Artifacts - Communications

Artifacts

“Artifactual communication consists of messages conveyed by objects that are made by human hands” (DeVito, 2009).

How we decorate our personal space gives other clues to our personalities. Whether we are subconsciously showing off how much wealth we have by the items that we chose to display or what in home activities we value by the placement of furniture in a room, artifacts are a communication tool that can give us an insight to a person’s personality.

My wife and I have friends that display many pictures of their only child. These pictures are displayed in nice frames and are placed prominently throughout their home. When we first met this couple, we would not have guessed that they were dedicated parents to a young child. We would go out and party a lot and there was never much conversation about children. However, we were invited to their child’s first birthday party and when we arrived at their home we realized that they were very caring and loving parents.

All through their house are pictures of them with their child, many of the pictures are candid shots which show them laughing and have a fun time with their child. After seeing these pictures placed throughout the how we both realized that they are dedicated parents that love their child without abandon. If we had not seen this side of them, we would have continued to think that their child was a burden on their lifestyle but we now have a much more positive perception of this couple.

An artifact that is displayed prominently in my house is my television. It is a large item that takes pride of place front and center in my living room. It is the focal point of the room with the component racks either side of it essentially framing the television and making it stand out even more. I also have a large U shaped couch that ensures everybody has a good view of the television.

I think that this conveys the message that watching television is important to me. It could also send the...