Old Version: Click here to download Short Assignment 5: Ethical Messaging.docx

New Version: Click here to download Short Assignment 5 (Revised).docx

This assignment was a sort of continuation of what I learned in the previous assignments I revised. It focused on Outcome 1, which was my weakest outcome when I first entered this class. Because this assignment wasn’t primarily text-based, I gained an understanding of Outcome 1, which is the ability to tailor your writing (or in this case, design) to a particular context—audience plays a primary role in context, and this outcome matters because good writing is all about being effective in convincing your reader. By knowing who your reader is, and which combination of appeals will be the most compelling to that specific type of person, your writing becomes stronger. In practicing this outcome, I displayed my awareness of my audience when I chose my medium and design. By choosing a protest sign as my new medium, I knew that it would be accessible than a ninety second, with which people need to stay focused for a whole minute and a half to see the message. A protest sign is succinct and to the point, which is ideal for a general audience of people on the internet, who tend to have shorter attention spans. By limiting the number of words on the poster and including pictures on both sides, the sign becomes even more eye-catching and therefore likely to catch the attention of a viewer and get the message of “don’t use unsustainable palm oil,” which is immediately accessible on the back side, out to the public—that’s one advantage of a sign over a video. This outcome improves my writing because by tailoring your message to a certain audience, you can boost its effectiveness. I was particularly thinking about this outcome when I chose a sign over a poster or comic, which have more words and take longer to read—a protest sign is meant to pique the audience’s attention and curiosity, so they become more involved in a cause. Outcome 1 shaped this entire assignment, which is all about changing the medium of a piece to appeal to a different audience.

Short Assignment 5 also displays my improvement in Outcome 4, same as Major Assignment. I got the most feedback for this assignment in relation to its relatively short length, so I had to change it the most. Outcome 4 involves the proper and effective application of feedback—especially in this case, where most of my revision involved the feedback given to me. I don’t think I need to address what this outcome means again, since it is essentially the same across most writing, but addressing feedback in particular is important to improve your writing because it is the easiest, most direct way to know what to change, and receiving the feedback of someone who has more experience than you (as opposed to a peer), is extremely helpful because they can see what you can’t sometimes. By utilizing thorough revision in response to feedback, I was able to increase the effectiveness and clarity of my sign by adding the back side, which acts as a call to action. I went beyond a simple caption, which I felt wouldn’t do as much as an entire back side of the sign. In terms of the written explanation, I expanded on why the original video was effective—”because the story was so guileless and simple, you can’t help but want to support the wide-eyed perseverance of the little girl and comfort the orphaned orangutan.” I also added the sentence about how to find if a product has sustainable palm oil or not directly in response to the feedback I was given. Ultimately, Outcome 4 allowed me to increase the effectiveness of my sign, based on the particular audience.