What is a good document?

Based on earlier presentation on Kress & van Leeuwen Chapter 6 The Meaning of Composition, we have discussed about The Meaning of Composition. According Kress & van Leeuwen explain about how composition are interpreted – how images and texts work together to form meanings to the readers, analyzing multimodal texts in terms of print to documents and websites and also discussion on reading paths for linear and non-linear compositions.

Kress & van Leeuwan (2006, p.204) discussed about the differences in terms of reading paths of linear and non-linear compositions. Linear compositions such as comic strip,novels are strictly coded & are meant to be read in sequence ( e.g left to right , top to bottom, line by line). Non-linear texts such as magazines, newspaper (1998, p.205) are less strictly coded and are read differently – can be read more than one way.

Kress & van Leeuwan (2006, p.204) discussed about the differences in terms of reading paths of linear and non-linear compositions. Linear compositions such as comic strip,novels are strictly coded & are meant to be read in sequence ( e.g left to right , top to bottom, line by line). Non-linear texts such as magazines, newspaper (1998, p.205) are less strictly coded and are read differently – can be read more than one way.

Walsh (2006,p.26) in her discussion on “ Reading in a Multimodal Environment”, said that written text is only one part of a message, & no longer the dominant part of the message. Her opinion is supported with crucial issues raised by Kress and others ( e.g, 2000: bearne, 2003) that, the screen” and multimodal texts have developed new literacies.

Schriver (1996, pg. 366) says that document designers have to understand the semiotic landscape of readers to design prose and graphics .

Too sum it all, a good document design has to have all the elements that are stated at the above. Each elements has their own uniqueness thus with all the elements are put together in place it will form a good document design.

References

Kress, G. & van Leeuwen, T. 2006. Reading images. Chapter 6: The meaning of composition

Walsh, M. 2006, “’Textual Shift’: Examining the reading process with print, visual and multimodal texts,” Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 24 – 37.

Schriver, K. A. 1997, ‘The interplay of words and pictures’, in Dynamics in document design : creating texts for readers, Wiley Computer Pub, New York, Ch. 6, pp. 361 – 441.