Part 3: Chapter 18.2

With multimodal composition, creators have the opportunity to use multiple modalities  to present informationOnce you have chosen an audience for your text, it is time to choose a genre and begin creating using modalities including audio, visual, linguistic, and spatial, among othersIn this chapter, we share some popular multimodal texts with tips on how to create them.  

There are three principles to keep in mind when you are creating any multimodal text:

  1. Keep it simple.
  2. Make it accessible
  3. Follow CRAP design principles

Academic and Professional Papers

Just because academic writing is often text-based, that doesn’t mean that there are no options for multimodality! One of the principles of multimodality is visual presentation. You can absolutely present your work visually using a variety of tools found in a word processor like Microsoft Word or Google Docs to create a multimodal document that is appropriate for any academic or professional setting. The following tips will help you design  document that is aesthetically pleasing while sharing information that is more accessible to your reader. 

Example of Multimodality: Scholarly Text

Here is in an example of a standard scholarly book in a print edition. This text relies primarily on the linguistic mode. In other words, it is made up primarily of letters and words. However, because most texts are multimodal in some sense, there are at least three modes at work in this example. 

scholarly book page with words arranged intentionally

Font Choices

If a font isn’t specified in the assignment, you can choose one yourself! If your final work will be printed, you would typically choose a serif font—or one that has decorative edges called “feet.” If you are writing for a digital space, a sans serif font will do nicely and is easier to read on a screen.

Serif vs Sans: The Final Battle

by mostash.

From Visually.

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