Figure 1. A communication model inspired by the rhetorical triangle. Click around the diagram for an explanation of the concepts.

Communication Logic Rhetoric Message

Design Rationale

The model consists of blue text and green hyperlinks on a light blue background: this color contrast is appropriate for web browsers. The dotted border around the table makes it so that the model doesn't stand out from the page.

The model is laid out in a table with one row and two columns. In the left column is another table to lay out the triangle. Both tables are styled using CSS. The figure caption is surrounded by the (underused) <caption> tag and is also styled with CSS.

My preference for link styles is to reserve underlines for visited links. If you say "a colorblind user needs the underline to indicate unvisited links," then I will respond: user preferences always override design decisions. Colorblind users will have configured their browser in such a way as to make links obvious to them.