Digital Rhetoric
For this week, the main focus at hand is Digital Rhetoric. It is essentially the usage of imagery to convey some sort of feeling, or tell a message that makes us think. Similar to last weeks readings on Visual Arguments, Digital Rhetoric focuses on every single detail put on the design of a website in whole. From the colors, the structures, shapes, including the fonts being used. The fonts get paid closer attention examining the colors used, the thickness of the font itself, as well as the style font that is used is examined in detail. The overall colors of a website determines if people will continue to look more at it, or leave the second the website opens up. Rather than examining on image, the readings this week explore into multiple images that maybe in displayed and how they all relate to the website they are displayed on. The color of a website could signal what the website could be about. For example blue is primarily used with finance companies such as banks, and black is used for luxury products such as vehicles or clothes. The usage of such shapes, lines, fonts creates imagery within ourselves that decide if it is a good thing or not. The use of our own mind to come to conclusions shows us something that sometimes words cannot help make us feel something. The usage of rectangles to circles can decide for us if something is worthing looking into more. The use of imagery are not always meant to be understood in an instant. Careful thinking and understanding what these images mean can give us a better look into what was not comprehended from the start. Another element to consider when looking at posters is the spacing. Shapes or words that have a distance can play in a role into the structure as a whole. If there was an image where everything is cluttered together with no distance between them, it can give us an uncomfortable feeling. If an image does include text, placement of the text can also have meaning. Much like headings in writings such as the title being in the center does have reasoning for it. For example, many websites have their logo in the top left corner of a page. One reason could be how when writing letters, the first thing written is in the top left corner such as the headline. The top right corner also functions as the home functions on websites including YouTube and Reddit. Speaking of those two sites, the way they format pictures and texts is interesting. For YouTube, the very top will include key words that are the most searched things at the time. Below will show the most popular videos that have been watched for today if you are not signed in. While at Reddit, it will have the words trending Today that will then include posts that are very popular at the time it could be something in popular culture, sports or international news that maybe worth checking out to be informed. It may not seem like it, but the structure of an image, poster, or website will determine if it is worth checking out at the very moment. It can also happen later on if it is still on your mind and its understood.
References
- Rheingold, H.(2012) Net Smart How to Thrive Online, MIT Press, Chapter 6
Comments
Post a Comment