Advanced Interactive Media/Problems Encountered and Solved During the Creation of This Class Project

Some of the first things I heard from students about the process of creating an interactive, immersive, multimedia project were frustrations such as:

1. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be doing to get my part of the project finished. I know I'm on the ________ team but it's not clear what we're supposed to be doing right now". 2. "How is this different from other projects we've done in the MultiMedia Institute so far. Is this going to be like creating one of our video pieces, or light making my own web site?" 3. "I have to wait until the Design Team gets their work done before I can get started" - or "I have to wait until the Project Director gives us the navigation outline before I can do my part" - or "I have to wait until the Interactive Team tells us what software they're going to use before I can get started".

It makes sense that students who have never created an interactive team project before are unsure what they are to do to help their particular team accomplish their work. Interactive design is deceiving in that the processes are very similar to those used to make a video documentary or any other piece of conventional, linear media. It's confusing because rules for conventional media are not enough to finish an interactive product.

For example, video components must be planned, shot and edited for either presentation format. Interactive clips must, however, make sense when played out of sequence or all by themselves. Transitions to and from many other non-linear components must be created and, in most cases, video clips will be very short and numerous.

The sequential order for interactive development usually looks like this: 1. Define the end user, time line and budget in detail. 2. Describe and understand all possible environments where the project might be accessed (at a living room desktop computer, integrated with live actors, from a lap top, in a classroom, etc.) 3. Decide what format of media (pictures, video, PDFs, text, VRs, URL links, etc.) will communicate your story the best. 4. Describe (storyboard) for each type of media. 5. Collect media and translate, compress, reformat it into a form that can be read by the final authoring tool (in this case, Adobe's Director software). 6. Create at least one prototype for each kind of media and test it on an end-user's playback device (computer, DVD player, etc.). 7. Author the project, keeping in mind to give users what they expect as well as something they didn't expect that makes the product memorable ("sticky") and effective. 8. Test the product. 9. Debug. 10. Duplicate, if necessary, and distribute.

With this much information it is possible for every team member to tackle their part of the project while giving direction to other development teams.