Writer/Designer by Cheryl E. Ball; Jennifer Sheppard; Kristin L. Arola - Second Edition, 2018 from Macmillan Student Store
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Writer/Designer

Second Edition ©2018 Cheryl E. Ball; Jennifer Sheppard; Kristin L. Arola

Grounded in multimodal theory and supported by practice in the classroom, Writer/Designer streamlines the process of composing multimodally by helping students make decisions about content across a range of modes, genres, and media from words to images to movement. Students learn by doing

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Writer/Designer by Cheryl E. Ball; Jennifer Sheppard; Kristin L. Arola - Second Edition, 2018 from Macmillan Student Store

Essential support for multimodal composing

Grounded in multimodal theory and supported by practice in the classroom, Writer/Designer streamlines the process of composing multimodally by helping students make decisions about content across a range of modes, genres, and media from words to images to movement. Students learn by doing as they write for authentic audiences and purposes. The second edition of Writer/Designer is reimagined to clarify the multimodal process and give students the tools they need to make conscious rhetorical choices in new modes and media. Key concepts in design, rhetoric, and multimodality are illustrated with vivid, timely examples, and new Touchpoint activities for each section give students opportunities to put new skills into practice.

Based on feedback from instructors and administrators who incorporate multimodality into their classroom—or want to—this brief, accessible text is designed to be flexible, supporting core writing assignments and aligning with course goals in introductory composition or any course where multimodality matters.

Features

A process-focused approach introduces and illustrates key stages of multimodal composition while establishing clear connections to the writing process and to the practices students will actually use in creating their projects.

A central emphasis on design introduces foundational concepts of design—emphasis, contrast, organization, alignment, proximity, and more—to provide students the tools they need to develop multimodal texts.

Write/Design! assignments in every chapter help students dig into chapter concepts and scaffold students’ development of larger-scale projects—from finding useful tools and sources to drafting and revising in all kinds of media—whether they are composing fully digital texts or incorporating multimodal elements into core assignments. Projects include a mind map, proposal, rhetorical analysis, and genre analysis.

Touchpoint activities throughout the book ask students to apply multimodal concepts to small-stakes practice, engaging students with the content and encouraging them to think critically and learn by doing.

Case Studies in every chapter highlight and analyze examples of real-world writer/designers at work, demonstrate theoretical concepts in practice, and offer models and inspiration for students. Case Studies include university websites optimized for computers and mobile devices, student-created webtexts and videos, professional web and print design work, and institutional documents like government websites.

New to This Edition

Expanded coverage of essential design and rhetorical concepts in Part One chapters give students a stronger foundation for multimodal composing. Examples and analysis of design terms such as color, formerly found in ix: visualizing composition, are now incorporated directly into the book, and new sections on multimodal genres position students to create their own projects.

A more flexible Write/Design! assignment now offers options for each project: an immersive multimodal and multimedia process or a more streamlined approach that allows students to incorporate multimodal elements into core assignments such as literacy narratives or rhetorical analyses.

More hands-on practice with Touchpoint activities, which suggest small-scale, small-stakes assignments that encourage students to apply new multimodal skills to their writing. Touchpoints work as standalone multimodal activities to practice rhetorical concepts or as scaffolding support for multimodal projects.

A new organization flexible structure for students and instructors during the multimodal process.

  • Part One: The Multimodal Process introduces key concepts of multimodality, rhetoric, genre, and process while allowing students to practice applying their new knowledge with examples, activities, and assignment projects.
  • Part Two: The Write/Design Toolkit offers a flexible collection of strategies and activities for multimodal processes that can be assigned alongside the Part One chapters and with a wide range of projects. Sections include collecting and managing assets and sources; understanding and tracking copyright issues and ethics; and designing genre-specific drafts in the composing process such as prototypes, wireframes, and storyboards.

Updated examples and images pique students’ interest, showcase real-world write/design situations, and keep Writer/Designer relevant. New visuals include protest imagery from the Black Lives Matter movement, a "regendered" girls’ magazine cover, roller derby posters, and infographics.

"This is the rhetoric text you need for teaching 21st century literacies."
– Lanette Cadle, Missouri State University

"A warmly welcoming resource for teaching that may encourage and assist even the most fearful, reluctant, or tech-wary instructors to embrace multimodality in their classrooms."
– Kristin Ravel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

"If you are interested in incorporating multimodal projects in your class assignments, Writer/Designer will provide the framework and key concepts needed to keep the class engaged and productive."
– Shawn Apostel, Bellarmine University

"Writer/Designer brings together rhetorical concepts and multimodal writing in a practical, classroom-based way."
– Jason Kahler, Saginaw Valley State University

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Table of Contents

PART ONE: THE MULTIMODAL PROCESS

Chapter 1       What Are Multimodal Projects?
What Is Multimodal Composing?
Why Should Multimodal Composing Matter to You?
Writing/Designing as a Process
      The Typical Writing Process
      The Multimodal Composing Process
      Touchpoints
TOUCHPOINT: Understanding Multimodal Processes
How Does Multimodality Work?
      Linguistic Mode
      Visual Mode
      Aural Mode
      Spatial Mode
      Gestural Mode
TOUCHPOINT: Examining a Simple Multimodal Text
Modes, Media, and Affordances
CASE STUDY: Mapping Federal Spending
TOUCHPOINT: Understanding Mode, Media, and Affordance in Everyday Texts
WRITE/DESIGN!       Mapping Your Multimodal Process
      Write/Design! Option: Multimodal Literacy Narratives

Chapter 2       How Does Rhetoric Work in Multimodal Projects?
Rhetoric and Multimodality
Analyzing a Rhetorical Situation
      Audience
TOUCHPOINT: Analyzing Audience
      Purpose
TOUCHPOINT: Analyzing Purpose
      Context
TOUCHPOINT: Analyzing Context
Analyzing Design Choices
      Emphasis
      Contrast
      Color
      Organization
      Alignment
      Proximity
TOUCHPOINT: Analyzing a Website’s Rhetorical Design Choices
Writing and Designing Rhetorically
CASE STUDY: Analyzing the WSU Website
WRITE/DESIGN! Designing a Rhetorical Analysis
      Write/Design! Option: Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

Chapter 3       Why Is Genre Important in Multimodal Projects?
Genre and Multimodality
      Author
      Genre
      Understanding Genre Conventions
Multimodal Genres: Defining the What and the How
      Static and Dynamic Genres
      Non/Linearity, Representation, and Association in Genres
TOUCHPOINT: Finding Your Genre
Genre Analysis: Analyzing the What and the How
      Analyzing Genre Conventions
      Questions for Genre Analysis
TOUCHPOINT: Analyzing Musical Genres
CASE STUDY: Analyzing Multimodal Genres in Game Studies
What if the Genre Is Unclear?
WRITE/DESIGN! Analyzing Genre Conventions for Your Project
      Write/Design! Option: Infographics as Visual-Argument Genres

Chapter 4       How Do You Start a Multimodal Project?
What Are You Supposed to Produce?
Brainstorming Your Project Ideas
TOUCHPOINT: Multimodal Brainstorming
Pitching Your Project
Designing Your Pitch
TOUCHPOINT: Putting a Project Pitch into Action
Drafting to Stakeholder Expectations
TOUCHPOINT: Choosing a Draft Genre
Using the Feedback Loop
TOUCHPOINT: Tracking Your Feedback
Designing for Your Primary Audience
CASE STUDY: Pitching an App for the National Gallery
WRITE/DESIGN! Proposing to Get It All Done 
      Write/Design! Option: Project Timeline

Chapter 5       How Do You Design and Revise with Multiple Audiences?
Designing with Your Collaborators
      Strategies for Successful Collaboration
      Collaborative Workflow Options
TOUCHPOINT: Planning with a Team
Working Alone
TOUCHPOINT: Working Alone Isn’t Really Working Alone
Finalizing Drafts for Your Audience
      A Checklist for Final Drafts
      Delivering Drafts for Peer Review
TOUCHPOINT: Preparing Audiences for Feedback with a Delivery Plan
Peer Reviewing Multimodal Projects
      Read the Text
      Evaluate the Text
      Provide Constructive Feedback
TOUCHPOINT: Giving Feedback on a Rough Draft
CASE STUDY: Revising an Advertisement Design with Stakeholder Feedback
Revising Your Multimodal Project
      Creating a Revision Plan
      Finalizing Your Project
TOUCHPOINT: Revising Your Multimodal Project
Creating Documentation for Your Stakeholders
      Collaborative Wiki
      In-Line Comments
TOUCHPOINT: Creating a Style Guide
Reporting and Reflecting on Your Project
WRITE/DESIGN! Assignment: Reporting on Your Project
      Write/Design! Option: Reflecting on Your Project

Part Two: The Write/Design Toolkit

Chapter 6       Working with Multimodal Assets and Sources
Collecting Assets
TOUCHPOINT: Building an Asset List
Working with Multimodal Sources
      Find Credible Sources
      Evaluate Sources
TOUCHPOINT: Annotating Credible Sources in an Asset List
Copyright Issues and Ethics 
      Copyright 
      Fair Use 
      Permissions
      Creative Commons
TOUCHPOINT: Tracking Copyright and CC-Licensed Work
Citing Assets and Sources 
      Provide Enough Information for Readers 
      Use a Credible Citation Style for Your Genre
TOUCHPOINT: Finding and Citing Sources
Organizing and Sharing Assets 
      Categorize Your Files Appropriately 
      Use Good Naming Conventions 
      Use Version Control
TOUCHPOINT: Getting Your Assets in Order

Chapter 7       Working with Technologies
Choosing How to Work with Technologies
TOUCHPOINT: Learning How to Learn
Deciding Between Analog and Digital
What Does Your Audience Need?
TOUCHPOINT: Choosing an Analog or Digital Project
Assessing Technological Affordances
TOUCHPOINT: Conducting a Technology Review
Drafting Your Project: Static, Dynamic, and Timeline-Based Texts
Rapid Prototyping for Static Texts
      Outlines
      Sketches
      Models
TOUCHPOINT: Sketching a Draft
Designing Drafts of Dynamic Texts
      Wireframes
      Mock-Ups
TOUCHPOINT: Drafting Your Wireframe and Mock-Up
Composing Timeline-Based Drafts
      Storyboards
      Scripts
      Rough Cuts
TOUCHPOINT: Drafting Your Storyboard
Getting Feedback on Your Rough Drafts
Preserving Your Assets with Metadata
Preparing for the Multimodal Afterlife 
      Where Are Your Project Files Located? 
      How Long Are You Responsible for the Project?
TOUCHPOINT: Creating a Sustainability Plan

Kristin L. Arola

Kristin L. Arola is an Associate Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures at Michigan State University. Her work brings together composition theory, digital rhetoric, and American Indian rhetorics so as to understand digital composing practices within larger social and cultural contexts. Her most recent book, Composing (Media) = Composing (Embodiment) [with Anne Frances Wysocki, Utah State UP, 2012] is an edited collection that explores how the media we produce and consume embody us in a two-way process. She is also the co-editor of the third edition of CrossTalk in Comp Theory: A Reader [with Victor Villanueva, NCTE, 2011]. Her work has appeared in Computers and Composition, Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion, and the Journal of Literacy and Technology. She resides in Pullman, WA, with her amazing husband and charming dog.

Jennifer Sheppard

Jennifer Sheppard is a faculty member in the Rhetoric and Writing Studies Department at San Diego State University, where she serves as the Associate Director of Lower Division Writing. She regularly teaches courses in visual communication, digital and popular culture rhetorics, and professional communication. Her research and publication projects have focused on the intersection of theory and practice in digital writing, new media composing, professional communication, and pedagogy for face-to-face and online instruction. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Literacy and Technology, Hybrid Pedagogy, Computers and Composition, and several edited collections, including Designing Texts: Teaching Visual Communication and RAW: Reading and Writing New Media. She lives in San Diego, CA, with her partner, Kathryn, and their son, Eli.

Cheryl E. Ball

Cheryl E Ball is an Associate Professor of Digital Publishing Studies in the English Department at West Virginia University. Her areas of specialization include multimodal composition and editing practices, digital media scholarship, and digital publishing. Since 2006, Ball has been editor of the online, peer-reviewed, open-access journal Kairos: Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy, which exclusively publishes digital media scholarship and is read in 180 countries. She has published articles in a range of rhetoric/composition, technical communication, and media studies journals including Computers and Composition, C&C Online, Fibreculture, Convergence, Programmatic Perspectives, and Technical Communication Quarterly. Her recent books include a scholarly multimedia collection The New Work of Composing (co-edited with Debra Journet and Ryan Trauman, C&C Digital Press) and the print-based RAW: Reading and Writing New Media (co-edited with Jim Kalmbach, Hampton Press).

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Instructor's Manual for Writer/Designer (Online Only)