Toyota Prius

1.2
I just love my Toyota Prius, hybrid synergy drive.
So I had to visit the Toyota Prius website and like the car I was not disappointed.
You can access the site -
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/minisite/hsd/index.html?s_van=GM_TN_HSD
Click the enter icon
Discourse
The main themes of discourse is
flashy, new- generation,
peak scientific-based technology
ecology and the environment
Economic and money-saving
Brand- Toyota and Prius.
The title- Everyone has their reason, allows Toyota to introduce all the reasons, based on its marketing demographics so that it can capture the widest audience that are likely to want to buy a Prius.
Linguistic design includes is some normal written text in short sentences with one selling point each. The main discourse is that cool people who are into smart and intelligent technology and care or the environment as well as economically sensible are in the club of Prius or potential Prius owners. I know that the demographics are that professional middle -aged single women are the major share of the market and this is who the web page is appealing to although there is a sense that the young upwardly mobile is another potential market niche.
The words chosen are intelligent and appeal to an upper middle class person. Words such as ‘real-life science fiction’, ‘regenerative breaking’ next to models of the car People and the Environment create the image of multiple reasons and appeals to each person with their own reasons for choosing this car.
The text type is not too bold, softened by the color and crisp clean like the image intended.

Globalization design is seen in the use of Chinese and Spanish language tabs

The Visual design part of this interactive site is the most exciting with splashed of color and designs; an avatar which is realistic and ‘cool’ items such as sunglasses and pictures. There are flash designs and pictures, movement with the car slowly appearing and then disintegrating into dots. There are a number of videos that promote the discourse with pictures of money, environment. Hybrid synergy design, sleek, clean, car design and ‘cool ‘ young people.
Audio design components include music and voice. There are other noises and sound effects in the film clips
The game technology includes interactive and feedback information, choose and click feedback. There are 10 tiles that give you film clips about the reasons to choose the car. This reflects the important discourse about intelligent people choosing an intelligent car. This technology advertises the car technology, which is promoted as fun, years ahead of the others and clever.
Gestures are included with the avatar whose gestures are open- handed, clean-faced; body posture is relaxed and ‘cool’. The other people are placed as everyday people making choices for modern living including advanced technology in their lives.
Spatial relationships include the entry web pages with neat and tidy tabs that highlight and use multi-linear links to other areas of information about the Prius, hybrid cars and other Toyota manufacturing. There is plenty of space on each web=page so that your eyes rest on the information tiles or videos. This uncluttered design promotes the points clearly and with maximal impact.
Multimodal design includes the integration of all the above designs and modalities
With Synaesthesia (more than one sensory input at once).


Cope, B & Kalantzis, M (eds) 2000, Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures London, New York Taylor & Francis Routledge,
http://www.netlibrary.com.ezproxy.usq.edu.au/Details.aspx
Accessed 28/3/2007