In this age of screens and urbanization, it’s crucial to be visually literate — to not just look at things, but to really understand how images convey meaning, emotions, and culture. When you become more visually literate, you start to notice the editorial decisions behind any commercial or architectural image you see, and it helps you better navigate the world. You notice why a photograph is cropped a certain way, or why certain colors and contrasts are used, and you begin to see that they’re not accidental. They’re actually shaping how you feel about a subject, and how you make decisions.
A great part of visual literacy actually stems from ancient hieroglyphics and the other works of art used to depict stories and messages in their time. Looking back on things like hieroglyphics and works of art from the Renaissance era help you to visually see the meaning that they expressed. Understanding these images helps you to take what you learned and apply it to a picture. Things like symmetry and proportion come from understanding the purpose these principles were used in the past. For instance, symmetry can create a sense of order and calmness when viewing a picture while asymmetry can evoke feelings of uneasiness or confusion. Understanding this helps the viewer understand how an image or graphic should be read. It also helps them understand how to design their own images like a photograph or graphic design.
But how do you become more visually literate? The same way you do anything else – through practice. When you look at something, stop and consider the components of it, the choices that were made, and why. Eventually, you will have developed a critical eye that will allow you to recognize whether something is good, or at least authentic, in an instant. Not only will this make life more enjoyable, it will also make you a better designer (or art director, copywriter, client, etc.). This is a lifelong pursuit, and one that will enrich your life in every way.
One of the difficulties with visual literacy is that there is so much garbage in the media that it can be numbing if you don’t actively sift through it. I balance it by looking at the best. I visit museums, read the best magazines, watch the best visual analysis. This gives me the ability to recognize the difference and the strength to ignore the garbage and the ability to separate signal from noise. It allows me to understand the difference between trendy and beautiful. The better you get at it, the more assured you are of your own taste and the more you tend to follow that. When you’re young, I think you follow the crowd more.
On a larger scale, visual literacy affects society at large by fostering tolerance and mutual understanding through the study of different visual dialects. In a society where visuals from other cultures are increasingly widespread, understanding the visual language of other cultures helps dispel myths and incorrect assumptions due to the visual appearance of other cultures. Visual literacy also helps people navigate misinforming and deceptive visuals found in propaganda or advertising. By embracing visual literacy, we can create a society of active, well-rounded citizens that can participate in rational conversations on art, beauty, self, and technology. In other words, visual literacy is the basis for a visually literate utopia.
