The Medium is the Message

"The Medium is the Message" is the very contextual phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan in the 1960s. McLuhan explains that the meaning of a word, phrase, action, or idea is directly related to the context in which it is used or surrounded by. This means that reading a phrase in a book, and then encountering the same phrase in a movie will create two different experiences because of the inseparable nature of the medium (movie, book, etc.) and its context. This context is generally construed in different ways, conveying sometimes drastically different messages.

Even within a medium itself, movies for example, there are generally sub-layers, or genres, that can even further push this idea. For example, hearing the phrase "oh my God" in a romantic comedy versus a horror movie is creates a drastically different reaction. Yes the same words are being spoken, but even within the same medium, the genre in itself can create a massive change in the overall message of, in this example, words spoken. This idea holds true for many aspects of film. Even a film described as "thrilling" in a review can be interpreted as two completely different things in the aforementioned example.

Marshall McLuhan's phrase was coined in the almost fifty years ago, but its message still carries on today. As technology updates, so does the full meaning of "the medium is the message". New mediums are being created often, and it leaves the artist with more choices, in which to decide how their message will be determined. Design seems to be challenging itself with this phrase more often in recent years. With more and more businesses wanting web sites, offices, products, business cards, and more all at once, designers must constantly deal with consistency in a businesses' message. The challenge is to make all angles communicate the desired message as effective as possible.