Decorative Color as a Rhetorical Enhancement on the World Wide Web
Department
English
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-2005
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 Title
Technical Communication Quarterly
Journal ISSN
1542-7625
Volume
14
Issue
1
First Page
31
Last Page
48
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1207/s15427625tcq1401_4
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