Week One: Research on persuasion

In order to grasp the technique of persuasion within my poster design, I have done some research into  it, where hopefully it'll aid me in creating a convincing poster.

Effective persuasion involves: 

Establishing credibility

The first hurdle persuaders must overcome is their own credibility. A persuader can’t advocate a new or contrarian position without having people wonder, Can we trust this individual’s perspectives and opinions? Such a reaction is understandable. After all, allowing oneself to be persuaded is risky, because any new initiative demands a commitment of time and resources. 

If expertise and relationships determine credibility, it is crucial that you undertake an honest assessment of where you stand on both criteria before beginning to persuade. To do so, first step back and ask yourself the following questions related to expertise: How will others perceive my knowledge about the strategy, product, or change I am proposing? Do I have a track record in this area that others know about and respect? Then, to assess the strength of your relationship credibility, ask yourself, Do those I am hoping to persuade see me as helpful, trustworthy, and supportive? Will they see me as someone in sync with them—emotionally, intellectually, and politically—on issues like this one? Finally, it is important to note that it is not enough to get your own read on these matters. You must also test your answers with colleagues you trust to give you a reality check. Only then will you have a complete picture of your credibility.

Notes: In order to put forward a good point/argument within your poster design you need to make it authoritative, with an essence of credibility/justification. This could be shown with a symbol or metaphor that is recognised by the nation, something that your viewer can reconcile with.  The highlighted areas are things that you need to ask yourself/consider when making your approach toward the viewpoint/argument you are expressing in your poster. 

Frame for common ground.

Even if your credibility is high, your position must still appeal strongly to the people you are trying to persuade. Effective persuaders must be adept at describing their positions in terms that illuminate their advantages. As any parent can tell you, the fastest way to get a child to come along willingly on a trip to the grocery store is to point out that there are lollipops by the cash register. That is not deception. It is just a persuasive way of framing the benefits of taking such a journey. In work situations, persuasive framing is obviously more complex, but the underlying principle is the same. It is a process of identifying shared benefits. When choosing appropriate positioning—it is critical first to identify your objective’s tangible benefits to the people you are trying to persuade.

Notes: Make the audience believe that they are getting the same amount out of your argument (or more) than you. You need to establish an equal and common ground. Again, highlighted areas are things you need to consider and do throughout your designing process.  

Connect emotionally.

Good persuaders are aware of the primacy of emotions and are responsive to them in two important ways. First, they show their own emotional commitment to the position they are advocating. Such expression is a delicate matter. If you act too emotional, people may doubt your clearheadedness. But you must also show that your commitment to a goal is not just in your mind but in your heart and gut as well. Without this demonstration of feeling, people may wonder if you actually believe in the position you’re championing. Perhaps more important, however, is that effective persuaders have a strong and accurate sense of their audience’s emotional state, and they adjust the tone of their arguments accordingly. The idea is that whatever your position, you match your emotional fervor to your audience’s ability to receive the message. No effort to persuade can succeed without emotion, but showing too much emotion can be as unproductive as showing too little. The important point to remember is that you must match your emotions to your audience’s.

Notes: You need to demonstrate that you believe it what you are saying in your design and have emotion behind it, however these needs to be subtle, how the audience could/will react to the message is more important. People react differently and feel differently to you yourself, so this needs to be taken into consideration. This relates highly to the ihi wihi terms in the brief.

https://hbr.org/1998/05/the-necessary-art-of-persuasion

Visual Persuasion 
Increasingly, battles of the mind are fought with pictures. Whether in the courtroom, in the boardroom or in a legislative setting, visual imagery is often the primary weapon of choice for those looking to influence decision-making and change minds. Ever since the rise and growth of the Internet, times have changed so much that if you don't dominate the visual space in your battlefield with persuasive graphics -- whether you’re in the courtroom, the boardroom or the political landscape -- you will, all other things being equal, lose your battle. Visual persuasion can be seen as visually-oriented methods to influence the decision-making of people. Pictures influence decision-making

Notes: Points that are vital in your design process
http://www.a2lc.com/blog/bid/68354/Persuasive-Graphics-How-Pictures-Are-Increasingly-Influencing-You

When going through the slideshow Visual Persuasion by Ernie Svenson I also found some good points to consider.