The present period in “western” communication seems to be one where, for a number of reasons, there is an increasing recognition and use of a significant number of means for representation and communication. Most of these have had significant theoretical/academic/professional attention (though none as much and for as long as has, in the “West”, writing) in different disciplinary and professional frames. At the moment the tendency – or perhaps the “felt need” – seems to be to bring these together within one unified/unifying theoretical/professional frame. Given that tendency there is an absolute need to have plausible means of description, which attend both to the specificity of the various semiotic resources (the “modes” and their materiality), which, while materially distinct, do occur within one over-arching social/cultural/semiotic theoretical frame.
In my talk I attempt to outline such an approach: that is, of one over-arching semiotic frame which is nevertheless sensitive/responsive to the differences of the various semiotic resources.