Rhetorical Analysis of an Image Depicting Redundancy Principle
(Reflection at bottom of post.)
On September 16, 2011, the first annual “National Tradesman Day” was launched to celebrate and recognize professional tradesmen as the “bedrock of America.” Irwin Tools, the manufacturer that gave us Vise-Grip pliers, among many other professional tools, dedicated the third Friday in September as a time to honor the men and women who build America and keep our country running strong.
The above image was lifted from the homepage of the National Tradesmen Day website. The backdrop is a scuffed metal plate riveted to the page. On the left, the logo and title seem as a decal adhered to the plate. The words “To all the TRADESMEN” are stationary, saluting the people of various crafts as action pictures automatically cycle through the wear-and tear of the background. Through iconic scenes and limited script, these images showcase our dependence on skilled craftsmen to evoke connection with the people who make our lives comfortable. The rhetoric of these images appeal to the broadest of audiences: consumers recognize Irwin’s trademark colors and font, craftsmen gain a sense of pride through exhibition, and highlights of structural and mechanical processes that subliminally affect each one of us every day resonate on an emotional level with the entire population.
As a mason and builder, I appreciate this particular slide of a laborer cutting bricks on a residential construction site. Experience alone draws me into this scene – I’ve been there! Yet, for those who cannot fully identify with the task of building a house, the artistic form of this image accomplishes personal connection through the effective use of design principles. Viewers are stimulated by visual triggers as well as verbal queues to link the message to sentiment and cognition.
Contrasting colors and textures intrigue our imagination. Here, Irwin’s trademark blue and yellow dominate the text to remind us of the sponsor. The scratches and scuffs on the metal plate fall back to enunciate the text and cause the image itself to glow with definition. Contrast in perspective is also achieved through the camera angle by the proportions of the image contents: the individual bricks in the foreground make the entirety of the structure behind.
Alignment satisfies our sense of order. The decal with the main message perfectly centered is placed on the left, where we are in the habit of looking first for words. The text in the image is justified to the left and right to accommodate the picture. Beyond alignment, I also see deliberate orphaning as a means of transmitting subconscious emphasis: “Tradesmen… who give us a place.” Home and house are not synonymous, yet we often confuse the two; tradesmen build houses to give us the place where homes and memories are made. This subtle placement of words conveys the importance of a builder’s talent beyond that of simply making shelters to a level of metaphysical service.
Repetition fosters familiarity. Irwin’s colors and font style are maintained across the image for uniformity, but also for identification. The word “tradesmen” appears three times in different forms to permeate the context in our minds.
Proximity principles give this image a sense of dimension. The decal on the left appears to be affixed to the metal plate which defines the physical presence of this plaque. The superimposed text over the image floats on the surface, and while the image itself is just a glimpse of a much bigger picture, it floods the blanks spaces between the words.
The placement of the text directly on the image promotes contiguity by allowing the viewer to absorb the message peripherally. Although construction sites are extremely busy with visual stimulation, this image presents no extraneous or superfluous details that distract from its message; the photograph taped to the upper right-hand corner catches our eye because it seems a little out of place, but it is not distracting as we are drawn to explore its contents to learn more of National Tradesmen Day. Redundancy is optimized for subconscious reinforcement by defining the role of residential builders with text although it is assumed by the image and its context.
This image is a great example of effective visual design in communication. It articulates inexpressible intricacies of everyday humanity by causing us to pause and remember that our built environment is constructed and maintained by people like ourselves – people who feel and think and dream. Through visual appeal, we realize our appreciation for the people – the individuals – who build!