User-generated content

Multimodal content is accessible through interactions between users and technology. A composer for multimodal technologies needs to incorporate interactivity into content and design. Interactivity invites the user to contribute content and uses that content to respond. Responsive design meets user-generated content as the element of interactivity.

Considering human factors

Orality is interactive in a conversational context and multimodal technology uses this approach to anticipate possible content contributions from the user. Web design considers the human factors aspect in this way. Other print media design their content, anticipating interactive exchanges with the audience.

Time and space continuity

Comic books exhibit a form of interactive design. Transitions, text and symbolism all use time and space continuity in different patters with windows for the audience to supplement user-generated content. Sometimes, a comic provides an explanation of the association between frames, but other times a reader makes these connections themselves. 

Wear your experience

Wearable technology will differ from conventional comic book interactive design. A composer for multimodal technology should write content and design functionality to incorporate opportunities for user's to make their user experience their own. Wearable technology can interact with a user beyond the affordances of print in the rhetorical contexts of use. For example, Google Glass interacts with the user using features such as maps, search engines, photography, social media management and voice commands. 

The tendency for content to limit itself

Scott McCloud warns information designers to search beyond the confines of print media when composing for multimodal technologies. He emphasizes the concept of time-space continuity within all compositions and the tendency for content to limit itself. McCloud explains continuity as a window instead of a page, where design allows for a portion of content to function interactively with other content, users, even the medium itself.

Please enjoy Scott McCloud's TED Talk, on the next page of your journey. McCloud sees continuity as a window instead of a page, where design and writing interact with users in uncharted ways.