UNDERSTANDING VISUAL TEXTS

What is Visual Literacy?

Visual Literacy is the ability to interpret,
use, appreciate, and create images and
video using both conventional and 21st
century media in ways that advance critical
thinking, decision making, communication,
and learning.

Visual Texts
Texts that are created using still or
moving images
May or may not contain words
Television, film, radio, advertising,
billboards, the Internet, computer
games and programs, art works such
as paintings, drawings, sculptures,
architecture, book covers,
illustrations

How to interpret visual

texts?

We need to first identify the different

elements that make up the text.
These include:

Colour
Images photographs, drawings
Words includes title, headlines, captions
Typographical features - type of font, font size
Layout spatial arrangement of different
elements in a text

What does
this image
show?
-Concept/idea
-Desire to show
unity between
young & old
-Unity between
different races in
buying the United
Colors of
Benettons
products.

What does
this image
show?

-An action
Ex-offender trying to
remove the label
from his back
-Stereotype
tattooed people are
offenders

More on images
Angles looking down vs looking up
Looking down at someone conveys a
sense of power or control
Looking up at a person or object can
make us feel vulnerable

Framing determines amount of

information given to viewers
Close-up shot closer social relation,
lesser details
Long shot distant relation, more details

Framing

NDP poster
- Long shot more details
- Focus on people in Singapore

Framing

Election poster in 2006

- Close-up shot of Lee Hsieng Leong
- Focus on voting for him

Words (Includes titles, headlines,

captions)
Who is the target audience when
something is said?
Why are certain words used over
others?
What information is being conveyed
in words?
Literal, Inferential, Evaluative
understanding of words in text

NEA Poster
-How are the words
being transposed with
the image in the poster?
-Why do you think the
words Just Bin it was
used in this poster?
What effect is this
intended on the viewer?

Words (Includes titles, headlines,

captions)
Title main topic of the poster
Headline main statement that
tells the main message of the poster
; usually the text in the largest and
boldest font
Captions It is the typed text
under photographs explaining the
image and usually in one sentence

Typographical features - font

type and size
Are the fonts in capital letters or non-capitalised
letters?
Are some words intentionally larger or smaller for any
reason? Why?
Usually determines the reading paths of the
reader/viewer.
Reader/viewer will tend to be attracted to the larger fonts
used in the text.
Usually for words that are meant for emphasis.

- What are the words

that are meant to
capture viewers
attention first?
- What is the next
thing that captures
your attention?
- With regards to the
typographical
features, why do you
think the poster is
created as such?

Layout
Placement of elements in text can influence
the meaning of the image.
Types of placement:
Top/bottom top contains the attentiongrabber; bottom contains new information
Left/right left side contains information that is
understood; right side presents new information

Note: not all of these codes apply to every

image images are shaped according to
purpose and effect their creators wish to
achieve.

Top/bottom
Top attentiongrabber (Visual +
words)
Bottom more
information about
the deal that
McDonalds is
offering

 Left side
reported
natural
disasters in
the country
Right side
information
about the
services
they are
providing

Remember
this?
Advertorial by
Watsons
Study the
placement of the
image with the
products that
Watsons is trying
to sell. Notice
that the
testimonies of
the experts are
placed before the
products they are
selling.
Why do you think
the layout is as

Recap
Different elements of visual texts:
Images
(Colour)
words includes title, headlines, captions
Typographical features - type of font, font
size
Layout spatial arrangement of different
elements in a text