Night Sky Creative

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Understanding Pathos, Ethos and Logos

Inspired by a random Pinterest post I came across created by teatherspayteachers.com.

How do you make a convincing argument?
Or make a convincing speech?

You'll need a better understand Pathos, Ethos and Logos.

These are known as rhetorical appeals, first put together by Aristotle. The idea is to be tactical and tactful, crafting a narrative that resonates with your audience.

These 3 principles are at the heart of almost all communications, especially in advertising, marketing and speech writing.

Pathos, the appeal to emotion.
To use emotions plea, or a convincing story.

Ethos, the appeal to ethics.
To use authority or credibility to convince.

Logos, the appeal to logic.
To use logic, persuade with reason, using facts and figures.

A good blend of these 3 principles will make a strong and convincing argument.

What techniques do you find useful when you need to convince?
Let me know in the comments below.

I know the idea of convincing someone may feel 'dirty' or unethical.
Conjuring images of pushy, dodgy sales people, but it doesn't have to be like this.

I use these principles in my design work to present. When presenting, you need to build strong narratives and reasoning behind your creative decisions.

This objective approach to creativity ensures each decision has meaning behind it and isn't just plucked out of thin air.

What frameworks do you use for making decisions?
Let me know in the comments below.