Decorative Color as a Rhetorical Enhancement on the World Wide Web

Technical Communication Quarterly Jan 2005

Decorative Color as a Rhetorical Enhancement on the World Wide Web

Anne R. Richards ; Carol David

Abstract

Professional communication scholars have defined the decorative narrowly and subordinated it to informational text. Yet, current psychological research indicates that decorative elements elicit emotion-laden reactions that may precede cognitive awareness and influence interpretation of images. We conceive the decorative in design, and specifically color, as a complex rhetorical phenomenon. Applying decorative and color theory and analyzing design examples illustrating aesthetic, ethical, and logical appeals, we present a range of potential uses for color in electronic media.

Journal: Technical Communication Quarterly
Published: 2005-01-01
DOI: 10.1207/s15427625tcq1401_4
Open Access: Closed
Topics: writing across the curriculum

Citation Context

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Also cites 1 work outside this index ↓

Nussbaum, Martha C. Upheavals of Thought: The Intelligence of Emotions. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge UP, 2001.

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