Genre: Poster presentation
Length: Varies
Audience: The whole class
For this assignment, you will create a poster presentation that explores your discourse community and provides a visual analysis of the genre you analyzed in Project 1. Your poster should demonstrate an understanding of visual rhetoric and integrate the design principles covered in class and the readings.
This assignment encourages you to think critically about how visual elements, such as color, layout, typography, and imagery, convey meaning and can enhance the understanding of the content. Your poster should effectively communicate information about your online discourse community, such as shared goals and values, communication in this community, and a visual analysis of the genre you analyzed for Project 1.
Create a written and visual representation of your online discourse community that introduces the community, explores its shared goals and values, and describes how the community communicates.
Create a visual representation of your genre analysis from Project 1, demonstrating the conventions of the genre visually.
Note: You can choose a different genre for Project 2 to analyze as long as it's still from the same community.
Changing your genre may be a good choice if your genre is hard to analyze visually or if there were issues with your analysis from Project 1 and you need to narrow your focus. Check with me if you have any questions about this!
Apply visual rhetoric and design principles from class to enhance the clarity, appeal, and informativeness of your poster (for example, effectively use line, shape, proximity, typography, hierarchy, balance, layout, and color to design this poster).
Demonstrate a clear understanding of the connections between your discourse community and its genre.
Can I reuse information from Project 1 for this?
Yes! Project 2 should visually demonstrate the discourse community & genre analysis from your Project 1. For the genre analysis, you will be including most if not all of the same information, not doing a completely new analysis.
However, you should not just print sections of your essay and paste them to the poster board. Project 1 should be remixed into Project 2—in other words, you’ll write and design this to work as a poster presentation, which will require you to rethink how you are incorporating this information.
Can I add something to my poster that wasn’t in my Project 1?
Also yes! You may add new information to your genre analysis if desired. Additionally, you might need to add new information about your online discourse community to fully cover that prompt, depending on what information you included in your essay.
Size and Format: Use a tri-fold poster board to create this display. (It will need to stand on its own, so a normal poster board will not work).
Text Limitations: Use minimal text to allow the visuals to speak for themselves. Use bullet points, captions, and short paragraphs for explanations.
Software: You may use PowerPoint, Canva, Adobe Illustrator, or any design software you are comfortable with to create your poster.
Citations: Include any necessary citations for images or sources used on the poster (in small text at the bottom of the poster).
AI Statement of Use: Include a small AI Statement of Use at the bottom of your poster (I recommend to the far left or far right bottom) for any GenAI assistance.
Content: Does the poster clearly and effectively inform the viewer about the discourse community and genre analysis?
Visual Rhetoric: Are visual elements used effectively to convey meaning and support the information on the display?
Design Principles: Are design principles such as contrast, balance, typography, shape, line, and hierarchy applied in a way that promotes readability and supports the content of the poster?
Creativity: Does the poster show creativity and originality in the use of visuals and layout?
Clarity and Presentation: Is the poster well-organized, readable, easy to follow, and visually appealing? Note: Written content on the poster should be typed and readable. Headers can be handwritten/drawn if well-designed.
✔+ (3/3) All the above criteria are met. The project is well-designed, visually well-organized, covers the required content well, and demonstrates a clear understanding of discourse communities and genre analysis.
✔ (2/3) Project generally meets the criteria but is missing one requirement or two requirements are slightly missed
✔– (1/3) Two to three requirements are missing
No Credit (0/3) The project is missing four or more requirements and/or substantially does not meet the requirements for the assignment
Do not include large paragraphs of text on this poster presentation. Consider what will be effective for an audience who is walking around a room and reading many posters.
Consider how you can creatively represent the identity of your discourse community. Think about color choice, common symbols, or images that would be recognizable to or “fit” this community.
When visually demonstrating your genre analysis, consider how you can display this genre for your audience (i.e. screenshots, using a laptop at the front of your display to play a video, etc.). Then also consider how you can display your analysis of this genre, such as the conventions of the genre.
Use color schemes that are consistent with your message. For example, a formal discourse community might benefit from neutral tones, while a more creative community could use bold, bright colors.
You will create a mock-up design & plan for your poster presentation. This will be due in class on peer review day.
You can create this on paper or digitally. You will turn in either the digital mock-up file or a photo of the paper mock-up on Canvas before peer review.
The mock-up should show the planned layout of your poster and give a sense of what information will be included on the poster.
Required Submission: A digital or paper mock-up that can be shared with your teammates on Peer Review day. For digital mock-ups, you can either let you teammates use your computer to view, find a way to share it digitally, or print out a copy to share.
As part of the Project 2, you are required to participate in Peer Review with your teammates in class. If you are unable to make it to class that day or participate in peer review on the scheduled date, you may get feedback from a writing tutor at the Academic Success Center (ASC).
For this peer review, your teammates will write their notes on a separate piece of paper to summarize their suggestions.
Required Submission: Either a digital copy of your teammate's comments or submit a photo of their handwritten notes.
Alternate Submission: If you are not able to participate in Peer Review during class, you will need to submit the feedback or proof of visit to the Academic Success Center. When you create an appointment with the ASC, explain that you are looking for peer review feedback that focuses on high and middle-order concerns.
You will not turn in a revised mock-up; consider the peer review feedback as you create your final presentation.
Bring your completed tri-fold poster to class for Project 2 Presentation Day (see calendar for date).
For the presentation day, we will be in room J140, in the basement of the library, so that everyone has enough room to set up their presentation. The class period will be spent walking around the room to see everyone’s presentations.
There will be no required spoken presentation (no speech, etc.) for this project—just the posters.
Required Submission: Tri-fold poster presentation to be displayed during class (in Room J140—basement of library)
Examples from previous classes can be viewed in this shared Google Photo album: Example Presentations