Begin by looking online or elsewhere for examples of the genre you wish to compose in (for example, if you want to do an infographic, find examples that you think are effective).

Begin by looking online or elsewhere for examples of the genre you wish to compose in (for example, if you want to do  an infographic, find examples that you think are effective). Spend some time “studying” the genre examples and thinking about their key features.

For example: what do you notice about design features like headings, bullets, photos, etc.? What do you notice about lengths of sentences or paragraphs? about the formality of the language or tone of voice? about transitions between images on a slide or in a video? About the music in a video or a podcast? about how sources are aknowledged? Overall, what do readers/ viewers/ listeners seem to expect from this genre?

Now, jot down some notes about the examples you looked at: What were the examples specifically? What did you notice about them as a genre? How might you use some of the genre features in your own remixed composition?

If you’d like, you can use the chart above to take your notes.    

2. Next, consider your own remix. Review the material in the Rhetorical Situations portion of The Norton Field Guide (chapters 5-9), paying particular attention to the “Thinking about” questions at the end of each chapter. Then, jot down some notes about your purpose, audience, genre, stance, and media/design for your own remix. Write out your ideas about how how each element will influence your creation. Think about what you learned from your work for number 1 above, too!