Marshall McLuhan was born in 1911 and passed away in 1980. He didn’t get to experience the web that exists today. However, he has still been a huge influence on it.

In The Medium is the Massage McLuhan says, “Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content of the communication”. “The medium is the message” is a communication theory that the medium plays a crucial role and is possibly more valuable than the message itself. A certain message can be displayed across different mediums and each delivers a whole different experience and feeling. The medium of a message largely influences its place in society. For example, events today can claim they will “change the world” but 100 years ago without the tool of the internet, reaching the rest of the world was impossible. 

Artists and designers today are able to create tools, experiences, services, and communities because of the internet. The Internet has a more powerful reach than any other medium in history. However, that doesn’t mean designers shouldn’t implement aesthetics. Designers should always consider how a design decision shapes the message. Colors, shapes, and other elements  also play a role in the way the message is received.

 

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