Spatial construction for ideational meaning: An analysis of interior design students’ multimodal projects

Multimodality is an inter-disciplinary approach that considers communication to
be more than just language. Multimodal studies focus mostly on the analysis of twodimensional
printed, digital, and screen production. This paper explores a multimodal
pedagogic approach used to teach students to create interior design projects as threedimensional
ensembles, which we reflect upon to contribute to the framework of
multimodality. This qualitative research begins with a review of multimodal discourse
establishing language as a system of choice, and a relationship between spatial design and
language. A case-study of students’ multimodal ensembles reveals how the design choices of
mode, semiotic resource, modal affordance and inter-semiosis led to students producing rich
and inclusive meaning, supporting a reproductive health mandate. An interpretive semiotic
framework based on Hallidayan principles of Systemic-functional linguistics is developed for
spatial meaning-making analysis for future projects. The findings offer a narrative
metalanguage for spatial meaning-making, contributing to broader interior design discourse.

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