What is Visual Literacy?

            What is visual literacy? Well, it could depend on who you ask as it can be described in many ways. Yet, the common idea of visual literacy is comprehension of vision or images. This essay will look into the commonalities and differences of two definitions of visual literacy; that of Brian Kennedy of Dartmouth College, and of William Ryan of the University of Oregon. The essay will also go on to explain how visual literacy is universal and how it can impact communication and global understanding. Through this discussion it will be discovered that, no matter the specific definition, visual literacy is important to our daily lives.

            William Ryan wrote the CGD218 course text, Visual Literacy: Learning to See (2012), in it he describes the definition of visual literacy as “the competent creation and consumption of visual messages” (p.5, para.4). In Brian Kennedy’s video clip on YouTube, he goes on to describe visual literacy as the “ability to construct meaning from images . . . [it is a] form of critical thinking that enhances your intellectual capacity” (Dartmouth, 2010). Basically, these two definitions can be broken down to mean the same thing, using cognitive thought to understand visual elements. Although their requirements of how use visual literacy do differ slightly.

            Ryan describes the visual literacy process as requiring “sight. . . attention, perception, critical thinking, evaluation, and synthesis with other sensory information and experiences” (2012, p. 5, para. 4). Kennedy describes the process a little differently with a step by step guide to “look, see, describe, analyze, and interpret” (Dartmouth, 2010). While these two processes are similar on some levels, Ryan mentions the amalgamation of previous information or experience, while Kennedy leaves it open to the mind to interpret an understanding without requiring previous experience.

            Kennedy also states that visual literacy is universal. This is true in some ways more than others. If a person was to put up an index finger and a middle finger in a V shape, this would be a visual gesture; in North America this gesture would be perceived to mean ‘peace’, yet in Australia, if this gesture is made with the palm facing toward the body, it would be equivalent to making a gesture of just the middle figure in North America (Vacation Ideas, 2010). Yet, when it comes to other types of visual elements, many things can be universally interpreted, such as art. For example, the most famous artists are from all over the world, Monet from France, Picasso from Spain, van Gogh from Holland, Donatello and da Vinci from Italy, yet their artwork is still comprehendible in America. If they had written books instead of painting pictures, we may have gotten the interpretations wrong with words or phrases being lost in translation, yet the pictures can be understood by anyone through visual literacy.

            Visual literacy has a profound impact on communication; as the saying goes a picture is worth a thousand words. Although, the phrase is not just limited to pictures; it can be used for any visual element that one analyzes. One example would be for international companies; they can use visual elements on their corporate webpage, or other forms of communication to help aid the understanding of the translation of the written language. Another example could be assembling a product built in another country. Say a person buys a desk that was built in China; the box only includes a manual written in Chinese. Unless this person is fluent in Chinese, chances are he is not going to understand a single word of the manual. Yet, if the manual also includes pictures of the step by step process, there no longer becomes a need to understand the words.

            It is clear that visual literacy is a very important part of our daily lives. We use it in so many different ways to understand the many visual elements that we come into contact with every day. As with reading, writing, and critical thinking, the more one practices taking the time to “look, see, describe, analyze, and interpret” (Dartmouth, 2010), the easier it becomes to do without a conscious effort. If we open our eyes and really use our cognitive thought to interpret the things that we see, we can learn so much more about the world that we live in.

 

References

Dartmouth. (2010, April 17). TedxDartmouth – Brian Kennedy: Visual Literacy: Why We Need It! – 4/17/10 [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?V=OefLEpds5Is.

Ryan, W. (2012). Visual Literacy: Learning to See. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Vacation Ideas. (2010). Gestures That Are Offensive In Other Countries. Retrieved from http://www.vacationideas.me/travel-tips/gestures-that-are-offesive-in-other-countries/