Design Plan Rhetorical Elements

Statement of Purpose

Sense of Purpose:
The point of the sense of purpose step is to move from a general sense of why you are producing a work to a more specific goal. At first you probably won't have a very specific goal in mind, but as you work on your project you will gain insights into what you are trying to accomplish. Keep returning to this step as you go and push yourself to be as focused as possible. Remember that if you can't find a clear, specific reason for what you are doing, then it shouldn't be done, and your work will not be strong as it could be.
Ask yourself these questions to help develop a clear sense of purpose:

• What is your motivation in this communication situation?
• What need does your communication address?
• What do you hope audience members will do or feel or think after they have experienced the communication you will produce?
• Was there an event or situation that got you wanting to communicate with others? If so, describe it in as much detail as possible.
• What would be the best possible outcome of the communication?
• What would be the worst possible outcome of the communication?
• How will your communication change your situation?

Audience:

When considering a design plan it important to first understand the audience which the plan is intended for. To help in this understanding generating a list of characteristics of the audience would be useful. Knowing what type of people the audience is composed of will enable you to increase the effectiveness of the presentation. The list of characteristics might include things such as, attitudes, beliefs, habits, income, backgrounds, ethnicity, age and physical features. This type of understanding of the audience can lead to a presentation which could help the audience better relate to the presented information.

Once the list is made, it is necessary to filter the list. It is only important to consider characteristics which affect the audience’s reaction to the presentation.
The next step would be to imagine what the audience is feeling the moment they hear the communication made. Would they be offended? Delighted? Imagine how you would like to feel if you were in the audience…

Context:

Where and how materials will be used, citing specific examples emphasizing importance of the purpose of your project.

Production

Strategies:

A strategy is any part of your communication that you can change in order to better achieve your purpose.

This includes design elements such as:
*font size
*visual layout
*color
*mood
*tone
*size of paper
*medium
*arrangement

It is important for the strategy to be dynamic in order to accomplish the purpose. By having a dynamic strategy you will be better able to adjust should your purpose shift.

It is important to be specific in your strategy. Have a strategy when you are picking your strategy.

The audience should be able to relate to what you are doing. Be certain that the strategy that you pick works with the context. Be sure to appropriately give credit where credit is due.

Medium:
A good medium is the method that is most effective to communicate your material to a specific audience. When choosing a medium, common sense should be used to determine the medium that will be most practical to the audience.
For example, when trying to communicate an idea to a wide audience, a single poster would not be a good medium to convey your point. The most effective way to reach a large audience would be to use the internet, newspapers, commercials, etc.
Media should be chosen based on reasonable costs such as time, resources, and experience.

Arrangement:
List the parts of your communication. In order to best communicate, you need to know what you are arranging. Make sure to complete the Statement of Purpose goals before attempting to discuss arrangement, because some questions can be answered there. Think of different possibilities that could be used for arrangements, as the first thing you think of may not be the best method. Ask which possibilities best support your purpose and overall strategies. Think of the choice of arrangement as a moral choice as it may have moral implications.

Testing
The designer receives feedback on the design by including the audience in the design process from the beginning. Incorporating audience feedback from the beginning allows you to hone the purpose of the design to better meet your audience’s needs. This will help prevent you needing to go back to square one on a failed design.

Listen carefully to audience feedback to make the most of the process. Testing means you do not presume to know everything about the product and are open to other perspectives and new ideas.