Defining Design Using Rhetorical Appeals As Depicted in Friedrich Von Borries's Article

Rhetorical Appeals

Introduction

Professional writing is classified as good writing if it employs the rhetorical appeals. In professional and formal writing, authors use rhetoric as the art of persuasion. The goal of the writers is to persuade the audience to get interested in the issues discussed in a text. For a writer to persuade the audience to adopt an argument, he has to use rhetorical appeals that influence the position of the audience. In the article, “What is Design? Friedrich Von Borries discusses the ancient and the contemporary concept of design.

Borries considers the possibility of changes in the definition of design over time as the world continues to change. The reader can infer that concerns from people triggered Borries to write the essay as he tried to enlighten them about design. Borries aims at enabling the audience to have a contemporary understanding of design. Also, Borries intends to trigger the reader’s minds to think about their earlier misconception of design and try to correct the anomaly in their thinking process.

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Borries effectively employs the rhetorical appeals of ethos, logos and pathos as he tries to convince readers to develop an understanding of the contemporary meaning of design.

Borries’ article is formal since it follows the guidelines of formal writing. For instance, Borries uses standard-length sentences and formal language in the essay. Also, the author uses sub-headings to arrange his work as an indication of formal writing. Borries combines strategies such as narration, comparing and contrasting and description to build his idea of what constitutes design in the contemporary world.

Rhetorical Analysis

Ethos

The appeal to the readers to pay attention to the writer’s credibility constitutes ethos. Writers use ethos to show ethics and credibility and exemplify their qualification as ways of convincing the audience that they are fit to tackle the topic. Borries establishes credibility when he lists other words that denote design. He asserts that in the past, names such as ““Formgebung,” “Gestaltung,” applied art or art that makes itself useful” constituted what people call design today (Borries par. 2). Also, Borries establishes credibility through an appeal to ethos when he discusses the origin of design and how it evolved over time. He notes that it is not a "God-given order that determines our lives" but people who shape the world (Borries par. 3). The assertions prove that Borries is credible in that he is part of the world that is influenced by the concepts of design and understands the changes that design has undergone to become what it is this day.

For instance, by indicating that words such as Formgebung,” “Gestaltung," applied art defined design in the past, the author shows his credibility in that he presents himself as a person that has been having interest in the concept of design for a long time. Borries appeals to ethos by showing that he has been tracking the changes in elements and definition of design over time. The reader can easily buy into the author's past ideas that defined design since the former can be convinced that the latter understands the topic under discussion.

Additionally, by referring to how design has been used to shape “our lives,” Borries suggests that he has been part of the world that has been responding to the changes in design. Borries presents himself as a person that has not been left out by the changes in fashion and even agrees that it is individuals that have caused changes in the concept of design and not God (par. 3). Borries appeals to ethics of credibility and reliability by referring to Utopia as a philosophical work that defined design based on the way people dressed, designed their houses and arranged their villages. The reference reveals that the author is credible and analyzes the concept of design as it was conceived by the people that embraced it such as Greeks.

Logos

An author appeals to logic when he uses data, facts, and examples to build his claims. Logos constitute the appeal to one's logic to help them reach a conclusion. Borries appeals to logic by quoting the evolution of design during the industrial era. The author asserts that the industrial revolution led to mass production of items that had “the appearance of old handcrafted objects” (Borries par. 6). Borries asserts that the criticism that critics such as Gottfried Semper developed against the designs that dominated the industrial revolution led to the evolution of the concept of design. Borries holds that the critics considered the “industrially produced projects as inferior” (par. 6). Thus, quoting some of the critics of the design that developed after the industrial revolution is an appeal to logic since it shows the author using evidence to back up his claims.

In discussing the design of the consumer society after the second world war, Borries gives the example of Braun’s electrical appliances that showed that design was aimed at leading to “happiness and comfortable life” (par. 11). By referring to the electrical appliances and how they helped in making life comfortable, Borries seems to suggest that the contemporary design focuses on the styles that people use to make objects and houses in a way that bring them happiness.

Pathos

The use of emotional appeals to connect the author to the audience constitutes pathos. For instance, Borries strikes humor when he claims that during the enlightenment, rulers trained “artists, craftspeople and producers to follow the ancient Greek models” (par. 4). Also, Borries appeals to emotions when he asserts that the poverty that preceded the industrial age made it difficult for the designers of high-quality products to meet the growing populations’ need (par. 9). The reference to the problems that faced design as it evolved emotionally connects the author to the audience.

The reader is tempted to laugh at the assertion that rulers trained their subjects to become artists. The humor arises from the consideration that such rulers expected all their subjects to be interested in design. By making the audience laugh, the author triggers their desire to read more. Besides, the empathy that the reader feels when he reads about poverty and how it affected people during the industrial age shows the author’s ability to use pathos to appeal to the audience.

Regarding the rhetorical patterns and strategies, the author uses questions and answers and description. For instance, he opens the essay by asking’ “what is design?” He embarks on describing design and explaining how it has evolved over time. The strategies are essential since they act as guidelines to help the reader to locate specific information with ease.

Conclusion

Borries' article is a formal writing that shows that the author understands the need to use rhetoric as an appealing tool to connect to the readers. The author shows his credibility by referring to other phrases and words that have a similar meaning to design. He appeals to logic by quoting evidence from the critics of design such as Semper to build his arguments. Besides, the article triggers humor by referring to a time when rulers could force subjects to learn design. Therefore, the author succeeds in employing rhetorical appeals to build his article. However, he should give a conclusion that summarizes the elements of the contemporary design to achieve his purpose of writing the article.