| CODE | MRK2210 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Visual Literacy for Marketers | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Marketing | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will address a knowledge and skills gap which many marketers face, namely the ability to understand, interpret and analyze correctly the meaning of visual imagery in marketing activities. The unit will provide information about how visual stimuli are processed, and the impact of such stimuli depending on use of colour, form, texture and medium. The unit will delve into the role of images in society, the use of symbols and stylization and their use in marketing campaigns. Study-unit Aims: Visual literacy has been defined as 'the ability to recognize and understand ideas conveyed through visible actions or images. From an educational institution’s standpoint, visual literacy is the ability to see, understand and, ultimately, communicate visually'. (Merriam Webster Dictionary). John Debes, who is believed to have used the term for the first time in 1969, defined visual literacy as: 'the ability to recognize and understand ideas conveyed through visible actions or images. From an educational institution’s standpoint, visual literacy is the ability to see, understand and, ultimately, communicate visually'. The aim of this study-unit is to develop the skills and competencies necessary for marketers to communicate ideas using visual media, and also to be in a better position to understand how visual stimuli which might be generated by an organisation will be perceived and decoded by the intended audience. The unit is not about the generation of visual stimuli - which is essentially the job of graphic designers - but of acquiring visual literacy skills to communicate better with designers and the target audiences. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - define visual literacy and identify its major components; - recognize different visual styles and relate them to marketing messages; - express informed opinions about visual images; - relate visual styles and imagery to consumer perceptions and reactions; - understand the ethical and legal aspects of use of imagery. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - interpret and distinguish between visual styles and imagery; - be able to work with product designers, advertisers to express and communicate concepts and match them with relevant visual messages; - appraise and evaluate visual proposal submissions; - envisage impact of visual imagery generated by an organisation on its target audience. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Messaris, P. (1994) Visual Literacy: Image, Mind and Reality. Westview Press; ISBN-13: 978-0813319377. - Frey, N. and Fisher, D. (2008) Teaching Visual Literacy. Corwin: ISBN-13: 978-1412953122. Other readings: - Dr. Fidel Fajardo-Acosta's World Literature Website http://fajardo-acosta.com/worldlit/ - Origins of abc: http://ilovetypography.com/2010/08/07/where-does-the-alphabet-come-from/ - History of writing: http://www.historian.net/hxwrite.htm - History of Alphabet: http://www.usu.edu/markdamen/1320hist&civ/pp/slides/17alphabet.pdf - Readability of Malaria Medicine Information Leaflets in Nigeria : David Shalkur, Samuel B Banwat and - Danlami W Dayom http://www.ajol.info/index.php/tjpr/article/view/71700/60661 - Carlos Rosa: 40 Years of Pictograms in Universal Contexts:What’s Next? https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Carlos_Rosa8/publication/267394547_40_years_of_Pictograms_in_universal_contexts_What's_next/links/544ec2e80cf26dda08901b1f.pdf - Safety pictograms: are they getting the message across? Sarah Davies, Helen Haines, Beverley Norris, John R. Wilson http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687097000215?np=y - Venngage: Use of Pictograms https://venngage.com/blog/pictogram/ |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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