Techniques Shape Visual Narratives
Visual techniques
Visual techniques are the deliberate design choices that shape how we experience a visual text.
- Just like diction and structure shape a written text, there are techniques that shape a visual one.
- Choices of visual techniques include:
- Layout: How elements are arranged on the page or screen.
- Typography: The style and size of text.
- Color: The use of color to create mood or highlight meaning.
- Panel Arrangement: In graphic novels, how panels are organized to control pacing.
- Stage Directions: In plays, instructions for actors' movements and positioning.
Visual techniques are not just decorative they guide your interpretation of the text.
Why Visual Techniques Matter
- Visual techniques do three key things:
- Direct Attention: A character in bright red against a grey background instantly stands out.
- Control Pacing: Fast scene cuts or tightly packed panels create urgency. Wide empty spaces slow things down.
- Mirror Meaning: A cracked mirror in a scene isn’t just decoration it might reflect a fractured identity or relationship.
- When you analyse visuals, you’re asking the same core question:
- Why did the creator make this choice and what does it do?
Layout
Layout
The spatial arrangement of elements on a page or screen. It guides the reader's eye and controls the flow of information.
Vocabulary to Describe Layout
| Centered | Marginalized |
|---|---|
| Foreground | Background |
| Symmetrical | Asymmetrical |
| Balanced | Unbalanced |
| Framed | Isolated |
| Cluttered | Minimal |
- In a magazine ad, the product could be placed at the center.
- This draws immediate attention, while supporting text is placed around it.
Typography
Typography
The style, size, and arrangement of text. Typography can convey tone and emphasize key ideas.
Vocabulary to Describe Typography
| Serif | Sans-Serif |
|---|---|
| Bold | Italic |
| Block capitals | Script font |
| Decorative | Clean |
| Large-scale | Small-scale |
In a horror movie poster, jagged, red letters create a sense of danger and urgency.
Color
Color
The use of color to influence emotion or signal meaning
High contrast / Muted tones / Saturated / Monochrome / Symbolic color use
"The use of high-contrast red and black mirrors the tension in the scene."
Panel Arrangement
Panel arrangement
The organization of panels in graphic novels or comics. Panel arrangement controls pacing and emphasizes key moments.
Vocabulary to Describe Panel Arrangement
| Wide panel | Close panel |
|---|---|
| Tight sequence | Fragmented sequence |
| Left-to-right flow | Non-linear sequence |
A single, large panel might be used to highlight a dramatic event, while a series of small panels can create a sense of rapid action.
Stage Directions (Drama)
Stage directions
Instructions in a play's script about actors' movements and positioning.
Vocabulary to Describe Stage Directions
| Crosses to | Retreats from |
|---|---|
| [Pause] | [Aside] |
| Proxemics (use of space) | Blocking (movement pattern) |
| Levels (standing/sitting) | Levels (height difference) |
Stage directions reveal character relationships and set the tone of a scene.
- The layout places the factory front and center, dominating the viewer’s field of vision and immediately framing it as the source of the problem.
- The monochromatic color scheme of greys and blacks creates a bleak, lifeless mood, while the bold, all-caps sans-serif headline “Breathe This In” feels harsh and confrontational.
- Together, these visual techniques create a sense of urgency and blame, positioning the factory as a direct threat to the viewer’s health.
Instead of saying "the colors are bright," specify "the use of vibrant reds and yellows creates a sense of urgency."
