nce upon a time ago, in a land far
away, story telling was the way to communicate information from one group
to another or one generation to another. It was the way of recording experiences.
Stories were rich with information beyond the spoken word. Non-verbal cues
were an art form for the story teller. Facial expressions, intonation, gestures,
and setting were just some of the ways language was enriched and the teller
gained authority in the eyes and minds of the audience. Many technological
advances later we sit at our monitors and keyboards in an effort to take
in and disseminate information. We have been stripped of the richness of
the human voice, and language of action.
We are left with the problem of establishing authority, maintaining identity, and somehow preserving the richness of human communication in a textural medium prone to the sterility of an artificial environment. This problem can be overcome with the few non-verbal cues that remain. Color, images, and overall design are the tools left to us. It is important that they be used and used intelligently as they cannot be avoided.
The relationship between nonverbal cues and the written word is not a problem unique to the internet. Through the ages man has tried to bridge the gap of limited experience in communication. Painting is a great example of this effort. Decisions made when formatting the printed page are all about the nuances of that secondary communication. Uppercase, bold, and italics are offered as a part of a font package so that some information can be emphasized within the verbiage. E.E. Cummings battled the lack of nonverbal cues in his poetry by intimating actions or gestures through his arrangement of words and letters that make up the words.
Some of the design freedom that we have grown accustomed to in the print world are not available to us within the limitations of html, but proper use of color, imagery, and format are sufficient to enhance our message. Just as great speakers or storytellers are great because they know how to use non-verbal cues to enhance their message, effective communicators on the World Wide Web are so because of their use of the cues within their control.
We must consider the message that we send!
The first principle of nonverbal communication (according to William D Brooks, Speech Communication 3rd ed., pp. 134-136) is that non-verbal communication cannot be avoided. Even when no attempt at including non-verbal cues is made, the very lack of them demonstrates that the author doesn't understand their importance or doesn't care whether the reader takes the message seriously or not. This is similar to a meal out. If the dinner that we order in a restaurant comes to us piled on a plate like it had been dumped there by accident, we would be mistrusting of its content. Was this a mistake? Someone obviously doesn't care about their cooking. Where has the food been? Has it been dropped? Do I want to eat this?
The second principle to consider is that non-verbal cues are most effective in communicating feelings, attitudes, and relationships. For example a basic web site; gray background, black text, no graphic elements, communicates 'dry' possibly, or authoritative in that because of its purely academic message the presumption would then be that the relationship to the author is one of student to teacher (the author being the latter). However, if the intent of the author were to be lighthearted or to win the reader over, disregarding available cues such as color or imagery would be a mistake as the reader would tend to be more critical of such a purely informational site. Too heavy a use of cues communicates yet another extreme. In such a case the reader may not take the author seriously at all. This may be the intent. We can communicate a plethora of ideas about ourselves through the colors that we choose and the images that we include. Consider your impression of the individual who designed this web site.(http://rdz.stjohns.edu/~storm/).
The third principle is that non-verbal cues carry a great deal of weight in their message. They direct us to the truth in face to face communication, but in written verbal communications they serve to organize and tell us what is important. For example, changing the color of a section of text will draw our attention to it as will placing an animated .gif next to it. A yellow background color will lighten our attitude toward the site where a gray will provoke seriousness.
Within this discussion, I have mentioned the three important non-verbal cues available on the web; color, imagery, and format. A lot of thought naturally goes into the choice of what image to include on a site as well as how to organize the verbal information as a whole. The effects of these are obvious. Color, on the other hand, is a subtle yet powerful communication tool because it sets the underlying tone. For that reason, special care should be taken when determining a color scheme for an electronic communication. However, in most instances color choices are made on a whim with total disregard for the audience or message. Certain colors and combinations of color evoke strong responses in people and so it is important to be informed. The remainder of this site is designed to provide the tools for making thoughtful color decisions as a way to enhance electronic publications.
This site was built by Bethany Vogt in the wee hours of the morning 12/11/97