Aristotle on Website Design

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle was orating in the town square long before he could check his email or tweet his thoughts, but what he understood about communication is still relevant today.

Aristotle taught that to be an effective communicator we need three attributes, which he named ethos, pathos and logia.

Ethos

Ethos means something like 'credibility' and is the Latin root for our word 'Ethical'. Aristotle taught that we must have a credible reputation so that people will listen to what we have to say. Become an authority on a subject, write about it and conduct yourself professionally both online and face to face. Ethos is yours.

Pathos

Pathos is similar in meaning to our words 'sympathy' or 'empathy'. To show this attribute you need to be able to relate to your audience. Ever wondered why politicians kiss babies at supermarket photo opportunities? It's so that we think they're like the rest of us. If we can relate to them we're more likely to listen to what they've got to say. So next time you see Rudd smooching a bub, think to yourself 'Bam! Aristotle.'

Logia

The third attribute for effective communication is logia, meaning 'information'. At the heart of communication is the message itself, and that's what logia is all about. Make sure you've got something worthwhile to say and your audience is far more likely to pay attention.

Although he lived before the internet and other mass media we still study Aristotle today as an example of a great communicator. Follow his advice and maybe they'll be studying you in the future!