When I tell people that the name of my web design company is Web Rhetoric they are often confused as to what rhetoric is and quite often they are unsure how to spell it. I chose to include the term rhetoric in my company’s title because it was at the core of my education at the University of Colorado and hope it will be a large part of my future career. But what is rhetoric?
There are countless definitions of rhetoric from ancient philosophers such as Plato and Cicero to more modern thinkers such as Kenneth Burke and Gerard Hauser. However, one of the best definitions comes from the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle who defines rhetoric as “the ability to see in each particular case the available means of persuasion”. In easier terms, Aristotle is explaining that rhetoric is simply using language to communicate effectively. Even if you haven’t heard the term rhetoric or just don’t know how to spell it, I guarantee that you use it every day. Back in Aristotle’s day, the art of persuasive discourse was extremely important. Quite often whoever could give the best speech would have the most influence over public opinion and civic life. Over 2,000 years later in our modern day culture, rhetoric is just as important as it was in ancient Greece. Rhetoric is seen everywhere from President Obama’s carefully crafted speeches to our arguments with friends over what movie to watch. We are constantly trying to persuade and influence the opinions of those around us. So what does this have to do with the internet? Everything.
The rise of the internet has given rhetoric a new medium to be expressed with an exponentially growing audience. The web is the perfect place to demonstrate rhetoric at its finest. In the ancient Greek days, speakers only had their voice and the stage they were standing on to influence their audiences. Today, the web presents countless opportunities to connect with people. The web started out with designers using basic web development techniques such as manipulation of colors, fonts and pictures to persuade viewers. Modern web development fully engages the viewer using videos, comments and two way interactions such as Twitter or Facebook. There are more ways than ever to engage, interact and persuade the opinions of others.
With every site that I create, I attempt to engage, interact and connect with the viewer. I think about who the audience is and why they are visiting this website. What information did they come looking for and what impression do I want them to leave with? The web is a tremendous place to express rhetorical skill. I wonder how Aristotle would use the web if he were a designer?
