Katie
Feuerstein
Professor
MacVaugh
English
Composition II
28
April 2009
Visual Argument
I
chose to do my visual argument on puppy mills. The main reason this was my
choice is because I feel strongly about it since I have dogs of my own and
because I do not think enough people know about what a puppy mill really is and
how you or I come to acquire these poor puppies. This is why the main claim
focuses on where these puppies from and how you can shut down these inhumane
operations. I start off by informing my reader as to what the formal definition
is and then move to the visual truth. Right after I tell hem that there is a
way they can help, but I do not yet reveal how since many people have bought
their beloved pets from a pet store and refuse to accept the possibility that
their dog came from such a horrible place.
I
made my argument in the form of a website because when people hear the words
puppy mill they often do not know what they really are and turn to the internet
to inform them by using a search engine which could find my page.
I
am hoping my web page reaches people of all ages and walks of life. I want
people to know the truth and maybe try to help out any way they can. Of the
many people who are aware of puppy mills, I am hoping that they donate to the
link I have provided at the bottom of the page. Any money I receive will go
Prisoners of Greed. They are a non-profit organization that is in need of
supplies to aid in their quest to stop puppy mills. I do not think that my
audience needs to have a religious affiliation to have a heart. These are clear-cut
cases of animal neglect and no one can argue the visual truth.
The
design features I chose were simple and neutral. The canvas-like background and
the black and grey smoky border are intended to bring out feelings of
uncertainty and fear, like there is something dangerous behind the smoke. The
colors are a bit cold, but I added a bit of green in the bars that break the
page up. Green makes people feel rejuvenated, alive and full of
life. It brings to mind birth and nature and maybe even second chance, which is
what we want for these animals. The videos and photos I ended up leaving with
square edges because they are sharp and abrupt indicating seriousness.
I
made the text large and easy to read. It is also key that I did not write too
much. The text is not a novel and really gets the information across well. The
font color I used was black because it represents authority and power.
In
some of the photographs themselves there are captions available to explain what
the audience is actually viewing. Some of these photographs can be a bit
disturbing, but I find them necessary to the audience in order to get the whole
story.
At
the very end I give the viewers a chance to help financially by donating. I
explain where their money would be going and provide a link to what they money
would be going to buy. I chose to put this information in red because it is
separate from the argument itself. I also used smaller font to help with the
separation. Another reason why I chose to use red instead of black, like the
rest of the page, is because it draws the viewer to take a second look and
reconsider donating, if they already had not. Also red is considered the most
emotionally intense color. It stimulates faster heartbeat and breathing and
draws attention. This is the readers final opportunity to make a difference
before he or she leaves the page. Red allowed me to give the final “punch”
needed to close this argument and leave the audience thinking and hopefully
return or recommend the reading to someone else.
