Magazine Article

When it comes to technical communication, and even communication in general, there are many different things to consider to ensure that our stories or messages are received the way we intended.

One of the most important, is to identify our audience. Understanding their wants, needs, and attitudes will guide us in shaping effective communications that are easily understood, accepted, and retained.

Enter multimodality - the practice of using a combination of different communication modes. Audio, video, font choice, colors, images, and web links among many other things are considered modes of communication. Each can benefit general audiences as well as specific ones.

For example, my magazine article uses the same tone and organization as what you’d expect to see in similar articles. Split columns, loads of images and colors, and pull-out quotes prepare the audience’s mind to think “magazine article” before they’ve read a single word.

Using multimodal techniques like this works much in the same way as the sight and smell of food does before we eat it, where we know what to expect. It’s the comfort we get from having our expectations met that keeps us reading, watching, or listening.

Understanding my audience and selecting appropriate multimodal techniques allows me to consistently create meaningful and effective communication for a wide range of genres and audiences.