A vignette is a short and descriptive piece of writing or a small scene that captures a moment or a character's essence. It is like a snapshot that focuses on specific details or emotions. Full definition
For example, in my Law Firms class, I use Jerry Van Hoy's work on franchise law firms, Bryant Garth's and Sara Parikh's work on Phil Corboy (the famous Chicago trial lawyer), Michael Kelley's The Lives of Lawyers, which has lots of vignettes of different practice settings, Lynn Mather et al.'s work on New England divorce lawyers, and Stephen Daniels and Joanne Martin's work on the Texas plaintiffs» bar. (elsblog.org)
Through a series of vignettes in stills, I wish to use the medium of photography to explain a group of rather eccentric people — sometimes one or two, sometimes many — placed in settings that help describe them. (artssummary.com)