Visual Communication: Effective Health Messages

Its quite crazy. Every morning I turn on the radio station and/or my local TV news, It seems health precautions and vaccine advertisements have completely dominated the old media. Hearing safety protocols repeat over and over through the car almost makes me feel as if were living in apocalyptic times. But it is in those very messages, the ones that instill a bit of fear in me, that inflict serious thought within me and allow me to double check my own cleanliness.

Similar to propaganda, you know media messages are effective when they make you question and/or make you change your ways of thinking and interacting. News stations, social media platforms, even billboard screens are used as a means of reaching as many people as possible, especially when it comes to reminding Americans to wash their hands, wear their masks, and stand 6 feet apart. It’s as if these words are plastered everywhere. Not only are the words important, but the images associated with them have been embedded into my brain.

While advertisement companies based their effectiveness on how much it appeals to the intended audience, I do believe that appeals to emotion are not always effective. I oh so vividly am thinking about this one specific vaccine advertisement that plays on the radio constantly. The ad consist of a voice of a teenager girl who is apparently hooked up to a ventilator, struggling to breathe. As we listen to her gasp for air, she says “I wish I got vaccinated. Tell my friends I love them, tell my friends to get vaccinated.”. While the ad does grab attention, many believe these kinds of vaccine ads are going way too far. I’m saddened that I cant seem to find the audio to embed here for you guys reading, but I bet if you listen to 97.1 or any other popular radio station, you might catch it within 30 minutes. The ad basically placed a teenage girl on her death bed , insinuating that not getting vaccinated will have you in similar circumstances.

As I am pro Vaccine, I’d do believe there should be limitations on these kinds of advertisements. However, its intriguing to think, would adding visuals to this advertisement have negatively or positively affected the reactions to it?

The Power of a Textbook: Deeper Into Social Studies

While working on the Map Assignment, I was super intrigued by the short clip included, where the committee emphasized the need for a new projection of the world map. It was almost shocking to me how easily tricked I was by the Mercator projection, not realizing that it was a distorted map made with imperialistic and eurocentric views. It had looked like something out of a middle school textbook, and that’s probably because it was. I was shocked at how children around the world could so easily be taught false information.

How strange is it that the creators behind our educational sources of history such as textbooks and world maps embody the power to skew which parts of history they want to, and take out what they don’t want to be seen? Why is it that our curriculum doesn’t tell the whole truth? Why teach children that Germany is the same size as the continent of Africa, when in fact, it’s not even close? I find it very interesting. I related this class exercise immediately to my other course where we discussed alternate viewpoints of history. This is just one reason why we see so many Americans lose faith in our education system.

As important as visuals are to American education, visuals can also be misleading. In a world where we depend of photos and images to simplify meaning for us, there is always a chance that these images may be steering us in the wrong direction. Start asking yourself, what is the background behind this photo or shot? What point of view is this taken from?

What are your thoughts?

Mid Semester Reflections

Reflecting on the past couple of months, I would definitely say college has gotten the best of me. Usually, when the semester comes around I’m prepared and ready to work, but this semester definitely isn’t like my past semesters at Brooklyn College. Going through mental health changes mid-semester only makes my commitment to school more difficult. However, I like this course because it’s one of the only courses I don’t feel overwhelmed in. The distance between major assignments works well for me, and the bi-weekly blog posts are interesting to read and keep up with.

I find the topics we learn about to be quite engaging. I actually had fun doing the storytelling design project, and class lectures actually make me want to pay full attention. Overall the subject matter is quite fulfilling. For anyone who is a Marketing or even Communications major, I think this course proves to be very beneficial. One form of communication is nonverbal communication, and in this case, exploring visual imagery expands my knowledge.

This blog post is quite short, but for anyone reading who finds themselves often overwhelmed and confused, please remember to take breaks. Also, acknowledge the fact that you don’t have to go through it alone or by yourself. Support systems help. Tremendously. Even if your system consists of one person. Holding it in only holds you back. Peace, Love, and good luck to everyone for the rest of their semester.

Visual Design

It’s no secret visual deisgn has a large impact on society’s long term relationship with sociological artifacts. Especially in terms of marketing, colors and images representative of platforms like Google, Apple, Twitter and more are highly identifiable because of such. However, it’s important platforms like these can make their designs accessible to all people. When it comes to designing for the visually impaired, its crucial that designs don’t inhibit visually impaired users, which can possibly take away from the importance of these designs.

Because people amongst the wide variation of visual disabilities can all perceive web pages differently, giving users the option to alter the presentation of specific content on their web pages can make a significant difference. Users can customize web features that include color contrast, text size, screen readings, speed , subtitles, and more.

I personally resonated with Graeme Fulton’s “Accessibility Basics: Designing for the Visual Impairment” article primarily because my father is visually impaired but depends on technology for the same reasons many able bodied people do. Having a screen reader is a great advancement that he takes good advantage of. I think its extremely important for visually impaired people around the world to be able to interpret/perceive visual messages on the web the right way, without struggle.

Photos from Birmingham

This weeks lesson has reminded me of the power photography embodies. Its ability to capture a single moment and turn it into something that will last forever. Photography can keep records for us, it can speak to us on a personal level and it serves its purpose of reminding us what used to be.

A striking image by Charles Moore - Birmingham 1963 during the Civil Right Movement.

The importance of these series of photos stands withing the fact that these images allowed white America to pay attention to what was really happening in the south. To say “Don’t turn the other way, look at this”. The images exposed the physical brutality and emotional distress Blacks were experiencing at the time, unraveling a harsh reality. A perfect way to document how characteristics of assertive dominance embody every white man depicted, while characteristics of inferiority and fear flood Blacks. Though pain can be shown through these images, resilience peaks through.

What do these photos mean today?

That question is up to you to answer. For me, these photos bring me to a time, only less than 2 years ago, where police brutality interrupted BLM protest in cities across the country. Where protesters were shoved, beat and arrested for supporting BLM and enacting their natural rights.

Unapologetically Me

Photo shot by me :)

For some reason my computer is telling me me “unapologetically” isn’t a word. But lately unapologetic seems to be one of the best words to describe myself. When you’ve grown up in a world where you’re afraid to mess up, afraid to ask questions, afraid to be yourself, there comes a point in time where you get tired of being submissive and you want to have control. Not control over anyone else just control over yourself and your actions.

Alexis Stewart here. I’ve grown up in small Long Island town that keeps everyone connected. I’m a Junior and Brooklyn College and pursuing a Communications Degree. I wish I had been on campus this semester, but most likely next semester I’ll be back at it. I’m interested in completing this course and taking it everything it has to offer.

Day to Day I invest my time into my business @Alexisonthebeat on Instagram. I’m a freelance Makeup Artist where I live and I’ve completely fallen in love with it. I’ve realized someday I’ll have to choose between taking my BA degree into the world to find a PR position for a company, or allow my part time hustle become my career path. There are many ways to grow a business. And I do believe continuing my education has given me even more insight into the world of beauty, fashion and marketing.

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HAPPINESS

“Something to do

Someone to Love

Something to Hope for.”

- words from Professor Karel Rose