2.2 M-modes principles

Principle 1: M-modes should be a design-standard, adopted by the software aiming to facilitate thinking, reasoning, and communicating.

For example, blog, e-books, and note-taking tool should offer graphic functions as those offered by Microsoft Office 2007.

With cloud technique, Microsoft should be able to do so.

Principle 2: create easy-to-learn and easy-to-use m-modes functions.

For example, Microsoft has done a better job than Adobe. Adobe Photoshop should have provided more affordances, in terms of the easiness of creating graphics, by users who are non-professional graphic designers.

Principle 3: users might lack the knowledge and skills on how to make the most adequate use of m-modes, so the affordances of a tool should be clearly and systematically illustrated inside the tool.

For example, Articulate has done a better job than SmartArt; and OneNote has done a better job than previous Microsoft Office Suites.

Principle 4: there should be effective ‘between-modes-transfer’ tools, for example, Beyondinno designs a small tool for facilitating users’ transferring, with such type of tools, the process of creative writing will be greatly promoted.

Principle 5: software offering this type of function should ‘Speak Aloud’ a powerful marketing strategy rationale: m-modes can greatly facilitate thinking, reasoning, and solving problems.