VISUAL LITERACY

WHAT IS VISUAL
LITERACY?
Visual literacy is the ability to interpret, recognise,
appreciate and understand information
presented through visible actions, objects and
symbols. Visual literacy is the ability to
understand and interpret the visual world in
which we live today.
 FORMS OF VISUAL LITERACY
Visual literacy can take many
forms. The most popular
forms include:

· Films (full-length and short)·

Advertisements · Cartoons· Music videos·
Posters· Paintings· Sculptures·
Other forms of physical art
 HOW TO APPROACH IT
There are two phases through which you need to move while
engaging with visual literature: we call them inter-viewing and
post-viewing.
 INTER-VIEWING
‘Inter’ is the Latin word for between or among. While viewing visual literature,
you need to be constantly analysing and interpreting it. Thus, between your
viewing, you must engage with the text. When you first look at a text, ask
yourself the following questions:
1. What is this text about? The most important step in analysing a visual text is
figuring out what it is about. What joke is the cartoon making? What is the
poster trying to tell me? What is the advertisement advertising? What is
happening in the photo?
2. What can I see? Once you understand what the text is about, you need to
focus on the visual aspects. What elements are in the text? Are there
drawings or photographs? What colours (if any) are used? What takes up
the most space? Is there movement? What angle is used?
3. Is there writing?There is often writing in visual texts. But since the text is
meant to be visually stimulating, writing is often minimal and only the most
important words are put on the text. Focus on how the writing is presented.
What information does it give? Is it in bold? Is it easy to read?
 INTER-VIEWING

4. What stands out and why? Is there one element that stands out more than
others? What makes it stand out? Is it text in bold? Is it text in capital letters? Is
one visual element bigger or brighter than others? Is something underlined or
circled? Focus on what grabs your eye first and consider why it does.
5. What does this make me feel? Why? Visual texts, much like written texts,
have intentions and purposes. They usually try make viewers feel something or
think about a certain thing. Did the text make you laugh? What was funny about
it? Did it make you feel sad or guilty? What triggered that emotion? Try identify
the emotions you are feeling and focus on what triggered them.
VISUAL ASPECTS
You need to be aware of the following visual aspects and the impact that they
have on your viewing. Familiarise yourself with the table below.
 POST VIEWING
Now that you know how to approach a visual text while viewing it, you need to
consider what to do with after you have viewed it. This is where we start to
analyse and interpret visual texts. This is where critical thinking skills are both
used and developed. This post-viewing phase is very important in today’s
society. We are constantly glued to screens – we read online, watch movies
online, shop online, read news online, look at posters, cartoons and
advertisements online. We are a visual and technological generation. However,
we need to make sure we are prepared and armed with 21st century skills
needed to engage with the plethora of visual literacy thrown at us. Fake news
and manipulative advertising is a common occurrence in our society. Learning
how to analyse and interpret visual texts will help you sift the real from the fake
and also make you more critical of the visuals you encounter. This critical
viewing ability will allow you to judge things like cartoons and advertisements
for what they really are, allowing you to expose prejudice, bias, intentions and
assess the value of the texts you view.
 POST VIEWING
You need to become critically aware. The only way to do this is to practise and to train
your brain to think critically when viewing such visual texts. When you are thinking
about the visual text after you have completed the inter-viewing process, ask yourself
the following questions:
1.What is the message of the visual text? What is the text trying to say or tell me?
2.Whose perspective is it from? Is it one of the character’s? Is it from an outside
perspective? Is it from the advertiser’s or consumer’s?
3.Is there a stereotype in the text? Is this stereotype presented as good or bad? Is a
group of people represented in a stereotypical fashion? Does this text promote or put
down said group? How is the stereotype presented?
4.Is there bias? What is it? Is there a clear bias against someone or something? What is
it? Why does it exist? How is it presented in this text?
5.What words are used in the text? Do they affect my understanding or perception?Are
there any powerful words? What image do they conjure up? Do they make me feel a
certain way? Do they make me look at something differently?