Multimodal Semiotics and Collaborative Design

Caitlyn: [W]e wanted to advertise, use the space for that, but also to say that if you don’t feel
like walking, or you don’t feel like flying, you can teleport and you can go directly there. You
don’t have to spend time actually moving around.
Depending on the characteristics of the virtual environment (i.e. open/closed spaces, directing or
limiting features), the avatars can walk, fly or teleport from one place to another. Although their
users may choose to fly or teleport away and not follow the ‘dark path’ to the Costume Bazaar, the
co-designers chose to limit the affordances by providing a direction to follow. Thus the
organization of spatial relations between these design elements fulfills a semiotic function in
construction of the meaning potentials about visual language and style, at the same time visualizing
possible routes for chronotopes.
Evolution of PAL’s design and its experiential meaning potentials
Although they are fairly similar in terms of size, Metrotopia and PAL (figure 8.2) show significant
differences in terms of their experiential meaning potentials, as well their visual styles. The design
concept is based more on abstract shapes and geometric arrangements, instead of representations
of real-world buildings and urban places. The interpersonal associations with visual form and style,
and the textual organizations of multimodal semiotic resources in PAL reflect the primary function
of the sim. To begin with, the intended practical function and target user group of PAL differs from
those of Metrotopia. As Curiza, who also owns and runs PAL, explains, the primary use-context is
based on providing inworld visitors with new music releases:
Curiza: I would define it as a news channel to come and hear new music. You could call it a
music library, but (…) you can’t loan anything. But you know, like opening your daily paper
to read the news, then you can go there and just listen to the coolest new albums in a fast and
fun and your own way.
From Curiza’s comments above and below, it is possible to notice how the experiential meaning
potentials of PAL were initially derived from his personal preferences, and the fact that he chooses
to relax while he listens to music, although he sees himself as a good networker in his professional
life:
Curiza: PAL is a world, it’s a fantasy land (…) It’s a fantasy space where you should forget
everything and just focus on listening to music, and relax. (…) PAL is actually created the way
I wanted to create a space, a place where I wanted to come for having peace and have a great
time. And by doing that, I thought (…) if I have pleasure being there listening to music, then
other people might feel the same.
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