Visual Literacy in Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Visual Literacy in Business - Essay Example Simply, Kennedy’s definition is more concerned with the action of seeing and deriving meaning from visual images while Howell’s definition is more concerned with the cognitive processes involved when people retrieve meaning from visual images and how experiences, sensory perception and critical thinking affect the process (Howells, 2009). I am of the opinion that Howell’s definition offers a better and more comprehensive analysis of visual literacy since it not only analyses the physical action of seeing images, but also identifies that it encompasses other factors such as the cognitive processes specific to a person, such as their attention span, experiences, reception to external stimuli and their ability to think critically. I find Kennedy’s evaluation limiting and lacking since it only emphasizes on the physical activity of seeing as the primary and sole factor in the process of retrieving meaning from images. Kennedy’s definition alludes to the fact that visual literacy is straight forward for everyone. However, this is not the case especially in today’s world where conditions such as attention deficit disorders may inhibit the ability of a person to accurately decipher the meaning of images and consequently impact on the visual literacy of a person. In today’s world, the classroom offers an opportunity to study and recognize the different levels of visual literacy among people. According to Elkins, the most compelling argument in favor of visual literacy being considered as a universal language is its ability to communicate messages, concepts and ideas to people of varying cultural languages across the world. The use of one image may be used to convey a singular message to people of diverse cultures and languages across the globe and despite the differences, the people will still retrieve a singular meaning to the visual image presented. Essentially, visual literacy is not