Multimedia Creative Design
In search of the mythical
"multimedia style manual"
by Bill Sweetman, June 1994
OK, you've got all the hardware. You've got all
the software. You've even got a client who wants you
to produce a multimedia project. But how do you come
up with the right look and feel for the project? From
the choice of a typeface to the shape of the kiosk,
the creative design of multimedia is a critical but
sometimes undervalued process. To help shed some
light on this topic, I spoke with three Toronto-based
multimedia developers whose work has proven
successful due to its creative ingenuity.
Mackerel's interactive kiosks and direct mail
applications have won the developer numerous design
awards. Its work is noted for its user-friendly
interfaces and sense of humour.
IMMpact! specializes in the creation of multimedia
with an entertainment slant. Its kiosks for sales,
training, and entertainment have a slick, elegant
look, and the developer's most recent work
incorporates video in a ground-breaking way.
Knowledge
Systems is a complete computer graphics
production company that specializes in 3D animation
for print, video, and multimedia. Its work is
characterized by visual inventiveness and a keen eye
for detail.
So where do these companies turn to for their
creative motivation? All of them stress the
importance of the content. "If you don't first
go to the content for your source of inspiration,
then you're going to have the content and the
interface working against each other for the entire
project," says Mackerel's Karl Borst.
It's also a question of attitude. "You can't
approach it with just the tools of print
design," explains Mackerel's David Groff.
"There is no single existing methodology that
really fits yet." He recommends reducing the
project's functionality to its simplest possible
number of paths, as a lot of the look and feel will
follow from that.
Research is also vital. Knowledge Systems' Warren
Leppik urges developers to acquaint themselves with
what's out there, to see what works and what doesn't.
Mackerel has its own form of R & D. "These
days we find some of the most interesting stuff in
games," notes Kevin Steele. "There's a lot
to be learned from the design of game
interfaces."
Everyone agrees that all design must be driven by
function. "It doesn't matter how good it
looks," says Leppik. "If it doesn't tell
the people what your client wanted to tell them, it's
worth nothing." That's why it's essential to
consider the end user first. "They want to
interact with it," says IMMpact!'s Susan Cohen,
"but at the same time they want to be
entertained and informed. . . . If you don't make it
user-friendly, people are not going to use it."
Keep in mind that effective multimedia has little
to do with technology. "You can have a
photo-realistic rendering of something, or you can
have a woodcut, which is about the lowest resolution
going," says Groff, "And why are so many
woodcuts so charming. . . . The amount of information
there is really low, but the quality of ideas is
high." All of the developers believe that
technical or budget limitations can be a blessing in
disguise because they force you to sharpen your
ideas.
It's important that each person on the production
team has some ability in the other members' fields.
"The art director has to know all the
limitations of the programming," says Borst,
"so that when they're designing, the programmer
doesn't just look at them and laugh." Adds
Groff, "Multimedia is not very conducive to an
assembly line set-up. It's more of a craft
paradigm." In fact, there are definite
advantages to keeping the size of the team small, or
else good ideas can get watered down, or even lost.
So what are some of the common creative design
elements behind the most successful multimedia? All
of the developers agreed that there is no mythical
"multimedia style manual"; everyone's
making up the rules as they go along. But there were
some elements common to all three companies' work.
For starters, all of the projects have some sort
of "entertainment factor". "If it's
not going to be fun for people, then why should they
use it," asks IMMpact!'s Paul Michaels. One
sure-fire way to entertain people is by using humour.
"It's a common ground that all people can relate
to," notes Leppik.
It's also vital that your project shares the
attributes of TV and other common media that people
are used to. "It doesn't matter if you're kiosk
has some incredible information on it," says
Leppik, "without these attributes the user would
rather go home and watch their TV."
No matter how "conservative" the
multimedia project you're working on may seem, good
creative design is essential for its success. Keep
the following rules-of-thumb in mind and you can't go
wrong:
- Successful multimedia has nothing to do
with technology; good content and good ideas
are the key
- Make the project fun for the user; create
something that draws them in and holds them
- Engage the user by recognizing what they
want and expect -- then deliver it
- Don't fall under the spell of your
restrictions; think of them as challenges.
- Get objective feedback at each stage of
the development process
- Don't underestimate the power of good
quality sound and music
- Forget that you're producing
"multimedia"; just concentrate on
blowing peoples minds.
Bill Sweetman is MultiMediator's Founder.
