What does multimodal mean?
The word multimodal essentially describes our ability to communicate information to others through varying modalities, whether it be memes on social media or reports in scientific journals. Anything — and yes that means anything (i.e. sounds visuals, and movements) — that conveys a message is considered a text.
What is multimodal composing?
The mode in which writers share their text can either be a conscious or unconscious decision, but when the mode is chosen consciously, the text’s design now has a purpose. In research papers, simply reading the words is enough to understand the text’s argument but in other text’s, the audience may need to take the text’s other elements such as imaging, captions, color, and structure, into consideration. All in all, knowing the type of text being presented influences the audience’s perception of it.
Why does composition matter?
Multimodal projects are similar to writing in that they are fun, useful and flexible; the main difference is multimodal projects have sublayers to convey communication. Understanding how to compose multimedia prepares one for writing in any nature. The main goals of design and writing are identical: critical thinking to communicate a situation, choosing resources to make the text effective, and create a change as a result of it. With so many distinct languages spanning the globe, using imagery can overcome the barriers of language and spread the intended message to a larger group of people than plain English words could have.
How does the writing process differ from the designing process?
The typical research paper is more than spontaneously spewing words onto a page; it takes thought and research. A single research paper undergoes countless rounds of drafts. The writing process is recursive because, in the editing process, the writers interact with the audience for feedback prior to publication. The multimodal project, however, can assume a number of forms, not necessarily digital. The process cycles through a designing stage, redesigning, and taking inspiration from available designs. Different stages in the design process may have varying reliance on a particular step in the cycle. An example of this would be making a storyboard to pitch a film, which is much simpler and easier to change than actually recording the movie and then needing to reorder the scenes.
What are touchpoints?
They are how the designers reflect on all of the steps of the text as the audience would interpret it. It is the interaction between the stakeholder (audience) in the design process, which can vary based on the type of experience. All-in-all, touch points ensure that designers understand the scope of work needed to successfully provide the audience with a need.
How does multimodality work?
The combination of all the modes (linguistic, visual, aural, spatial, and gestural) creates a completed message ready for mass exposure to an audience; each individual component, known as textual elements, targets a specific aspect of the audience that would make the message more appealing. The linguistic mode includes written or spoken words. Considerations to take when implementing words include (1) word choice, (2) organization and structure, and (3) form of delivery. Visual modes refer to the imagery that attracts attention, which may focus on color, layout, perspective, and framing. However, there are audiences that may not be able to perceive linguistic or visual modes, hence the use of aural or spatial modes. Aural modes focus on sounds either through music, silence, tone, and volume. The run of the mill sounds is often overlooked by most people, which is why using peculiar sounds that are catchy or even silence makes the product memorable. Spatial mode is about the physical arrangement of images and information; a good way to think about it is the panels in a brochure. Good spatial arrangement can make sure readers have a difficulty free experience. Finally, the use of gestures or movements can create meaning. Body language is a prime example of gesturing because they convey emotion and a sublayer of understanding in face-to-face conversations and in theater. Unlike linguistic mode, gestures can attend to the audience’s multiple senses, leaving some room for interpretation. The strengths and benefits of the form of media used and the modes included in the text are called affordances.