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3-stage process for multimedia projects
A multimedia product is made up of many ingredients from existing print products or from a multitude of software. Each product has its own set of requirements. Orient InfoSolutions undertakes multimedia projects with a well thought out three-stage process involving:
The Idea
The first question we ask is "why" you want to develop a multimedia project?
- Is multimedia the best option, or would a print product be more effective?
- Is the idea marketable?
Project Goals
We determine what the product needs to accomplish. The goals have to be measurable and behavior-based from the visitor's standpoint.
Demographics of Target Audience
Who is your product speaking to:
- Age
- Gender
- Educational background
- Socioeconomic level
- Ethnic background
- Language
- Profession
- Expectations
Product Concept
The core idea is born after several rounds of brainstorming.
Delivery Medium
How will your message or information reach the audience
- CD-ROM
- Disks
- The web
- Intranet
- Computer kiosks
- What types of equipment does your audience have
- What obstacles must be overcome
Authoring Tools
We determine the authoring tool to be used in the project. This is the vehicle for integrating all the pieces:
- Text
- Graphics
- Animation
- Sound
- Video
Planning
Planning - the crucial factor determining success and failure. If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. We determine:
- What building blocks go into your multimedia project
- How long will each task take
- How much will the product cost
- Who is going to do the work
Resource Organization
The product's content is arranged into categories or groups. From this organization, comes the interface, which leads the user to the information.
Flowcharting
The flowchart is a visual outline of the content. Each level or link represents a screen and/or control that must be created. This "roadmap" is essential for the production phase.
Orientation
The opening screens are the graphic and verbal directions to enable the user to find his way around the content.
Navigation
The flowchart is the roadmap, and the navigation is the signposts. Remember, the shortest path between two points is a straight line.
Defining Screen Action
The screen or interface action directs how the interface responds to the user. Think of your users:
- what they will want or need
- what their expectations may be
- what assumptions they may make while using your product.
Designing Interface Controls
At this step, the interface controls (how the user interacts with the computer screen) for each portion of the project are designed. The functionality is analyzed and evaluated individually and as a whole throughout the product.
Storyboards
The storyboards are the blueprints for your multimedia project. These rough sketches bring together all the elements with the controls and depicts the sequence of the action.
Theme Development
The visual theme or style is determined by the content and the audience. The best theme is broad enough to incorporate various media without imposing stylistic limitations but narrow enough to ensure consistency across screens.
Interface Layouts
Each object on the screen serves a purpose and communicates a visual message about the content to the user. The goal is to keep users oriented and draw them into the product.
Creating Interface Elements
The interface design is broken down into individual components, which are constructed using a variety of methods and tools. These components may include images, graphics, text, video, sound, and animation.
Creating Access Controls
The interface controls designed earlier are now created and constructed. They should be self-explanatory and contribute to the overall screen design. Controls can be buttons, icons, images, or text.
Integrating Media Elements
The authoring tool is used to pull together and blend all the media elements into a cohesive whole. As the elements come together, the storyboards come to life.
Creating Prototype Interfaces
The shells become the prototype screens and provide the foundation for production. These prototypes are your first experiment in using your creation. |
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| Partho and his team are the very best to work with, the work is excellent, the attitude is great, they go out their way to make sure you are satisfied, and work is done in a timely manner. Try Orient InfoSolutions, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND them |
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