Modalities in IT and beyond

Good day, whatever they may be, dear and beloved GT community.

Today I would like to try to tell you about the modalities, but, despite the title and resource, it will not be about those modalities (hello, programming) that many may have thought about, but modalities from the point of view of psychology and their applicability in reality.


Why do you need it and what bsod do I write this on an IT resource?

• Well, first of all, we all communicate and the information presented below may help some people perceive and transmit information in a dialogue more efficiently using only the brain and logic (typical of Geeks), but not natural, for some, emotionality and all that that they can by nature charismatic, young ladies and other personalities;
• Secondly, many have or are developing their product - it doesn’t matter what it is - the website, the program, the device, the service, or some other product. All of them are united by one thing (of course, if you did not do it solely for yourself), - they require the ability to represent them, talk about them and create them, taking into account aspects that we will discuss later.

Looking ahead, I will say that it is not only and not so much about sales, but the product’s perception (development, services, etc.) in general, which directly characterizes its quality for the end user.

Let's get started.

Preface after entry

Hereinafter, a free presentation of a well-known, in psychology (and not only) topic will be presented.

So that there are no misunderstandings - it is written as it is written not because I don’t try to pass something off as my own or do a free translation / retelling, but because I understood, remembered, interpreted, shifted and renamed so that it was convenient to structure and use from my head and, in particular, to write this article :)

I’m aware of how it is in textbooks, but I don’t specifically look into them, or Wikipöy, or other articles, just to put it all in my own words, at the same time to check some aspects for myself.

Introductory. We look

Okay, modality modality ... Let's try to define what it is, and then somehow it is embarrassing to say, without starting with the main thing - the essence.

Modality, if to speak simply, is how (through what channel of perception, if you wish), a person transmits and perceives (translates) information.

• About "transmits" and perceives. It doesn’t matter he writes it in the comments for this article, speaks in a voice over lunch with a partner or implements it as a final device - one way or another, at least two channels (modalities) of information transfer are involved.
  
• Pro "perceives." We all not only speak, but also listen, read, watch. In the end, in fact, we choose a product (any, even vegetables, at least things, even a new-fashioned gadget) in a store, on the Internet, or simply from the words (yes, this is also the moment of choice, but more on that) of a friend.

Ie, one way or another, this is how our brain works, I take it upon myself to ascertain that everyone, without exception, not counting critical deviations, will not be able to get away from it. But how to soar, use or just understand?

Nothing complicated.

Details. Feel

Actually, a little higher, I said about at least “two” channels and said something about the fact that everyone has it, but it's probably not completely clear what is logical. So let's look at the nuances, and then move on to the examples.

There are several modalities. To be more precise, there are many of them (I have counted a dozen without thinking, but there are probably more of them), but in general, it is customary to single out the 4 most common:

• Visual, - the visual channel of perception and transmission of information;
• Kinesthetic, - tactile (unfortunately, the word I have chosen is not precise, it will be clearer from the examples) channel of perception and transmission of information;
• Audial, - the auditory channel of perception and transmission of information;
• Digital, - “mathematical” (unfortunately, the word I have chosen is not precise, it will be clearer from the examples), if you will, a logical channel of perception and transmission of information.

As you understand, each of the modalities is tied to the senses. Visual, - on sight; kinesthetic, - tactile sensations (it turned out that for this, - that is, receiving and transmitting information through this channel, - we mostly use
hands, but we are talking about tactile sensations all over the body) and, importantly, the vestibular apparatus; audial - by ear; and digital ... Ahem, I would say on the brain (if we talk about the organ), but it will not be entirely correct (because the brain participates in everything), there is more logic, numbers (?) but ... Unfortunately, it is difficult to characterize digital, examples will be clear.

Logically, people are “divided” into visuals, kinesthetes, audials, digitals. But the division is conditional, because, in most cases, a person has two modalities - leading and secondary. The rest is certainly present in all and all, but on a residual basis. Ie, as a rule, it looks like this:

• Visual - 50%;
• Kinesthet - 35%;
• Audi - 6%;
• Digital, - 2%;
• The rest of the residual, down to the hundredths.

What is leading and which is secondary depends on the person. In what percentage, too, there are almost “pure” digital or amazing varieties of combinations of the above.

At once I will say that the most frequent pair (the leading-secondary) is the visual-kinesthet or the kinesthet-visual. The rest is less common, but not as rare as it could be.

How modalities are formed is a topic for a separate article, but in a simplified way - in the course of life, the environment and the people around you (especially parents and teachers).

Often, the modality sets the profession, but vice versa, the profession can set the modality, that is, if you force it, so to speak, you can take a photo, previously being a clean person, it is likely that you will become an “extended” visual from the kinestat.

But it carried me into interesting facts.
Let's continue the topic.

Examples Listen

Okay, the theory is good. Theory in the examples is even better. Let's try something from a vividly demonstrative and seemingly obvious (when you read like this), and then we will talk a little about life examples.

Let's read the phrase:

• The presented router is the most beautiful representative of the product line. Its white body, shining in the sun, looks perfect in any interior, server room, and just pleases the eye

As you understand, here the visual modality is mainly hooked. Yes, briefly, I did not try to make a normal example, rather exaggerated and simple, but nonetheless.

Those who, the leading channel of perception, just this one - in fact, the above text is enough to at least be interested. It is clear that one can argue - brilliant or matte, it looks in what nafig the interior and what it means perfectly, etc. But the point is that the visuals are “caught”.

All the rest (except for those who have a visual modality at least secondary), these couple of sentences would not be strongly hooked and if interest would slip, it is irrelevant (regardless of whether a person is looking for a router at the moment purposefully or not).

Here it is worth making another digression and remind you that we are talking about the channel of information transmission and perception, that is, despite the fact that the visual has not seen this white router, in the sentence above we turn to the brain using words that cause ... Let's put it this way, the emotional (although this is not quite so, rather “just”) response from the brain. That is, it is not necessary to see it in person, it is enough to “drag it into consciousness” (I understand that it is not very scientific, but nonetheless).

Let's develop. Watch what is called for hands:

• The presented router is the most beautiful representative of the product line. Its white body (made of thick plastic, slightly rough to the touch), brilliant in the sun, looks perfect in any interior, server room, and simply pleases the eye. It is simply pleasant to open the packaging, - it is immediately felt that it was made by someone who was holding a real product in their hands and tried to make theirs the same.

Here I added a kinesthetic modality. “Roughness, nice, open, hands, felt, done, real” - that’s all.

If you are not a representative of visuals or kinestates, at least in one, even in the second case, then most likely (omitting the situation that reading the article directly about this topic, the brain fills out the perception), for you two texts are higher, no more than words, - moreover, in the second case, so also bloated with an excess of definitions and details.

Digital and audials will happily ignore such a text in general, because the essence of it, in their opinion, is nothing at all, which is generally true, but to read this verbiage is more expensive.

Shake, but do not mix, except to listen:

• The presented router is the most beautiful representative of the product line. Its white body (made of thick plastic, slightly rough to the touch), brilliant in the sun, looks perfect in any interior, server room, and simply pleases the eye. It is simply pleasant to open the packaging, - it is immediately felt that it was made by someone who was holding a real product in their hands and tried to make theirs the same. In the work, however, the router is the embodiment of silence - cooling does not buzz and does not make noise, which is a bit controversial, because
  For those who are so close to the slight noise of the coolers, there is an active cooling system that can be turned on with a flick of a flick of a switch.

Well, you caught, right? It is quite obvious - silence, buzz, noise, click and so on. Connected audiala, so to speak.

I do not want to confuse you, but just anticipating the questions in the comments, - yes, this is not absolute, so to speak. At the word click, the audial seems to hear it, the visual imagines what a light switch looks like, and the kinesthet feels like pressing and that very feeling when this switch from this position changes to another. This is what I am trying to convey, the brain perceives (operates, transmits) from the “map of consciousness” that is peculiar to it according to its modalities. But in most cases, in the same text (or by ear) you cling to that which is closer to the “absolute”; the rest is not heard, as it were, or you cannot see.

Well, digital:

• The presented router (of the company% companyname existing in the market since 1900, which has developed 453 sodels) is the most beautiful (according to polls of 2348 users) representative of the product line in the world. Its white body (made of thick plastic, slightly rough to the touch), brilliant in the sun, looks perfect in any interior, server room, and simply pleases the eye. The packaging (made of cardboard, 0.2 mm thick) is simply pleasant to open, it is immediately felt (by about 90% of users) that it was made by someone who was holding a real product and tried to make theirs the same. In the work, however, the router is the embodiment of silence - the cooling does not buzz and does not make noise (at least at 300 revolutions), which is a bit controversial, because
  for those to whom the light noise of coolers is so close - an active cooling system is provided (up to 940 revolutions), which can be turned on with a flick of a toggle switch. Processor frequency 1000 Mhz, 9 GB memory, 30GB space, Ethernet interfaces, Wi-Fi, a / b / n / g encryption, the average number of points in the tests is 932498.

That is, numbers, dimensions, and only they, which, as a rule, are the essence for them, if we are talking about the choice in terms of performance, but not a damn thing means for “clean” visuals (the white one!) Choosing under color wallpaper, kinesthetes (plastic, plastic rough) loving tactile, audiala (quiet, sic!).

So, I think more clearly, but let's talk about life examples. It is possible that it was worthwhile to give separate examples for each channel, that is, without a mixture with the other modalities, but ... Well, let's see how it goes.

Examples from life. Count

The classic dialogue that occurred last week and every day that happens everywhere and everywhere:

-Look what I bought a phone case
-Where did you take it, it's some kind of g * clearly, it looks like a remnant
-Come on! But it's nice to hold in your hand!
- *** c.

You have witnessed a kinesthete and visual conversation. Everything.

Not visual? Okay.

Take the shops. Do you want grocery, you want with appliances, you want "duffel", although the latter are the most obvious. Will be in any, - pay attention to people, half, friend ... or yourself:

• What does the kinesthet do when it sees the thing they like? He comes up and touches the fabric. For kinesthetes it is secondary, whether it is very beautiful or not, it is important to him how it will be, comfortable, smooth, rough, dense or something else. Especially convenient. It is not difficult to find a kinesthete, usually dressed moderately - ask him why it is, - he will say what is convenient :) There, here, here. Everything.
• What does the visual do? Either simply looks, or puts / puts on and runs to a mirror. It is important to him how it is combined visually with the way it is to the boots, what color, shade (the visual will bring them to you so much that the kinesthet will collapse from the tree, because for him blue is blue and that's all). This is typical for them: “the main thing is beautiful!”;
• I don’t dare to bring the audiula here, most likely he comes in, takes, leaves, if only he doesn’t ring / ring when even;
• The digital immediately looks at the label - size, price, length, width. He is able to count all the parameters in his head, estimate the cost of the fabric on the basis of these, do a dozen more calculations, then take it and leave with the thing without trying it on. He already knows how his dimensions and things. Nine twist. Well, really, why measure, if everything is mene-mene-tekel-upsin.

Still? Want - see for yourself. The simplest thing is to talk with 2-3-4 people who have a car (well, or just about the phone, it can be easier) and ask why she is.

• The visual young lady will declare to you at once that she is “Red, and the color of her shoes!”. In principle, the peasant will also say the same thing, maybe in other words. I am not kidding. And this does not mean that a person is stupid - just the brain perceives them in this way. Like them. It so happened.
• The audial will tell you how the motor roars (or what a quiet one), how noisy or quiet it is in motion, how great the keychain beeps are from the signaling or what elegant acoustics in the cabin. For him everything else is for the second time, but this roar is a motor for him, conditionally, everything.
• The kinesthet will tell you about the leather-friendly, pleasant-to-touch salon, how the steering wheel is in your hand, how pleasant the metal of the case is under your fingers (rarely), and how it accelerates quickly, that the shower is already in your heels (vestibular).
• Digital will broadcast in detail, in numbers and details, how many horses are in a car, specific speed in numbers, dimensions in dimensions and that's it.

Try it!

By the way a classic example, - CDWP. Most often visuals notice, further depends on the modality and what is depicted.

Okay, I think that such a layer of examples should suffice for everyone’s eyes, it’s more obvious nowhere.

How to take off with this?

A good speaker and a charismatic person (no matter learned or “by nature”), as well as a marketer, or just a talent, knows it well or feels it. It broadcasts from all modalities or hits the greatest of them (kinesthet-visual, visual-kinesthet).

This is used by all who know about it - marketers, comedians, actors, and just powerful sellers. It works great in building communications, negotiating (one of the key skills is the ability to both analyze and communicate information) and simply in private life or in the family.

By the way, after reading the article, open the YouTube and try to listen to Jobs’s speech with regard to what you read, and not just sitting in your modality with your mouth open, but forcefully accentuating and isolating the definitions used by them and etc. You will be surprised :) He does it consciously or simply from nature - I don’t presume to judge, but fact is a fact.


What to do if we want to use:

1. To determine the main and leading modalities in oneself;
2. Learn to identify others;
3. To broadcast in all, or in the moment - the interlocutor (you can "transfer" from your own).

How to do (match the numbering):

1. Talk to someone who can identify; catch indirectly (difficult, you can self-deceive) from the example of shops; dictate something in the record and analyze with a pencil; type the text without a second thought and analyze with a pencil;
2. To do this, simply listen and focus on the most commonly used definitions or nouns (“silence”, “noise”, etc). If it is difficult, then pencil and relatives / friends / colleagues / youtube to help you
3. An agonizing training in the form of dialogues or articles, depending on what is easier for you. You can simply choose the topic of the day for yourself (for example, read about some black holes there) and try to convey to someone who is not in your modality so that he understands. Heavy, yes. You can prepare for the first.

Something like that. If briefly, although this is also a topic for the article.

IT modalities

Well, here, in fact, nothing complicated.

We all create or face the result of the embodiment of someone's creativity (product) in the above-mentioned industry. From the above it follows in a logical way that when developing this creativity, it’s not important whether the site is a program, a device, a service or something else, it is important to take into account all (at least 3-4 basic) modalities if we want the product to cover (sold, visited, used, or what you are pursuing, as many people as possible.

I will try to explain. It is clear that you are probably a good programmer, a great developer and just a good young man - the product works quickly for you, the code weighs a penny, it costs nothing to competitors at all and all that. But somehow it happened that you are a digital audial, and your product (let it be some kind of website service) somehow does not go and that's all. That's it at all. It would seem - well, the wonders of performance and the top of engineering in all respects, but people do not like it. The answer is often simple - the design is dull. Well, you did not visual. It is clear that you like it here, but 90% of people don’t like something. Probably they are idiots? Not.

The thing is, whether you want to or not, it is worth considering everything. If you are a good visual and you have a perfect design, but it slows down like sneakers or works like a stool, then no design will help you. If it flies fast, but it looks miserable - even more so. And so on and so forth. Practice shows that the individual product (or a team, but at the helm of which a person “bending his own line” stands) created product often does not correspond to a completely simple basis, visual, kinesthetic, and so on. And because not sold, not visited, etc. and etc. Well, historically, that people are such humans.

It would seem that this is obvious and simple, but often a huge part of the projects sinks just because they “did not take into account / were too lazy / forgot” or simply “did not know who / couldn’t know / did not know”. Are you a great programmer? Hire a designer. A good designer is a programmer. Do a simple test in the end, the user will tell you more than you can just hear, see, feel from your modality map. Where you feel like a kinesthete - everything seems to be fast, if not to the visual - beautiful and so on and so on, - to others it may just be the other way around. Reasonably combining it in a certain proportion - you get a great product.

Of course, there should be no kinks. Have you seen sites where background music for one and a half hours is playing, with some catchy mix? I give you a tooth that he did / ordered audial at least. Well, about very beautiful, but not loaded or very loaded, but ugly applications / websites and TP, I think you don’t need to tell, especially since I’ve talked about this above.

This text without pictures (except for the very dull KDPV) also hints a little. Well, and so on. The presence of hover and animations are catchy kinesthetes, visuals will like endurance as a whole, digitals speed + weight + conformity to everything (most often they are perfectionists to some extent) and so on. I will not say about audilov, but just people who click on the mouse and sounds in Windows are usually them, but the author, for example, can play games (and play) for years without sound at all. Etc.

I hope it is clear. In general, somehow it turned out that the article is more like “Modalities in general and a bit in IT”, but okay, maybe in the comments they will ask something.

Afterword

It is clear that everything is relative and above - this is a slightly erected and exaggerated picture. Modalities can be 3 in equal percentage and the rest on the residual. Maybe one is very leading and the rest somehow. There may be a specific lead or secondary, for example, pain, synaesthetic (odors), etc., and so on.

The BBC seems to have somewhere once had a good series on this topic, where they clearly showed that a person can hear smells or see sounds, while digital can read an image, and the kinesthet can feel something like that. By the way, this can often be found in creative people. Yes, and just “I see it so” (c) - this is exactly it.

Again, no need to drive much. The thing is useful, but everything is good in moderation. But it is necessary to know, and, in an amicable way, to be able to.