Students will write two brief Explication Papers to accompany their documents. Each paper should demonstrate that the corresponding document is effective. To do this, it should analyze no fewer than three successful examples of similar works to identify productive traits (keeping in mind that success is situated rather than objective). Then, it should show how those traits are used in the corresponding document to help it target an audience, suit a context, and accomplish a purpose. Papers should apply design terminology from Document Design and other concepts discussed in class. (Students may wish to refer to our earlier discussions of aesthetic schools.)

Formally, papers should be approximately three pages (plus bibliography), formatted according to MLA guidelines (the Purdue OWL is a useful resource here), and submitted in a print format. I am the audience for the Explication Papers, so they should display academic mechanics, language choice, and tone.