Welcome to the Dragon Detective Agency Website!
Cover Letter
Dr. Mallette and Write 329 classmates,
Welcome to my semester portfolio. I believe this portfolio showcases my style.
I would define style as: how I choose to write a message and the way that I shape it, so that my reader understands and feels the message I am trying to convey. The way I shape my writing is different from other people – everyones style is uniquely their own.
This semester, I have created several projects to help me see what my style is. Through these projects, I have learned that my style is warm and inviting… like a conversation with a trusted friend. I’m drawn to simple narrative writing that invites the reader in, makes them smile, creates emotion, and softly, but intentionally, nudges them to see something a little differently. The kind of nudge that makes them pause and think... Oh… I’ve never thought of that. I have learned this semester that I do not wish to persuade or influence people with my writing. I want to invite deep thought that leads to an internal change of heart and mind. I would categorize it as an inviting, soft, and quiet narrative.
In this portfolio, I have included some of my work that showcases my style – this inviting, soft, and quiet narrative. In these samples, I have chosen the theme of dragons and created a fictitious company, Dragon Detective Agency. This theme has allowed me to explore my style using different multimodal techniques and platforms.
These projects demonstrate that I have learned how to create several types of multimodal texts across different platforms and technologies. I learned how to work with audio and video apps – Audacity and Capcut – and other programs, Figma, Google Maps. These experiences have also led me to learn more about Twine, Sketch, Eleven Labs, and GooseChase.
I have worked with AI throughout these projects and I have learned how to incorporate into my work ethically – mostly through trial and error – but this class has been a safe place for me to explore and learn about the different types of AI I can use as a writer and the different ways they can help me create multimodal work.
Through the guidance of my professor and as I continued to work alongside of AI platforms, I was able to start seeing the faults and issues that arise while working with these platforms and learn evaluate what is appropriate use and what is not. I was able to learn where the lines are for creating credible work and the impact it can have on my audience.
These projects were so much fun to create and they taught me how I can use these tools to persuade and connect with my audiences. In my future work, this will be a necessary skill as I will need to lead my audience to specific outcomes.
Throughout the semester or working with AI and through these projects, I was able to develop my own unique writing style that is human-based and intentional. I am now able to work confidently on my own or with the aid of AI without any concerns of ethical uses.
The best part of these projects is that it opened up a world of digital platforms and digital writing including multimodal work that I will be able to use in my future work. Technology is amamzing and I love that I can bring things from my imagination to life through these platforms and sometimes with the help of AI.
The key things that I have learned from this course is that I can try new platforms and discover where they will lead me. I have learned how to work alongside with AI and that it is not as amazing as I am… but I love some assistance sometimes. I have also learned how to think about and incorporate tools so that my work is accessible to all people.
I am so excited because I know I can use all of the things I have learned in this class in my future work. I have also already started using Google Maps for a city-wide event that is planned this summer and I hope that I can get a job doing this kind of multimodal work everyday.
Dragon Detective Agency
Dragon Detective Agency - Who we are...
Our company aims to find proof of the existence of dragons. They are everywhere and we are determined to show the world that dragons are real. This introductory video introduces you to our team, our specialized equipment, and some of the evidence we have found that proves the existence of dragons.
For this video project, I created a sample that might be featured on Dragon Detective Agency website that explains who they are and what they do. Just a quick introduction so that viewers can quickly learn about this agency. I used music that piques interest and curiosity. I played with humor in the images by creating contrast between the written words and the reality of what was being shown. The fact that a real agency would never showcase these far-fetched images and the last image, a real dragon hidden in the trees, is completely overlooked for a twig in the background. I was also intentional in choosing a green background for the words that feel natural, inviting, and forest-like. I chose a font that feels casual to bring in that conversational tone and is still easy to read. I had the words appear as just a few words at a time to create a conversational feel. I also used playfulness in the way the words appear on the screen by having the words appear and then the punctuation comes a second or two later. Originally, I just filled the video length/time to match the music length, but it ended up being too fast. If I had the time to revise them, I would eliminate a couple pictures to I slow it down to match my style. I would also add voice over, a cover image, and my own photos for the evidence images. In the revision I did finish on this piece, I added captioning.
How To Find A Dragon
In this simple introductory podcast, we explain the relationship between humans and the ability to see a dragon for yourself.
In this audio project, I explored my style of writing through podcasting. I found that most podcasts talk at you and they interview a lot of people. Neither of these felt right for me. As I researched many different styles of audio work, I have discovered that my style is considered: a quiet, narrative solocast. This audio sample that I wrote and recorded uses voice recording and a subtle, warm and welcoming piece of music. I wanted it to be so subtle that the listener doesn’t even realize there is music playing in the background. They just feel the warmth. I recorded some birds chirping in the forest, just as dawn opened the day. I wanted the sound to be soft, helping to set the mood of nature and soft birds chirping creates a feeling of trust. I chose to have the birds and the music play for the entire track so that the listener felt that warmth and trust throughout the entire piece and not just during the intro as many podcasts do. I also added some dragon sounds when the dragon comes into the scene to help listeners mentally visualize the dragon. If I had more time to revise, I would consider add an intro song that's usually present in most podcasts and perhaps at the end too.
Where To Find A Dragon
Dragon Hideout Map
This map points to a few dragon hideout locations that Dragon Detective Agency has found.
Please be careful when approaching dragon hideouts. Dragons are very smart and extremely good at hiding. They can sense you long before you know they are around.
The Dragon Detective Agency Google Maps Wildcard project expanded my understanding of multimodal composition and creative storytelling by combining writing, visual design, mapping technology, and imaginative world-building into a single interactive experience. So Cool! Through this project, I learned how digital tools such as Google Maps & Google Sheets and then blend them with information and images, YouTube videos, and links to create engaging audience experiences. The dragon theme allowed me to experiment with humor, creativity, narrative voice, and theme while still practicing important skills. With this project, I considered things such as audience awareness, style of organization, and intentional design strategies. For my revision, I have played with new layers and experimented with zones as well as added a trail line. I am so excited about these features and the fact that they can be used in layers. This will be so helpful for the city 4th of July event I am planning this summer, when I am adding the Alcohol Zone, the roads I will be blocking for the event and the parade route. I have also learned and how to reorder the pins and shift them from one layer to another and the most cool new feature I learned was how to add a custom icon. I went to Freepik to custom build a few dragon icons and then added them to my map.This totally changed the feel of the map and it absolutely came alive! So cool! So, in reality, I would not include the exact same YouTube video link on each pin. I would love to have an individual video of the actual location for each pin, but I don't have that much time for this project, but I will do it in future projects.
This project reflects an important shift in my philosophy about artificial intelligence and writing. Early in the writing process, I viewed AI primarily as a tool for generating ideas and assisting with structure. However, throughout this course, I began to see the importance of maintaining my own voice, perspective, and intentionality within the writing process. Rather than allowing AI to replace creativity or critical thinking, I learned how to use it more thoughtfully. I still like to use it for brainstorming, organizing ideas, and for clarifying concepts. This class has helped me understand the difference between assistance and authorship and it has reinforced the value of originality, reflection, and personal voice in meaningful communication. In my revision for this piece, I have rearranged sections between my AI report and the AI philosophy. I have also updated the philosophy to reflect some changes that have come from my growth and experience this semester while working with AI more.