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
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Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism professional writing
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Fuglsby et al. (2023)
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  3. Voeller (2019)
    The Digital Sensorium: Considering the Senses in Website Design
    Computers and Composition
  4. Zhang (2016)
    Illustrating Beauty and Utility: Visual Rhetoric in Two Medical Texts Written i…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Richards (2009)
    Music, Transtextuality, and the World Wide Web
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Show all 6 →
  1. Kimball (2006)
    London through Rose-Colored Graphics: Visual Rhetoric and Information Graphic D…
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