Decorative Color as a Rhetorical Enhancement on the World Wide Web
http://www.leaonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15427625tcq1401_4
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  peer-reviewed

Richards, Anne R. and Carol David
Technical Communication Quarterly
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.