we tried to simply arrange the visuals.  In the boxes, all text was formatted like that in newpapers (left).  This makes it easier to read, especially with considerable amounts of text.  I think our challenges were less about placement and attributes, and more about how much is too much information.  How many disturbing visuals create a presentation that is too emotional heavy?  On the other hand, do we cover the truth?  In this particular assignment,  our toughest challenge was to balance effective photographs with effective text.