1. iPad: iTunes – VALSG
2. Textbook: The Multimedia Journalist – LSV
3. Wallet – LS
4. Button – LS
5. Ring – LS
6. Gum – LSV
7. Lottery Ticket – LVG
8. Ribbon – L
9. Flyer – VLS
10. Giftcard – LS
11. iPhone: Collegiate Times App – VALSG
12. Water Bottle: Stickers – LSV

Out of all of my items, I think the lottery ticket might be the most interesting piece. Although it does not use all of the modes, it is a different variety of modes. It utilizes Linguistic and Visual modes because of the wording and colors/images on the ticket, but it also utilizes Spatial and Gestural modes because of the organization and motion required to scratch off the ticket. I think the two most opposite objects would probbaly be the iTunes app and the pink breast cancer ribbon. The app uses all modes because it is a digital source of informaiton, while the ribbon is very basic.

I have lots of multimodal texts with me. Some are more predictable than others.

• My backpack has images and writing on it (V, L)
• The buttons on my backpack (V, L)
• Henry V (L, V, G)
• Romeo and Juliet (L, V, G)
• Writer/Designer eBook (L, V)
• Notebook with dividers (L, V, S)
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (L, V, G)
• Planner (L, V, S)
• My shirt (L, V)
• Hokie Passport (L, V, G)
• Driver’s License (L, V, G)
• iTunes Library (L, V, A, S)
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower eBook (L, V, G)
• The Fault in Our Stars eBook (L, V)
• Aesop’s Fables eBook (L, V)
• Pride and Prejudice eBook (L, V)
• Treasure Island eBook (L, V)
• Mockingjay eBook (L, V)
• Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion eBook (L, V)
• Sudoku app (L, V, A, S)
• The Sims 3 game (L, V, A, S, G)
• Borderlands 2 game (L, V, A, S, G)
• iPhoto library (L, V, S, G)
• PhotoBooth library (L, V, S, G, A)
• Pokemon games (L, V, S, G, A)
• Computer calendar (L, V, S)
• Cell phone calendar (L, V, S)
• Pandora app (L, V, S, A)
• Snapchat app (L, V, G, A, S)
• Instagram app (L, V, S, G, A)
• Pinterest app (L, V, S, G, A)
• Facebook app (L, V, S, G, A)
• My Fitness Pal app (L, S, V)
• Timehop app (L, S, V, G)
• Skype app (L, S, V, G)

One of the main media sources I used was my computer, which included, among other things, all of my Kindle books.

The texts that used all modes of communication were digital, and most were apps that involved video. I noticed that most books were linguistic and visual, except for those with pictures of faces. Everything on my list included linguistic and visual information. There are some similar texts. I have older ones on my computer because my Kindle app came with them. I have some recent things on my computer, too, because I’ve only read eBooks in the past couple years. I have multiple Shakespeare plays because we’re about to switch from Romeo and Juliet to Henry V in my Shakespeare class. I also have lots of apps. The most different texts are probably Pride and Prejudice and my Snapchat app, mostly in terms of age, technology, and the amount of media used. Snapchat uses everything that is necessary all at once, and it doesn’t always use everything (there is no audio with pictures), while Pride and Prejudice is just text and minor visual details.

1. Protein bar: V, S, L
2. Chapstick: V, S, L
3. Hand sanitizer: V, S, L
4. Granola bar: V, S, L
5. Extra gum- Winterfresh: V, S, L
6. Extra gum- Smooth Mint: V, S, L
7. Virginia Tech water bottle: V, S, L, G
8. Twitter on iPhone: V, S, L, G
9. Starbucks card: V, S, L
10. Kroger card: V, S, L
11. The Odyssey newspaper: V, S, L, G
12. The Writer’s Journey textbook: V, S, L

Going through this assignment made me realize how works that are not digital, really only have visual, spatial, and linguistic elements. The most common elements are definitely color, shapes, layout and contrast. The only printed work that has the gestural element is the newspaper, because of the pictures of the faces featured on the cover. It is amazing how simple elements such as contrast and texture really make certain items stand out. This just goes to show how you do not need a ton of showy aspects to make a good design stand out.

 

For my Multimodal Dig, I was able to pull from my backpack the following and list its usage of the modes of communication.

1. Chap Stick- Visual, Linguistic
2. Trident gum-Visual, Linguistic,Spatial,  
3. Writer/Designer text book- Linguistic, Visual, Spatial, Gestural
4. VT ‘Blue Book’ for testing- Visual, Linguistic, Spatial
5. King James Bible- Linguistic
6. Forestry Class Lesson packet on Wind- Spatial, linguistic, visual 
7. VT Swimming men’s speedo- Linguistic, Visual
8. Technical Editing text book- Linguistic, Visual
9. 2013 NRA-ILA Membership card- Visual, Linguistic, Spatial, Gestural 
10. Gerber Multi-tool- Linguistic (GERBER company logo)
11. Pair of VT workout shorts- Linguistic, Visual
12. Iphone 4 protecting case.- Visual, Linguistic (VT logo and school colors on back) 

All but one of these Items, my King James Bible,  posses at least two of the five modes of communication. Pattern wise, I found that, predominantly, all of my items utilize the Visual and Linguistic modes. Most all of these items are from a modern time frame and use multiple modes of communication, with the exception of my K.J.B., which is nearly identical to the original prints of this bible version and uses only the linguistic mode. The two texts that differ the most from each other are the Bible and the Membership Card, as the bible uses one mode, and the card uses 4 (all but aural). 

Multimodal Dig

Items and Modes

Box of toothpicks: spatial, visual, aural (if ya shake it!)

Newspaper: spatial, visual, linguistic, gestural 

Packet of allergy relief pills: visual, spatial, linguistic

Dolla dolla bill (y’all): visual, spatial, linguistic

TIMBERMAN app (iPhone as medium): visual, spatial, linguistic, aural

Foxridge pen: visual, spatial, linguistic, aural

Water Bottle: visual, spatial, linguistic

Watch: visual, spatial, linguistic

Debit Card: visual, spatial, linguistic

YouTube app (iPhone as medium): visual, spatial, linguistic, aural, gestural (DING DING DING WE HAVE A WINNER)
Agenda: visual, spatial, linguistic

Textbook: visual, spatial, linguistic

Reflection

The only text I found that used all five modes was a highly interactive, open-ended iPhone app. Typically, the texts I found only communicated across visual, spatial, and linguistic modes. As a student, all of my items felt pretty typical and fairly similar. Communication through words and visual elements seem to predominate my everyday life. My box of toothpicks and the YouTube app were the most different. One being entirely physical and utterly wordless, while the other was a digital stream of code that interacts through pixels using every single mode. The information conveyed by the box of toothpicks is purely implicit. It is easy to pass over it and derive no information, or you can make any number of deductions about it. The box is made of plastic and is tinted with a translucent green. It’s designed to be practical and to catch the eye without distracting or demanding attention. It’s there when you need it and just a green box in your backpack when you don’t. The toothpicks convey something about the user, who apparently experiences such consternation with dangling food particles that toothpicks are necessary at a moment’s notice. Blah, blah, blah, you can practically take it anywhere. The YouTube app presents information very directly: words, video, gestures, sound. All of it is fairly evident without much need for thoughtful interpretation (just the way the liberal media likes it! dun Dun DUN!) (o.O) Jk LAWLS. Anyways, they are very different in my opinion, but maybe even bringing up toothpicks is a stretch. 

Multimodal Texts:
Coppertone sunscreen (L, V)
Plague Inc (L, V, A)
Facebook (L, V, A)
Evernote (L, V, S)
Smash Hit (L, V, A)
MyMazda (L, V)
Nook (L, V)
Gmail (L, V)
Starbucks (L, V)
Flashlight (V, G)
BofA (V)
VT Transit (V)

 

 

While none of my texts use all the forms of communication it’s easy to see that it is a bit unusual to find a multimodal text that exists sans linguistic elements. The ones that I have are the applications on my phone that in an effort to remain simple and accessible have forgone text. The vast majority of my multimodal sources come from applications on a tablet and my phone. Everything I’ve found has been made in the last few years. The apps that are furthest from each other would be Facebook in all its various aspects and the flashlight application which was made as basic as possible (except for the added compass function). 

 

Multimodal Dig Items:

• Text on water bottle – V, S, L
• Logo on coffee to-go cup- V, S, L
• Logo on flip flops- V, S, L
• Logo on backpack- V, S, L
• Apps on iPhone- V, S, A, L, G 
• Planner- V, S, L
• Hokie passport- V, S, L 
• Background on computer- V, S, L 
• Hotel room key- V, S, L
• Flashcards- V, L

Analyzing the Multimodal Dig: 

• Which texts use all five modes of communication?
  • The only place where I found all five modes of communicate was apps on my iPhone, where in any given app it may also contain aural and gestural. Aural and gestural appear to be the two that are the hardest to find. 
• What patterns do you see across the texts?
  • All my texts contain the visual, spatial, and linguistic aspects.
• Are they similar types of texts?
  • Yes, they are similar types of texts. 
• Do they come from a similar time period or location or publication?
  • They all come from a similar time period, but not the same location or publisher. 
• Which two texts are the most different from each other?
  • The texts are all pretty similar, but I think most different would be the iPhone apps and the planner. 
• How are the modes used in those texts, and does that contribute to how different they are?
  • The iPhone apps use all five modes of communication, whereas the planner uses just three- visual, spacial, and linguistic.  I think their main difference is that the iPhone apps are technology, and the planner will always be a written, paper document. The planner won’t be able to use aural or gestural, whereas the iPhone apps will always be able to incorporate every element because its modern. The iPhone apps need to be modern and cutting-edge, whereas the planner is best in its simple form.