Visual texts can be created in so many different ways to get any message to the readers' mind. The elements of design, which are line, shape, direction, size, texture, color, and value, are used to create different interpretations of a visual text. Each of these elements adds a certain effect in the viewers mind, and create a central message when they are combined. Guy Delisle's "Pyongyang" uses many of these element as he describes the country of North Korea. He explains the famine, totalitarianism, and all of the other issues that exist in North Korea. Guy Delisle shows the issues within North Korea by using the cartoon-like drawings, different types of text bubbles, and color.

Cartoon characters continue to be in use even to this day. They have been in use since the beginning of entertainment. The cartoon characters in "Pyongyang" are very simple and plain. The simplicity of the main character expresses that this man could be any visitor to North Korea. No matter who visits, they will receive the same treatment, and be shown the same things. Delisle is trying to show that everyone that visits North Korea is shown what they are supposed to see, not the reality of the country. The residents of the country are also drawn very simplistic. Delisle is presenting the fact that all of the residents are treated the same. None of them are shown the outside world, they are practically brainwashed. They only know what they're leader, Kim Jong-un, tells them. Not only are the characters cartoon-like, all of the drawings are. Like the characters, this also represents that all of North Korea is like this. North Korea is isolated from the rest of the world. Their leader keeps it this way so that he can have complete control over them. The country of North Korea is under a complete totalitarian government, meaning that the citizens should be totally subject to an absolute authority. The simplicity of the comic combines all of the aspects of North Korea into plain, cartoony drawings.

The story has a few different text bubbles, there was a thought bubble, speech bubble, and sound bubble. The text bubbles are very scarcely to show that the main character is mostly alone. There is almost no one around him the whole time he is there. The author does this to show that the citizens are not allowed outside of the walls of North Korea. They are practically starved inside those walls, and there is nothing the citizens can do about it because they cannot get out. The sound bubbles are also not used very frequently. They are only used the few times that the main character is around other people. The lack of sound shows how isolated North Korea is from the rest of the world. The country is basically by itself in the world. Sound means that things are happening and people are moving about. Without sound, it is apparent that nothing is happening in the country. The citizens are not allowed to do anything that they want to do. The thought bubbles are unlike the speech and sound bubbles, they are used a lot more frequently. The main character is alone while he is inside North Korea. This is why the thought bubbles appear a lot more than the other bubbles. Not only is the country isolated, he is isolated as well. He is not shown the real issues, like famine or disease, which are the reality of the country. The use of the speech, thought, and sound bubbles is the main component of showing the reader that North Korea is isolated and the people that go in are isolated from the reality of the country.

Color can create many feelings within a person. Different color can mean a multitude of things. "Pyongyang" is a totally monochrome comic, meaning that all of the pictures are black, white, and grey. Something that is grey can seem dull, dirty, or dingy. This is how North Korea is seen from the outside world. All of their buildings are very plain and colorless just like the comic. The citizens of the country are shown this very dull landscape their whole life, so this is all they know. They believe that the way they are living is the normal way of life. The black colors is the comic can also symbolize power and fear. The inhabitants of North Korea are terrified of their leader, and are afraid to rebel. Soldiers are shown throughout the comic to represent the power over the people. These soldiers are all wearing very dark clothing and stand out in every picture. This is because somebody is always watching over them to make sure that the visitors are not seeing something that they should not. All of the people are controlled to extreme extent no matter how the country is viewed, and this is expressed by the very dull colors in the comic.

The dark colors, cartoon-like drawings, and style of text bubbles all express the issues that are apparent in North Korea. The darkness represents the power of the country's leader and the fear of the citizens. Guy Delisle shows that all of the country's people are in fear by using the cartoon-like drawings. These simple drawings are meant to express that the people in the comic could be any person from North Korea. The feeling of being isolated is shown through the text bubbles because most of the bubbles are just thoughts and not speech. Any and every way the country is looked at, it is apparent that the people are in trouble and need help. Comics are usually meant to be funny, but this one presents a serious problem. These people are in constant fear just because they're country's leader forces it upon them. North Korea's people cannot help themselves; it's time for someone to stand up and help them. 

