Tuesday, September 16

RHETORIC :: audience receptivity



this chart shows a range of where people may be in their thinking relative to a certain idea or issue. if designers have an idea of where their audience lay on that chart, we can speak to them more effectively and specifically. to look at polar opposites on the chart, we should be saying different things to people who don't even want to vote (not ready to listen) than to people who are ready to go recruit new voters (advocates for the cause).

answer the following questions in the comments to this post:

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?

20 comments:

Kyle Huber said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Morgan Ashley Allen said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
the hispanic demographic is ready to know, but doesn't quite know all the facts. they understand that they are a sought after "swing-vote" demographic, but they don't know what that term means exactly. yes, their numbers could decide an election, but the more educated they are about their group and its relation to their nation the less they are apt to simply be called to the ballots and not the table when it comes to important issues.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
the family synecdoche along with the "american dream" phrase reshapes what notions they might have about their nation, their culture and what those two things combined means to them or the other demographic (I belong, I deserve/need to participate). and the pun that plays on the phrase "your house is my house" (which refers to their value of hospitality) is reshaped when "border" brings it back around to "home" and the reaching hands add the human metaphor to the choices we make.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
i used few to no political terms that they may shy away from or not be familiar with and used ideas that run deeper than voting alone, and speak mainly to acting or rethinking.

Ian Tirone said...

Where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
I think the Hispanic demographic, since our preliminary research shows that many of them wanted to vote (but since the majority of the Hispanic population was either too young during the last election or found the registration requirements/process confusing)would put them in the ready to know/knows the facts range. Since the Hispanics who wanted to vote were too you they probable know the facts or at least most of them, and the others were enthusiastic about it but didn't know how to do it.

How did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
The poster of the luchdor that parody's Uncle Sam appeals to the younger audience that wanted to vote in the last election but was unable to the simply message serves merely as a reminder to these eager young voters that he election is coming up and they must vote. The pun of the pinata's as the democratic and republican symbols reaches out to the demographic on multiple levels. It relates to their culture by employing a medium that is would be familiar and comforting to them, it relates to voting by taking the form of two icons that we would associate with that process, and the wording is a secondary pun which relates the fiesta to the political parties and hopefully builds confidence in those who found it stressful and confusing that voting could be a more lighthearted endevor.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
I don't think my demographic need too much explained to them, so the wording was kept simple and didn't treat them like babies, but rather remained mid ground to remind those who wanted to that it was time to vote, and to encourage those who tried to try again.

Genia said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
The African Americans range from ready to know to somewhere in between the "kno the facts" and "accepts ideas". While some of them are just starting to realize the importance of the election, some are already trying to find who to believe.They are not sure, however, if their vote matters don't see enough reasons why they should vote. One of the reason this demographic did not vote in the previous election is the voter registration issues. Many people think that voting is not worth the effort or were simply not interested.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
I used hyperbole in one of my posters to show that voting is not extremely complicated. Although there are problems in how everything is organized, it's possible to vote if you want to.
In the Michael Jordan poster I'm using parody that may create positive associations. "I'm not Michael Jordan, but I can make a difference too."

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
The African Americans know that voting is important, but they need a reason to do so. If this demographic was to become an advocate for the cause, the poster would focus on "spreading the word", rather than listening to what is said and looking around.

V whicky said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient? African American young adults really are ready to vote but need a boost to relate to them. also they need more of an idea of how voting works.
how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
The Synecdoche really relates to them because it was usually one person to represent a whole when there was a time of movement. An example being Martin Luther King. Showing this may have them reflect to the past.
I used the Hyperbole to related to the fact that America may be big but the persons voting is much bigger and will effect America over all. I wanted to get rid of the idea that most people have I.E. "my vote will not make a difference." To turn that phrase on top of its head by bringing out the size of the hand to make it the same size of America to really say that the vote counts no matter what.

V whicky said...

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?

I wanted to go deep into a persons feelings using fonts that relate to the culture as well as sort of slang but strong sayings. The idea was for them to relate and to be easy to read for a passer by but it would leave an impact.

meredith adams said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
I believe hispanic americans are ready to know. They were too young before this election— or their eyes were opened by the Bush administration and they're ready for change.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
My metaphor with the mariachi guitar and missing voters moves my viewers to the "knows the facts" part of the spectrum because it is informing them of facts and forcing them to realize the difference they can make. The citizenship paperwork poster has the same effect of informing.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
If my audience was not ready to know, I might have used humor and irony because I would want to grab their attention without shoving facts down their throat. I think that if they aren't ready to know, showing the facts would go in one metaphorical ear and out the other.

Ryan Shawgo said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
-The hispanic demographic would have to be ready-to-know or knows facts because they will do anything to get their family into america so that they too can have the same freedom that we get. I believe that one of the major issues is immigration laws and they probablly know that.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
-I used hyperbole in which could possibly move them up to knows facts because they are responsive to the certain issues that are spelled out for them and they will hopefully connect it with voting and the extreme contrast of how important these issues are compare with how easy it is to vote, and that THEIR vote is balanced on those issues.
how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
-I wanted to call out the most important issues that mattered to them in the vote so that it shows them that your vote is needed in order for these issues to be solved, and that THEIR vote does change things, just a small thing can change everything.

Kyle Huber said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kyle Huber said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?

I think the 18-25 year old white americans who are not in college are ready to know and know the facts but are just distracted by the things they are involved in or with. For example, I think most kids my age know that voting is important to our country, but they also have distractions such as computers, television, video games, etc that may out weigh their motivation to actually take the time to go and vote. They also have other responsibilities such as work that may seem more important than voting.


how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?

At first, I experimented a lot with parodies on "myspace" and realized that by using a play on words that I could catch my audiences attention and make them realize they are wasting their time on things that are less important in the long run. I ended up using HYPERBOLE to show an exaggeration in how important it is to be available to vote on november 4th. By cramming a bunch of names into the square on the calendar, I was dramatizing the demand for my demographic to request off to go vote. Obviously its not like they need the whole day off to go vote, but by showing a comparison of 10 names off for one day compared to next to no names for the rest of days off, I am making my point.

I also use IRONY to compare the images of televisions, game controllers, computers, etc to the words "rethink your priorities" because obviously these objects are all very important to my audience. My demographic is obsessed with the internet, watching tv, and playing video games. They often become priorities when school is not a factor of their daily lives. I think its ironic that these technological distractions can be more time consuming than the actual act of voting, but to many young americans, they don't care! I hope my message is a clear call to action though. They need to wake up and realize whats truely important and set these distractions down for long enough to go vote!

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?

If my audience was "not ready to know" I would have had to make a more blatant and less conceptual call to action that stated something boring like "GO VOTE. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT....etc." But since my audience knows deep down inside that they probably should go vote, I tried to target them by using subject matter they are very, very familiar with. Anyone who has a part time or full time job knows that there is a request off calendar and they can relate to my poster because of the message my trope creates. The poster not only says that voting day is on november 4th and that they should request off for it.. but it also gets them to think that, hey other people are doing it, I guess I should too! If my demographic was not ready to know then they would be unchanged by the message Im implementing.

I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO SUM IT UP IS TO SAY THAT: Im trying to get my audience to just take the time to go vote, not tell them why its so important (for they probably already know its "important"). Laziness and lack of motivation is their biggest excuse, so by pointing out how to re-prioritize their time, I think Im getting their attention!

alicia rosas said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
Agreed to the above comments, I think the Latino population falls under the ready to know/knows facts range. In my research there was something written about a majority of the population being too young to vote-- there's also a handful that have trouble registering or can't because of citizenship issues. I also read quite a bit about the community feeling as if their votes didn't matter, despite being aware of the issues at hand.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
The loteria game board is a parody and addresses the issue of risk involved when you choose not to participate, with the implication that voting can make a difference. The punched paper is a metaphor for transition-- also commenting on the idea of the election and having the right to make a choice as something worth celebrating, just as any other holiday or festivity.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
I tried to encourage voting by putting it at a level of importance that runs as deep as many of their cultural customs do, and attempted to bring up the issues that are being put at risk by not voting.

Josh Lambert said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
the mexican american demographic is ready to know. I believe they understand they are being targeted and even know some of the issues, but aren't as passionate or motivated to learn more.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
Both of my posters, having a touch of metonymy, remind them in an indexical way, of who they are and how america is theirs as well.
I believe showing a bull as us is a link to how a donkey represents democrats and an elephant represents republicans. Kind of a visual to help understand. In my poster with the skull, apple, and ballad, is a metonymy connecting them with their issue of education, hopefully pushing them to want to know the facts about this and knowing they can change it by voting.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
I used easy indexical items to represent certain things that they can relate to, as well as touching a subject that is more broad and everyone knows/ cares about.

Ramzy A. Masri said...

I have two audiences:
Arab Americans, and Mainstream Americans

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?

Arab Americans are well educated, typically, so I would say they are in the "knows facts" category. They are also a part of the culture and understand some of the otherwise more esoteric imagery I use on my posters.
Mainstream Americans are not ready to know. Hopefully, my posters will perturb them, but in a way that makes them rethink their cultural biases. Given the stereotypes surrounding Arab Americans, these posters serve to move them up the gradient, but some may only be offended by them and question their validity.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
In my "modesty" poster, I used a graphically simplified image of a traditionally veiled arabic woman. This image coupled with the anchoring typography creates antithesis, given the audience. Most Americans would see this image and think of the hijab as oppressive. The poster serves to clear up this common misconception. It also asserts the political strength of muslim women, an association that is antithetical to the way they are commonly viewed in society.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
Because Im dealing with a dual audience, or specifically designing for both, I tried to choose things that are esoteric, but through my work, educate others about the purpose of these icons of Arabic culture. .

gerg werk said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient? from what i understand, the mexican americans are somewhere in between 'ready to know' and 'know the facts'. this is because most of the people that were very interested either didn't know how, or they were too young.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum? a trope i chose for my immigration poster is a hyperbole. because the scissors are as big as land masses, it shows how quickly mexico can be cut off from the states. with their vote, they can either prevent this or accept it to happen. my second poster uses the tropes of allegory and parody. the illustration of the man resembles a stone cut figure, but i incorporated the concerns of mexican americans within the headdress. at one glance it looks like a one to one with the stone cut, but a further look will show details of concerns.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient? i wanted the impact of the posters to be about the image, so i tried to do really elaborate illustrations and montages. the type is secondary, only to infer what the image shows. i used images that seems to be important to the heritage of mexican americans (tradition and immigration)

Nik Smith said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?

i feel that hispanic american women of mexican descent are under the "ready to know" category but are in need of a push toward action because of the traditional thought and value placed on being non confrontational in public. there is a cultural struggle between strong ties to heritage and making new traditions that has really started to come to a head in recent years as so many hispanic women born in the us are coming to age and starting to shed a lot of 'old country' tradition for 'new country' invention.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?

the tropes i have employed (synechdoche/allegory; metaphor/parody) will move the viewer up because they are non agressive and comparitive with tradition. i explored issues that are very contemporary and identifiable with many americans of different heritages and backgrounds, but then used hispanic symbology that a mexican american audience could understand. it was through slightly esoteric imagery (yellow rose and religious candles)and an appeal to mexican "chisbah" (humor), I was able to convey a message that these women could really get and think about, then realize that voting is not an agressive thing, but an expression of thinking forward for the better of their families, a big tradition in their culture.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?

i framed my call to action in a way that played to my audience's closeness to tradition. i think that what makes their culture so rich also somewhat holds them back from the voting booth. maybe by showing that the two can coexist in a very logical manner, they will be influenced to vote.

Adam McBride said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
I think that today, the African American demographic knows their position in our political landscape. This election, especially, has triggered a strong response from the the African American audience both locally and globally. There has been a large increase in voter registration by the African American community, and many are expected to show up at the polls.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
The hip-hop rapper synechdoche targets my audience and adapts to the visual stimuli African Americans associate with. Also using metaphorical strategies to symbolize the problems with our economy and the need for equality give my audience a chance to understand the seriousness of this election and the issues that pertain.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
I used very direct concepts and imagery to draw in my audience's interest.

Corie Chambers said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?

I would put the Hispanics between the "not ready to know" and the "ready to know" points on the gradient. In the past, people in this demographic have not shown an interest in voting, or were too young to understand its importance.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?

In my first poster I used the trope of synecdoche by placing together an image of an older Hispanic woman and a very young Hispanic boy. This emphasizes the important role that voting has with youthful Hispanics who may be eligible to vote, but choose not to. This poster would move Hispanics up to the "accepts ideas" category on the gradient. The representation of an old memory is also present through the use of acetone transferred photographs.
The second poster is making use of the trope pun. In place of the traditional ballot box, the pinata is being used. Metaphorically, the ballot box is being stuffed with votes rather than candy. The crafty appearance is in reference to the paper mache method of pinata making and the gluing of tissue paper. This poster would also move the audience's receptivity toward the "accepts ideas" point on the gradient.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?

By focusing on two meaningful aspects of the Hispanic culture, it encourages this demographic to place voting in a category where it is just as important as keeping their family heritage and the act of celebration.

Greg Gentry said...

Where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?
I feel that Japanese Americans fall under the category of knowing the facts and are not quite sure why or how to accept these ideas. They know they are becoming apart of the US through generations after generations and adapting to the culture of american life styles. They are a large group and i feel they haven't accepted the fact of how powerful all of their voices are and how much of an impact they can make on this country.

How did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?
I really think my parody of the great wave really puts into perspective of how many people they are strong and how strong they can be come as a whole by "gathering" and voting. The power of this wave is equal to the power they hold in their choice to vote. The go game metonymy/ metaphor hits the head of every japanese american by saying "think about it, and vote" Knowing that they have to make a choice and being apart of the campaign and being players in this game of politics, everyone counts and it all comes down to strategy. Much like the go game, and playing off the word go and saying go vote has a deeper layer of meaning that is inspiring japanese americans to get out and play around with being part of politics.

how did you frame your call to action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
I used very recognizable imagery from japanese culture and played off the meaning behind them to grab the viewer by attracting them and them making them feel apart of something important and great to where they can get feel good and involved when voting.

Laura Berglund said...

where is your audience on this receptivity gradient?

I guess I am a little confused as to where my demographic falls on the receptivity gradient. To me, it seems that we can't really generalize an entire group of people to one point on the scale, because obviously there are hispanic americans out there who really hate voting and don't care about it at all, and yet there are also those out there who are completely stoked for the voting cause and want to help out a lot. So... where do they fall? Really, over the entire thing. But as I was reading some previous posts, it looks like everyone else just addressed the majority of their demographic, which is what we are supposed to do? If that's the case, then I feel that they would fall in the ready to know, yet naive of facts category. In my research I noticed that there was a large percentage of younger voters, who couldn't vote or didn't know how because of age. So if they were informed of the process or the candidates, then perhaps they would move up the scale.

how did the specific rhetorical tropes you employed move your viewer up the continuum?

By showing some of the issues being addressed in the election, and showing them that they have the option to sway how the results turn out. Calling out family, education, heritage, freedom, etc. It illuminates what the election is about, and hopefully makes them want to look into it further so they make make their own decisions.

how did you frame your call-to-action differently than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?

I think mine work well for people who care about voting, whether they know all the facts or not. I think that my posters would not work well for someone who was not ready to know, since the motivation lies in the issues at hand, and the ability to change them, or retain them. If they weren't ready to know and didn't care about voting, then they wouldn't see my images as relevant, or just as a joke.

M A T T U R L A U B said...

Ok im going to concur with laura.. it seems like a gradient of people inside a receptivity gradient.. right? but I realized that not many people were concerned about voting because there interests lied else where.. mainly in immigration. so im going to say not ready to know.

So in my employing a trope I really wanted to keep immigration in mind to help persuade hispanics with something that is more concerning. I chose a metaphor of the monarch butterfly that migrates every year from north america to mexico.. I tried the metaphor to a mariachi band that was creating music and using there voice to make change or move. I think at first its not super impacting but one you realize how free butterflies travel it brakes it down to being fundamental.

how did you frame your call-to-action diff. than if your audience was plotted at a different point on the gradient?
I really tried making it very representative of there culture and style..(wood block style figures, Mexican blanket) so it were draw them in to begin with.. then they would be able to understand the circumstances at hand. im actually starting to think mine might be a little too light hearted or goofy right now. its just not really saying the same thing when the main concern in voting is immigration.