So, let’s define a few terms, shall we?
Digital Writing
The process of creating layered texts to communicate ideas.
Writing is anything that produces a text. — Morey
The act of a person or thing that … traces or forms (characters, letters, words, etc.) on the surface of some material, as with a pen, pencil, or other instrument or means. — Dictionary.com
A text is any kind of artifact produced by humans. — Morey
A text is a piece of communication as a whole. Every text has individual elements, all of which can be read individually and are combined to form an overall, cohesive meaning. — Ball + Sheppard + Arola
Digital Media
Using computers and other electronic tools to create, remix, and share texts.
Digital, in one sense, simply means larger wholes that can be broken into discrete parts and rearranged. — Morey
Available in electronic form; readable and manipulable by computer. — Dictionary.com
The way your text reaches your audience. — Ball + Sheppard + Arola
The means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the internet, that reach or influence people widely. — Dictionary.com
Multimodal Communication
Integrating multiple modes in a text in order to share a complex idea.
A way of communicating, including aural, gestural, linguistic, spatial, and visual. — Ball + Sheppard + Arola
A manner of acting or doing; method; way. — Dictionary.com
Combining multiple different ways of communicating in everyday life. — Ball + Sheppard + Arola
Having more than one mode. — Dictionary.com
Writing for Digital Media is Multimodal Communication
Aural
- music
- sound effects
- ambient noise/sounds
- silence
- tone of voice in spoken language
- volume of sound
- emphasis and accent
Gestural
- facial expressions
- hand gestures
- body language
- interaction between people
Linguistic
- written or spoken words
- word choice
- the delivery of text as spoken or written
- the organization of writing or speech into phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc.
- the development and coherence of individual words and ideas
Spatial
- physical arrangement
- organization
- proximity between people or objects
- website navigation
- user interface
- layout “look + feel”
Visual
- color
- layout
- style
- size
- perspective
- framing
Sources
Dictionary.com, Dictionary.com, www.dictionary.com.
“Digital Writing.” The Digital Writer, by Sean Morey, Fountainhead Press, 2017, pp. 1–35.
“The Multimodal Process.” Writer/Designer: a Guide to Making Multimodal Projects, by Cheryl E. Ball et al., Bedford/St. Martins, 2018, pp. 38–87.