Multimodality

Modes

• speak to audiences
• express ideas, values, beliefs, emotions, senses
• physical features 

Modes

• Abstraction
• Universalization
• Expression/ representation
• outcome of cultural shaping of a material

How modes work

• choosing
• sorting
• assembling/ distributing
• ultimately remixing

How modes work

• Transmodal
• reaching across 
• sum of all parts greater than whole

How modes work

• Intermodal
• can exist seperately
• cross reference on another
• combinations

How modes work

• Intramodal
• cohere to make meaning
• combinations 
• subtle
• manipulate for optimum effect, impact, and salience

Assembling Process

• layering in semiotic, social, and critical complexities
• gathered and cohered for optimal meaning making
• building upon
• chains of semiosis
• powerful, deliberate, informed

Design

• aptness: fitness for purpose
• available resources suited for needs
• shifting constantly
• adjusted, modified, or edited

Untitled Slide

• Transduction
• Modes shifting as they cross texts
• Translation
• no changes to given mode- change happens when jumping to another text

Design

• One of the most important parts 
• Encourages imagination, vision, problem solving
• Six areas of design: linguistics, visual, audio, gestural, spatial 
• and multimodal

Production

• creation and organization of representation
• decisions in delivery, modality, transivity, vocab
• and metaphor, nominalization process, 
• information structures, and logical and global coherence

What I have Learned

• Modes are complicated matters
• For every story told, there are a million of other ways to tell it
• modes are used create meaning, a vision, send a message
• modes can be used in very personal, or public ways
• mode design and producing is a process

Modes in a Nutshell:

Modes are tied to formative sense and memories. Multimodality is storytelling, not solitary act, collaborative, and participatory.

Texts are never original, yet exhibit traces of former text, build upon interpretations. Conventions about design and production can be taught and fostered.

There is equality across modes used in everyday life!