Spoel, Philippa. "Communicating Values, Valuing Community through Health-Care Websites: Midwifery's Online Ethos and Public Communication in Ontario." Technical Communication Quarterly 17.3 (2008): 264-288. Communication & Mass Media Complete. EBSCO. Web. 05 Oct. 2009.
Spoel examines the correlation between websites and communal communication. The article analyzes professional identities, health-care relationships, and forms of community constructed in two midwifery websites. By evaluating two models – consumption model and community model. By utilizing a rhetorical critique, Spoel evaluates the results of health-care organizations that host a website and the members of the community. She seeks to understand
the complexities in the rhetorical negotiations between the web site design and the public. Her study illustrates “the value of rhetorical analysis for developing a richer appreciation of the situated constraints and opportunities that shape the online communicative actions of diverse health professions in relation to diverse publics” (265-266). Her research confirms the importance of understanding how components of Web design connect to broader, more complex issues.
This article is significant because it highlights the relevance of web site design. It illuminates the interconnectivity between visual design, identity, and community. The strength of the article lies in its ability to connect the relevance of visual design to unrecognized mediums. Spoel presents the argument in a methodical, systematic, and unique manner.
Despite being relevant to my result in Web design, Spoel argument has some issues. The survey included only two websites in Ontario, Canada. Similar to Ittersum’s study, Spoel’s research was not a national, global, or diverse study. Therefore, the qualitative results could be inaccurate. Similarly, the Web site would have predominately interacted with a female clientele.
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