College isn’t the only place where you might have to analyze and produce multimodal texts. You may, for example, encounter public service ads like the one in Figure 1-8, which combines words and an image to prompt you to think about making an emergency plan for yourself and your family. Or you may be part of a community group hosting a fundraising event, for which you’ll have to create eye-catching, compelling flyers to attract both sponsors and participants.

Knowing how to produce multimodal texts will be an asset as you start to look for a job. In a 2009 document called “Workplace Writing Skills,” educator Christine Polk pointed out that although businesses and organizations rely on efficient and effective communication to profit and thrive, many people struggle to write effectively in the workplace. Job ads—seeking everything from engineering architects to park rangers to grocery store managers—often emphasize the ways in which companies and organizations value candidates who can effectively communicate through multimodal texts. Job candidates may be expected to produce projects like these:

Analyzing and composing multimodal texts in college can give you the practice you need to communicate effectively in civic, personal, or professional situations in the future.