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[email protected] © 2011 www.thomhaller.com

Triangles, Hula Hoops, and ChopsticksExploring Rhetorical Focus

Thom [email protected]

Presentation to UPA-DC. September 16, 2011


Tonight

Time Chunk 2: Triangles

Time Chunk 3: Hula Hoops

Time Chunk 4: Chopsticks

Time Chunk 5: Try this at Home

Time Chunk 1: Overview … Exigence


Time Chunk #1:Overview (and Exigence)

Meet Thom…Person most likely to get lost in information

Help! I need structure.

From which passion arose…

How can we make the complex clear?


My pursuit began in the 1980s


As a student of rhetoric

Rhetoric does not mean “meaningless bombast”


chopsticks


Rhetoric = Information directed toward action


I liked that…

But what does this mean to you?


Useful rhetorical word: EXIGENCE


Exigence

“An imperfection marked by urgency; a deficit; a need” (Lloyd Bitzer, 68)

“That which prompts the author to write in the first place” (M. Jimmie Killingsworth, 95)

respond to a problem that requires attention a need that must be met a concept that must be understood before the

audience can move to a next step.

Etymology:From the Latin, "demand."


In other words: Why are we doing this?


Thom story: In the early days, I often built “communication products” nobody

wanted to use

1990s now

1976 1980s

Working for

3-letter acronym

firms

http://www.comnets.rwth-aachen.de/~cameleon/cameleon/img021.gif

Hmmmm…This makes me grumpy

Thom in a mauve cubicle.

Young(er). Moustached. And Grumpy.

This made me grumpy.

So I asked…. “Why are we doing this?”

Deliverable Use ofproduct/site

Why do we focus on

the deliverable?

I wondered…. How can we help people use information?

Deliverable Use ofproduct/site

How can wekeep our focus on

what peoplewant to DO?

And YOU asked…

What does this have to do with triangles,

hula hoops, chopsticks,

and agile thinking?

Time Chunk #2:Triangles

Envision a triangle.


You can use a triangle to frame your thinking.


Celebrity endorsement: Jay-z


Your turn: Make a triangle with your hands.



Envision your exigency.. Why are you building the

products you are building?

Envision your exigency.. Why are you building the

products you are building?



Look at the corners of the triangle and

ask three questions

Look at the corners of the triangle and

ask three questions


Ask three focusing questions

How do they/we

measure success?

What do they want to DO with the information?

Who’s the audience?


Now look through your triangle…

Inside the triangle

Outside the triangle


You now have a framework for

deciding what to leave in

and what to take out.

Content: what we leave in

Rhetorical exigency

Time Chunk #3:Hula Hoops

Audience. Purpose. Context.


Example: www.plainlanguage.gov

Tip: Try this on paper


Time Chunk #4:Chopsticks

Look at your chopsticks


Note: For special guests – like you

Envision an hourglass


How much background info do you need to support a claim?


Less background

content

More background

content

Time Chunk #5:Applying ideas


Develop Quick Personas to Help You Focus

Step One.

Find a Human Images via

Google Images

(Burt)



Step 3.

What is this

person saying as he reads

your document

/content?

Step 2

Draw Triangle

Add Content for AUDIENCE

PURPOSE

CONTEXT



Step 5

Optional: Develop

these into consistent products for the entire team.

Step 4

Use these rough personas to support your

thinking

(agile approach)


Why Rhetorical Focus Matters

•You can structure information so people can find information, use it, and appreciate the experience.

Thanks.Thanks.Together we can make the complex clear.

Thom Haller [email protected]

© 2011 www.thomhaller.com email: [email protected]

News : IA/UX class begins next Wednesday. Year #14 at the Graduate School in DC

And I need test volunteers for www.plainlanguage.gov

Hit me up for details.