Analyze an image of your choice according to the Kostelnik readings by answering this question: what is the rhetorical situation the image is responding to? Be sure to thoroughly explain how the image addresses all three elements that make up a rhetorical situation.
The image I have chosen is an infographic demonstrating a recipe for “Potato Bombs”. It lists the ingredients and measurements needed to complete the recipe, and it states step by step how to create the dish with correlating images. I find the image to be attractive and well executed because of the organization of its elements and its well designed images and color scheme. However, I also believe it responds to its intended rhetorical situation very well.
There are three elements that compile a rhetorical situation: audience, purpose, and context. For a document to successfully respond to a rhetorical situation, a document designer must be aware of what kind of audience is going to be using the document, what the purpose of the document is and how the document can fulfill that purpose, and the context in which the document would be needed or used.
Audience
This image seems to have an intended audience of teens and young adults, perhaps ages 16 to mid 20s. This does not mean that individuals outside this age range could or would not be part of this document’s intended audience, but the design of the image indicates that this document is mostly likely for people who are new to cooking and want easy recipes, which would be soon-to-be high school graduates and college students. As well, the font and placement of the instructions are not well suited for older generations who may not have good eyesight or may have difficulties navigating the page, and some of the vocabulary used in the instructions and ingredients list is not well suited for younger audiences. The organization and style of the graphics and text used appears youthful and most appealing to young adults who prefer quick and easy recipes that are “aesthetic” and “social media worthy/instagrammable”.
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to help individuals complete a recipe. It does this in a way that is quick and easy to follow. A user can easily locate the ingredients and their measurements, making the preparation stage less lengthy. This makes this image much more accessible than blog-style recipes because it is unlikely that users will have to deal with losing their place, page refreshes, ads, and scrolling through unnecessary backstory and commentary to get to the recipe. The instructions are also balanced in their use of technical terminology and plain language. A user knows just enough to be able to complete each step without having too much unnecessary explanation or not enough necessary explanation on what to do.
Context
The primary context in which this document would be used is when users are actively attempting to complete this recipe. The organization of the image’s text supports a user’s ability to follow along and find their where they left off with ease, but the graphics used in this image also play an important role in supporting the document’s context. The coordinating graphics visually guide the user through their task. The images give the users an idea of how each step should look like or be performed, and they also show connections on how the steps combine together to produce the finished meal. Having the visual aid is helpful for users who may be in the midst of performing a step and need to quickly check if they are performing the step correctly.