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Digital Design Studio project guide

Choosing Tools

Before you choose the technological platform for your multimodal projects, make sure to carefully consider your audience and your rhetorical goals. Your project doesn't have to be digital to be multimodal - posterboards, flyers, brochures, or handouts may serve your rhetorical goals. Keep in mind how your intended audience will view and use your final project. Where will they find it? How will they interact with it? Here are some questions to get you started in your decision:

  • What does this tool do?
  • What kinds of texts are usually made with this technology?
  • Do I have access to the technology? Or training in how to use it if necessary?
  • How steep is the learning curve? Do I have the time to learn the tool well enough for my project?
  • What do I need to do before I could get started with designing in this technology?
  • What are the benefits of using this particular tool over something else?
  • What format does the final project exist as? What can be done with that file type or platform?

(Adapted from Writer/Designer: A Guide to Making Multimodal Projects by Kristin Arola, Jennifer Shephard, & Cheryl E. Ball)

Web and Software Tools