Discourse Analysis Two

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/default.htm

I decided to look at and analyze a website for this assignment. Given that much of our information is conveyed not in what is said, but how it is said, I drew the comparison that much of our written communication is likewise not in the words, but how they are written. I thought it appropriate to scrutinize how visual communication impacts and emphasizes the messages we receive. This website is an excellent example of the use of color, imagery, fonts and organization that would appeal to the mindset of a parent.

Use of Color

The palette of soft muted tones that is the underlying layer comprising of borders, titles and headlines has a calming effect. They are soothing to look at and make you relax and feel more comfortable. Something that is very inviting as a parent given the chaos that is usually present with young explorers. Blues and greens are known as cool colors and studies have shown they generally have this effect on people, which is a good reason to have them dominate a site focused on people who are constantly stressed. Orange and red, however, are warm colors and being opposite blue and green would naturally feel more active. The use of orange and red to highlight special advertisement links is no accident.

Use of

The thought that went into the placement of imagery is similar to the thought that went into the use of color. Everything is arranged to bring maximum attention to it when it is within your field of view. The advertisement at the top of the site is immediately above the menu options which are at eye level when the page opens. The rotating images of children the mid left of the page represent current topics and draw attention through constant change. The four smaller images on the right that showcase daily parenting situations do the same through the use of blank space. An advertisement on the bottom right shows only the headline “Puberty is Tough She Needs Your Support” and is bisected by the browser window to lead the viewer down to the rest of the page. All the images include children in various emotional states indicative of the caption which accompanies them, giving the viewing parent a visual experience they can relate to and thus encouraging them to explore the content.

Use of Font

The chosen font type is Arial, giving more support to the order and structure of the website which is, ironically, at odds with the world of a parent. The numerous links on this webpage serve to keep the use of multiple fonts and font sizes to a minimum. There are several categories which require a larger font size to showcase them as separate, but some headings use background highlighting to the same effect. Bullet points and numbered lists are also prevalent and almost every word on the page is a link to a new topic. The most interesting use of fonts, however, is on the opening page: at the bottom is a search list which adjusts the font size of the topic according to the popularity of the search item. Larger, bolded fonts are used for more popular searches and the less popular are smaller normal fonts. It draws attention from the order and regularity of the rest of the page to the disorder and chaos contained in the search field.

Overall, the combination of colors, images and fonts create a virtual environment that is temporarily relaxing to a parent (the target audience after all) and makes it more enjoyable to search for and read information regarding how to raise their children. All the factors working together have made a site that is thoughtful and effective: the colors facilitate emotional tranquility and focus the efforts; the image captions relate real issues of concern while maintaining a sense of calm through the pictured child’s humorously exaggerated emotional state; and the Arial font conveys organization and authority through appearance.