Mel Rolle's CMS 3710 Project 2 Web Site Analysis:
Dot.Comedy.com
Theme
Dot.comedy's entertainment design theme conveys the goal of promoting laughter among users. The theme borrows heavily from television culture and can be described as simple, creative, original, and rare. The site's designers target this theme by applying minimal organization and navigation. Thus, Dot.comedy distinguishes itself from traditional human computer interface that primarily reflects print culture. The site includes a small amount of text so that viewers focus on the visual display. Even in the “about” section of the web site, a section that usually includes a few paragraphs, viewers are more captivated by the text’s organization than the amount of text itself (See Figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1
Dot.comedy's short
“about” section supports the entertainment design theme.
...In Relation to Concept
According to Hillman Curtis, themes can “communicate so much deeper than literal messaging” (41). He defines theme in relation to concept and style. He suggests that a good theme comes from a “simple” idea (73). Dot.comedy’s idea, or concept, can be described in three words: uncensored, edgy, and underground. Basically, the theme of the site’s content is “raw and uncut” comedy. Dot.comedy’s style—graphic design, color, typography, and interface design—reflects this theme (See Figure 2.2).
Figure 2.2
Dot.comedy's style reflects the “raw and uncut” theme of the comedy showcased on the site.
Dot.comedy’s theme successfully conveys its goal. The site’s viewers want to temporarily escape their problems, or even better, their reality. A rare, edgy, and creative theme suggests that Dot.comedy is the best sanctuary on the web.
Mel Rolle
CMS 3710
Updated: 20 April 2009