Chapter 7Theories of Digital Message Design

Functions of Digital Message

Constructive design communication consists of:

(1) dialogic loops, (2) usability of websites (3) keeping visitors (4) return visit strategies (5) relevant information

Five components for effective and successful digital message design

The five components are: metaphors, mental model, navigation, appearance, and interaction.

“Metaphors” refers to easiness of terms and concepts presented on a website.

“Mental model” refers to the organized representation of information that the digital message designer intends to show.

Five Components

“Navigation” accounts for the effectiveness of the mental model through menu options and links.

“Appearance” indicates the branding of the digital message.

“Interaction” refers to the input/output systems to connect the digital message with the audience in an interactive manner.

Simplicity with useful information

Multimedia Website

Web users expect to experience rich-media with video supplements added to textual information simultaneously (presence theory).

Digital Message Design Grid Model

The grid model provides useful implications for digital message design as well. This model consists of four grids: high involvement, low involvement, thinking, and feeling.

The communication designer can think about the fundamentals of a website or a message.

This site represents feeling and high involvement.

Religious website

Information and Emotion

This website of Mitt Romney appeals to the website visitors and message readers by providing detailed information about the politician as well as emotional stories.

Thinking and Involvement Website

High involvement and thinking

Thinking and Low Involvement

Feeling and Low Involvement

Theory of Signification

“Rosebud,” a sign, was the symbol of Kane’s happy life with his family.

The first is signifier: an actual sound calling an object. The second concept is signified: the meaning for which it stands. The third concept is called a sign: a representation that stands in place of an object.

Theory of Signification

“Computer” A digital technology-based device

Sign

Signifier

Signified

Transparency Theory

The message (visual or written) can be either mechanical or manual.

By mechanical, it means that the scene is viewed as is posed.

If a digital message designer places a camera and takes the scene, it shows as it is unless it is manually manipulated.

Meanwhile, a manual message is a handmade message.

Transparency Theory

Maynard (1989) improved the theory by adding the concepts of depiction and detection.

To depict is to represent symbolic meanings through signs or symbols. To detect is to discover something through the signs and symbols.

Recognition Theory

Recognition theory states that a media message (e.g., picture, graphic, or signifier) represents a phenomenon because the message describes the phenomenon.

Recognition Theory-Five Main Features

One, seeing aspects involves resemblances. Two, seeing aspects is an imaginative

activity. Three, seeing aspects is subject to the crucial

points of the message. Four, seeing aspects is detached from belief. Five, seeing an aspect involves definite

experiences.

Recognition is aspect.

Nonperceptual Theory

According to nonperceptual theory, when digital message audiences view the message, they tend to see similarities between the visual message and what it represents.

The importance of visual message (e.g., usatoday.com)

Prototypes of Digital Message Design

Effective usability means a user-friendly layout of design, organization, and simplicity without losing key themes of the message. Particularly in a multimedia environment, clear, concise, and personal message styles appeal to the website visitors and message readers.

Five Elements of Usability

The first thing to consider is ease of learning, how fast a user who has never seen the website or the message before can learn it sufficiently well to accomplish basic tasks.

The second item is efficiency of use. There are not only new users but also experienced users. Efficiency of use is focused on how fast the experienced users can accomplish tasks.

Five Elements of Usability

The third item is concerned with memorability. If a user has used the system before, the website or the message should be easy for the user to remember so that the user can start over again learning everything if necessary.

Five Elements of Usability

Fourth, error frequency and severity needs to be considered. How often do users make errors while using the website or message? How serious are these errors and how do users recover from these errors?

Finally, the digital message designer needs to open their eyes and ears to the site visitors and message readers to check subjective satisfaction.