Towards a rhetoric of interaction : three case studies

Abstract

Abstract: The study of rhetoric evolved from focusing solely on discourse, in Ancient Greece, to the inclusion of audiovisual elements in the 20th century. Today, a ubiquitously digital world opens a new field of research, which might be called “rhetoric of interaction”. The purpose of this work is to explore rhetorical possibilities of interactive features, that is, how different interactive design solutions may influence the apprehension of messages and help the building of arguments. The study is based on the analysis of three websites: “Central Cervejas”, a virtual tour through a Portuguese brewery; “Lifesaver”, a lesson of life-saving methods by the British Resuscitation Council; and “Sortie en Mer”, an advertisement for a safety gear company. The methodology of analysis concentrates on three main aspects: a) communicated function, b) engagement of users, and c) presence of rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos and pathos)