CREATING THE APPEARANCE BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES

UNIT IV – DESIGNING FOR MULTIMEDIA

CREATING THE APPEARANCE BASIC DESIGN PRINCIPLES:

The application of design principles is important when determining how a screen will look in a multimedia. Screen layout that is typical of many multimedia titles, especially corporate communication, reference and training titles. The objects (heading, text, graphic, and navigation buttons) on the screen are fairly common to these titles, and the question becomes how to arrange them on the screen are fairly common to these titles, and to maintain consistency in the “look and feel” of each screen even when the objects change. Following are selected design principles and examples of their use in multimedia.

BALACE:

 

In general, as human being we seek to maintain balance. We want equilibrium in our lives (balance work and play) and in our society (balance the scales of society). Balance has a positive connotation, and therefore, we may respond differently to visual images that are in balance and those that are out of balance.

 

Balance in screen design refers, in the distribution of optical weight in the layout. Optical weight is the ability of an element (graphic, text, headline, subhead and so on) to attract the user’s eye. Each element has optical weight as determined by the nature and size. The nature of an element refers to its shape, color, brightness and type.

More Optical Weight    Less Optical Weight

 

Large                   Small

 

Dark                    Light

 

Color                   Black, White, Gray

 

Irregular Shape   Regular Shape

 

Balance is determined by the weight of the elements and their position on the screen. That is, if you were to divide the screen into four parts, a balanced layout would have about the same weight in each part.

 

Balance can be achieved through symmetrical design or asymmetrical design. Symmetrical balance is achieved through arranging similar elements, such as two graphics of equal weight. Asymmetrical balance is achieved by arranging dissimilar elements.

 

Symmetrical design is static and suggests order and formality. It suitable for multimedia titles that focus on corporate image for conservative organizations such as banks and insurance companies. On the other hand, asymmetrical design is dynamic and suggests

 

diversity and informality. It might be appropriate for entertainment titles, where a feeling of movement and discovery are important.

Following are ways to achieve balance in design:

 

Use even numbers of elements of equal weight (symmetrical)

 

Use two or more elements of smaller weight to balance one large element (asymmetrical)

 

Enclose text in a box or use a color background to give it more weight Surround a dark graphic with abundant white space

Balance can be affected by assigning attributes to elements:

 

Size: Large objects are perceived to be more important.

 

Position: Objects that are placed higher on the screen are thought of as more dominant.

 

Color: The color of an object can imply significance, such as red connoting heat, anger, or stop.

 

Space: Too many objects too close together may give the impression of clutter and disorganization, whereas a few objects with abundant white space could convey the opposite.

UNITY

 

Unity has to do with how the various screen elements relate- how they “fit in”. An element that seems out of place can be disconcerting to the user and distract from achieving the desired effect of a particular screen. Unity reinforces the message or theme on individual screens and provides consistency throughout the title.

 

In multimedia titles unity applies to the interactive design as users navigate from one screen to another. Unity also applies to the design of each screen and to the design of parts of a screen. For example, you would want to relate headings with text, graphics with caption, and video clips with control.

MOVEMENT:

 

Movement has to do with how the user works through the elements on the screen. In balance design, this might be what is called optical center – a point somewhat above the physical center of the screen. The tendency is to move from upper left to lower right as we proceed through the contents of a screen.

 

Movement is especially important in training and educational titles in which the designer wants the user to work through the contents in a more structured way.

The designer will try to effect movement and emphasize various elements by applying certain design techniques:

 

Controlling where the user starts on the screen by placing emphasis on a graphic, headline, or text block

 

Creating asymmetrical balance

 

Using lines or objects that point in a certain direction

 

Using color gradients that go from a light shade to a dark shade

 

Having people or animals looking in the direction you want the user to look

The designer can emphasize an element by making it a contrasting shape or color, surrounding it with white space, using a different font or type style, creating borders, and using different backgrounds for selected objects.

DESIGNING FOR INTERACTIVITY

 

The basic design principles presented here are, in varying degrees, useful for any multimedia title, but they focus on only the appearance. The goal of multimedia design is to develop an interface that will allow user control in a way that works with the content while addressing the needs of the users (For example, if a sound is played, the user should be able to adjust the volume). In other words, the design needs to be user centered. Several things affect the nature of the interactive design, including the audient, type of title, and content.

AUDIENCE:

 

Foremost in guiding the interactive design process is the end user. As much as possible, the designer must understand the user’s needs and how they work with the product. The tendency of the designer is to approach the design process from his or her perspective, reflecting personal knowledge and experiences. Designers might be computer “power users”, understanding graphical interfaces, metaphors, icons and menu based navigational schemes, whereas the intended user might be a novice who is intimidated by the computer. For example, they might double click the mouse button to open program works. This user action might not have occurred to the multimedia click. The challenge for designers is to put themselves in the place of the user by asking some very fundamental questions:

 

What does the user see on the screen? What does the user want to do?

 

What is the user’s realm of experience?

TYPE OF TITLE:

 

The type of title affects the design as illustrated in the following examples.

 

If the title is a corporate annual report and the user wants to quickly access specific information, the design might need to accommodate only a main menu with a straightforward navigation scheme and the user’s ability to point and click the mouse.

 

If the title is a reference work, such as an encyclopedia, the designs might become more complex as the user is given the ability to access a topic in several ways – menu, index, object, or key word search.

 

If the title allows transaction, such as a registration kiosk at a college, the designer must consider how the users know which filed is active, how to more from field to field, and how to indicate when they are done with a field and when they are done with the form.

 

If the title is a game and the focus is on entertainment, the design might allow random interaction. Because the focus is on exploration and discovery, users are not as concerned with where they are and what they can do next.

CONTENT:

 

Following are examples of the ways that content can influence the design of a title’s interactivity.

Large amounts of content:

 

One of the major considerations in designing interactivity is how many levels to navigate. The tendency is to add more levels as the content increases. The more levels, however, the greater the chance for confusion and frustration as users try to determine where they are, how they got there, and how they can get back to where they started. There are numerous ways to reduce the levels in a multimedia title:

 

Provide shortcuts in the form of hotwords or hot sports that skip several levels

 

Replace parts of the original screen with new content, but leave the shell of the screen intact to maintain the user’s frame of reference

 

User pop-up windows that display additional information Use scroll bars for text intensive titles

 

Provide tabs or bookmarks that indicate where the user has been and allow the user to quickly return to previously viewed screen.

 

Elements used in the title:

 

Another way content affects interactive design is in the elements used. There are ways to accommodate text-intensive titles. If video (or animation or sound) is used, there are certain decisions to be made that affect interactive design:

Who controls the video? Does the video play automatically or can the user stop and start.

 

If it starts automatically, can the user pause, stop, rewind, and cancel it? The user may have previously viewed the video and does not want to see it again.

 

What will the controls look like? Most people are familiar with standard VCR controls, but these controls may not visually complement the rest of the screen.

 

Can the sound volume be adjusted?

 

Where and when does the video image appear on the screen?

Nature of the content:

 

The content can suggest a theme that the interactive design would need to complement and reinforce, as illustrated in the following examples:

 

In a title on astronomy in which students study the night sky, the view could be through a telescope that the user manipulates with the mouse.

 

A reference title on the history of cinema might include a control room with buttons that are used to open curtains and play video clips that appear in a window resembling a movie screen.

 

In a little that is a walk-through of a museum, the interactive design might include a virtual reality environment in which the mouse pointer is used to navigate through the museum and the mouse button is used to zoom in on paintings.

GUIDELINES FOR INTERACTIVE DESIGN:

 

Following are general guidelines that are useful in designing interactive multimedia, especially informational titles.

MAKE IT SIMPLE, EASY IN UNDERSTAND AD EASY TO USE

 

The entire design process is for the benefit of the user. The user should not have to be taught how the navigation scheme and media controls work; they should be intuitive. From the moment the first screen appears and throughout the interactive process, users should know where they are and where they can go. The initial screen should provide an indication of what is contained in the title and how to navigate through it.

 

Metaphors should be within the user’s frame of reference and consistent with the content. All of the screen images including icons and pointer symbols as well as the navigation process should complement each other and be consistent with the title’s theme.

BUILD IN CONSISTENCY

 

Consistency is especially important for reference titles in which the user is searching for specific information. Consistency applies to both the appearance of each screen and how the navigation scheme works. The graphic in the first screen that is used to navigate to the second screen becomes the background for the second screen. This not only provides unity among various screens, but helps the user understand the navigation process.

USE DESIGN TEMPLATES

 

A template is a precise layout indicating where various elements will appear on the screen. Templates can aid the design process in several ways:

 

Provide consistency: Each element of the screen will be in the same location, which aids the user in understanding how the title works and increases the speed at which the user can navigate through the title.

 

Shorten the development time: Given the similarity of many screens, templates can reduce the amount of time needed to arrange elements on the various screens.

 

Prevent “object shift”: An object that moves even one pixel as the user navigates through the title causes a noticeable and disconnecting jump. Templates that utilize grids can specify the exact layout, down to a pixel, of each screen element and prevent objects from shifting.

PROVIDE FEEDBACK

 

Interactivity is a two way process. Users need to know when a button has been clicked

– it should change to a depressed state, change color, or play a sound. Users also need to know when an object has been selected – it should appear highlighted, a different color, or surrounded with a border. Another form of feedback is shown, where check marks are used to indicate where the user has been or what has already been viewed.

PROVIDE CHOICES AND ESCAPES

 

Avoid long introduction of automatically scrolling text, narration, music, or credits. Don’t make the user view a video or animation, or listen all the way through sound clips that may already have been heard. Provide a way for the user to skip or escape from viewing these elements. Additionally, care should be taken in the use of Quit button. To avoid accidentally quitting, a prompt should appear when the Quit button is selected to allow the user to confirm the desire to quit.

PRODUCING MULTIMEDIA TITLES

 

Production is concerned with preparing the multimedia title for use either as part of presentation (sales, education, conferences), or for in house training, kiosk delivery, or CD-ROM distribution.

 

If the title is for presentation, it may simply be stored on the hard drive of a presentation system or even fit on a floppy disk. It is convenient to store in house presentations and training using CD-ROM.

Compact Disc

 

The compact disc (CD) provided the technological advance that revolutionized the multimedia industry in a way similar to the effect the printing press had on publishing. The CD allowed developers to provide interactive features-rich titles relatively easily. Compact discs offer many advantages:

 

Large storage capacity: CDs can hold more than 50 megabytes (MB) of data and 74 minutes of audio.

 

Durability: CDs are made of rigid plastic that is more sturdy than that used for floppy disks and tapes.

 

More difficult to copy: Unlike floppy disks, which are easily copied, CDs cannot be reproduced without expensive equipment.

 

Ease of distribution: Because of the light weight, size, durability and non-volatility of CDS, they are easily distributed individually or in bulk.

Non-volatility : Unlike magnetic storage media (tapes and floppy and hard disks), CDs utilize laser technology that physically alters the surface of the disc.

Low cost: Compact discs are relatively inexpensive to produce compared with other media, such as floppy disks, hard drives, and removable storage cartridges.

Disadvantages of CD ROM

 

1.               CDs access time is very slow compared with hard drives. (145 milliseconds compared with 12 milliseconds (ms)).

 

2.               Many old computers do not have CD drives.

 

3.               CDs are ready only. User cannot write to the CD.

CD STRUCTURE

 

In order to understand the differences in CD formats, you need to be familiar with the basics of a compact disk. A CD is 4½ inches in diameter, about 1 millimeter (mm) thick, and can hold approximately 650 MB of data. It consists of plastic coated with a thin layer of aluminum, which is in turn covered with lacquer. During the production, “pits” are created

on the disc using a molding process; between the pits are areas called “lands”. Together pits and lands represent the digital coded data on the disc. When a laser beam is passed over the disc, the light is reflected by the lands and not by the pits. The reflected light is read by a sensor, and a signal is sent to the computer, which translates the signal into binary code. The pits and lands form a spiral track more than 3 miles long that starts at the inside (hub) of the disc and continues to the outside edge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CD FORMATS

 

Following is a brief overview of several CD formats.

 

1.               CD Audio

 

The first widely used compact discs were music CDs that appeared in the early 1980s. CD Audio, or CD-DA, stands for compact disc – digital audio, the format for storing recorded music in digital form, as on CDs that are commonly found in music stores. The Red Book standards, created by Sony and Phillips, indicate specifications such as the size of the pits and lands, how the audio is organized and where it is located on the CD, as well as how errors are corrected. CD Audio discs can hold up to 75 minutes of sound. To provide the highest quality, the music is sampled at 44.1 kHz, 16 bit stereo.

2.               CD ROM

 

The Yellow Book standards built upon the Red Book, adding specifications for a track to accommodate data, thus establishing a format for storing data, including video and audio, in digital form on the compact disc. CD-ROM also provided a better error checking scheme, which is important for data.

3.               ISO 9660

 

In 1985 representatives from several influential companies in the technology industry, including Microsoft, Apple and Sony, met at the High Sierra Hotel in Reno to establish standards that would allow CDs to be played across various computer platforms like Macintosh, Windows and UNIX based computers. The results of this meeting became known as the High Sierra standards, which shortly thereafter were modified slightly and adopted by the International Standards Organization as ISO 9660.

4.               CD-I

 

Developed by Phillips in 1986, the specifications for CD-I, which stands for compact disc-interactive, were published in the Green Book. CD-I is a platform specific format; it required a CD-I player, with a proprietary operating system, attached to a television set. One of the benefits of CD-I is its ability to synchronize sound and pictures on a single track of the disc.

5.               CD-ROM XA

 

CD-ROM extended architecture, or CD ROM XA, was developed by Microsoft, Phillips, and Sony in 1988. This extension of the CD-ROM format allows for interleaving data to enhance the playback of sound and video. It provides the same benefit of better synchronized sound and pictures but it works with computer.

6.               Photo CD

 

The Photo CD was developed in 1992 by Kodak as a means of storing and viewing photos, slides, and film transparencies. The process involves scanning the photos with a high end scanner, compressing the images, and writing them to a compact disc. More than 100 photos can be stored on a CD. The images are indexed, and thumbnails of several images can be displayed at one time. The most common use of the Photo CD is for archiving images and incorporating them into CD titles.

 

Kodak created multisession disc. During the process of creating a multisession disc, a particular directory structure is created that provides access to each session’s data.

7.               CD-R

 

CD-R short for compact disc-recordable, the CD-R file format allows single CDs to be produced using a desktop CD ROM recorder. The CD-R format is also referred to as compact disc-write once, or CD-WO. Compact disk recorders are laser based systems that create one CD at a time – referred to as a one-off.

 

The CD formats were developed specifically for a large market; business, education and consumer. The following are some everyday examples of practical uses of the CD-R format:

 

Archiving printed material by scanning it into the computer and writing it to a

 

CD

 

Providing in house multimedia training titles

 

Distributing information to a small, select audience Creating a prototype of a CD title for testing

 

Creating a premastered image file for delivery to a company for mastering and replication.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS FOR CD-ROM

This process involved in creating CD-ROMs for mass distribution. The production process involves premastering, mastering, replication labeling and packaging.

PREMASTERING:

 

The purpose of premastering is to create an exact image of what will be placed on the CD in an ISO 9660 or other CD format. The image file will include the data, filenames and directories, error detection and correction routines, indexes, and programs that become part of the finished CD.

 

Premastering involves the following steps.

 

Organizing and naming the titles: The file must be organized and named in such a way as to be compliant with the desired CD format. For example, ISO 9660 specifications allow only eight levels of directories, and the filenames must conform to the MS-DOS naming conventions.

 

Optimizing the file structure: This is necessary to speed up the retrieval time. Related files should be placed physically together on the disc. Those files that will be used often should be located near the beginning of the disc, where access time is the shortest. Those files that will be used infrequently, such as install programs, should be located near the outer edge of the disc.

Simulating a CD using a hard drive: Retrieval time for a hard drive is faster than for a CD and testing a multimedia title using a hard drive might not uncover performance shortcomings of the CD. There are premastering programs that will simulate the CD drive’s seek and access time on a hard drive, allowing you to test the file structure for optimization and to determine problems that need to be corrected.

MASTERING AND REPLICATION:

 

The next step is to create a master disc-a process known as mastering. Because of the cost of equipment, this is usually done by companies specializing in disc replication. Using a laser, the information on the premastered image file is burned onto a glass disc that has been covered with a light-sensitive material. The material is washed away, leaving pits and lands. The glass master is then used as a mold to create a stamper, which in turn is used to create the actual CDs. Once the stampers have been developed, the replication phase begins, and hundreds of discs per hour can be created.

LABELING AND PACKAGING:

Labeling the CD is done through a silk-screening process. The label usually contains the name of the title, the name and logo of the company that developed the title, copyright information, and graphics. Graphics are an important part of the CD because they can add to its marketing appeal.

 

Packaging allows for bundling several items together, as well as aids in the marketing of a product. Some CDs need to be packaged in a large box because they require reference manuals or other documentation. Other CDs are packaged in a large box to help in merchandising the title. Large packages give the perception of added value, are useful in attracting attention on the retail shelf, and can provide sales information. The clear plastic jewel box has become a standard because of its relatively low cost, superior protection and marketing features. This material can be used for promotional purposes by utilizing graphics to attract potential customers. It is also useful in providing important information such as the computer system specifications required to run the CD.

DISTRIBUTING MULTIMEDIA TITLES

 

Developers create the title and prepare it for mastering and replication. Publishers are involved in the marketing and particularly the distribution of multimedia titles. In many cases, the same company both develops and publishes the title.

DISTRIBUTING MULTIMEDIA TITLES ON CD-ROM Marketing Consumer Titles:

 

Multimedia publishers face several market-related hurdles that must be overcome. First, the industry is new and most consumers have little or no experience with multimedia titles. Consumers are reluctant to spend money on something they are few sources for reviews, previews, or ratings of multimedia titles. Most retailers are not set up to demonstrate CD-ROM titles. There has been a high rate of returns of CD-ROMs by first time buyers who purchased a title and then were unable to run it on their computers. Retail employees may not have the training to assist customers with technical problems. There is a lack of good content. There are too many CD-ROM titles vying for too little shelf space. To overcome these hurdles, a publisher must develop a marketing plan that involves coordinated product, promotion, pricing, and distribution strategies.

Product Strategy:

 

Multimedia development companies realize that creating only one product, will not sustain a company in the long run. Companies develop mission statements that often include goals of becoming leaders in a particular field. In a highly competitive field, a company’s multimedia titles must be differentiated from the others. One way to differentiate would be to create a character such as Arthur in the series of titles put out by Living Books. Each of the Arthur titles has the same “look and feel”, objectives, main character, and theme. Another way to differentiate a product is by creating high quality graphical images, rich content, or expensive elements such as 3-D animation and video.

 

Another product strategy is to develop brand-name recognition by the target market. Startup companies must adhering to certain development standards and specifications and by entering into a licensing agreement with Microsoft to generate confidence in the consumer by association

Whatever product strategy is used influences and is influenced by the publisher’s strategies for promotion, pricing and distribution.

Promotion Strategy:

 

Retailers are more inclined to stock a title that has an aggressive promotional plan that includes an advertising campaign, point-of-purchase material, and publicity. They are interested in advertising that will stimulate demand for a product and pull the customer into their store. The question is: Who pays for the advertisement? One technique is for the retailer and the publisher to share the cost through a cooperative advertising program.

Point-of-purchase materials such as aisle displays can be tied in with an advertising campaign and are useful in encouraging impulse buying. Aisle displays can increase the sales of product by 25 percent or more, even if the price is not lowered. Point of purchase displays must be designed, manufactured, and shipped to retailers, however, and there may be no guarantee that the displays will be set up and maintained by the retailer once they are received.

 

Publicity comes from stories that appear in various news media. For multimedia titles this is usually magazine, newspapers, and trade publications. The stories often appear as reviews of new products. It is unbiased and therefore lends credibility to the reviewer’s conclusions. It can be leveraged by including reviews in advertising, on point-of-purchase displays, and on packaging. It can be directed towards desired audience. Publicity is free. In order to generate publicity, multimedia publishers prepare and distribute to selected reviewers press kits containing product information and a full version of the title.

Pricing Strategy:

 

Prices for CD-ROM titles for the home market steadily declines from the $70 to $90 to around $20 to $50. Pricing is heavily influenced by cost and competition. Traditionally, companies have determined a suggested retail price (SR) and provided discounts to different buyers. Wholesalers might receive a 50 percent discount and retailers a 35 percent discount off of the suggested retail price, which is usually above the street price – the price actually paid by the consumer. This is one reason why retailers stock only the best-selling titles.

 

In many cases, publishers have not approached the pricing of their products in a way that will cover their entire costs. Some have included only development and production costs and not provided for marketing costs or company overhead.

Distribution Strategy:

 

Multimedia is a new industry that affects many fields: entertainment, video, music, computer, and education, to name but a few; and it involves many players book publishers, film producers, software companies, small multimedia developers, and so forth. A CD-ROM publisher has several options when determining how to distribute consumer multimedia titles. The ultimate test of a title is its demand, and sales are heavily influenced by retail exposure, advertising, and point-of-purchase display.

 

In some cases, company sells directly to retailers. Whatever model is used, there needs to be a value-added effect as the product moves through the distribution channel; that is, every link in the distribution chain needs to make some contribution to the product and its perceived value to the consumer. The following are the pros and cons of the various distribution models.

Wholesalers:

 

Wholesalers buy from multimedia publishers and resell to others, including retailers, catalog companies, and corporate and education markets. Wholesalers can provide services such as controlling inventory, processing returns, and giving technical support. A primary benefit for multimedia publishers, that wholesalers offer access to a worldwide network of retailers. There are a few large wholesalers that specialize in computer related products, including hardware, software, and accessories.

 

There are drawbacks to using wholesalers. Because wholesalers carry thousands of products, there is little likelihood that they will actively promote any one CD-ROM title or work to obtain retail shelf space.

Retailers:

 

One of the best ways to reach the consumer market is through retailers, although a typical retail outlet may stock only 100 to 200 titles out of the thousands that are published each year. A retailer selling CD-ROM titles is interested in maximizing sales per square foot of floor space by increasing inventory turnover. Thus, a primary criterion for stocking a particular title is demand.

 

Forecasting demand for a new title is risky. There is extreme price competition. Retailers are also hesitant to do business with a company that has only one or two products. Retailers often obtain market development funds, called slotting fees, from publishers to stock a title.

Superstores and Specialty Retailers:

 

Originally, CD-ROM titles were sold through computer stores. This was because those who had computers shopped at these outlets for software. Eventually, mass merchandisers began carrying CD-ROM titles. Now book, toy, video and music stores as well as other specialty retailers are selling multimedia titles. More than 25 percent of independent bookstores carry CD-ROM titles. They average about 50 titles per store and focus on reference and children’s titles. Specialty retailers offer a good distribution alternative for multimedia publishers, especially when the retailer’s customer base matches the publisher’s target market.

DISTRIBUTION ALTERNATIVES

 

These include direct, bundling, catalog sales, rentals and partnerships.

Direct Mail:

 

Publishers may find that mail order sales is a cost effective way to enter the market, especially if mailing lists are available for their target audience. Mailing lists, as well as printing and mailing costs, are relatively inexpensive when compared with other advertising media such as newspapers and magazines. Purchases by 5 percent of those receiving a mailing are typical. The important thing is that the mailing list matches the target audience.

Bundling:

 

Bundling involves the distribution of a multimedia title with some other product such as a new computer or upgrade kit. This type of distribution is called OEM marketing, because the publisher works with the “original equipment manufacturer”. The advantage for the publisher is that essentially no marketing costs are involved other than negotiating with the hardware manufacturer. A disadvantage is that the large discounts required leave very little return on each unit.

Catalog Sales:

 

Several companies, such as Micro-warehouse, PC connection, and Multiple Zones International, publish monthly catalogs of computer hardware, software, and CD-ROM titles and distribute these to selected markets. Multiple Zones, for example, publishes the Mac Zone and the PC Zone as well as corporate, education, home and international catalogs.

Rentals:

 

Some retailers are experimenting with renting CD-ROMs. Blockbuster, a national chain of video and music stores, rents and sells CD-ROM game and entertainment titles. Publishers who are considering allowing their titles to be rented need to consider the effect on sales.

Partnerships:

 

With the incredible growth of multimedia developers and the distribution problems facing them, it is surprise that partnerships, joint ventures, and acquisitions are fairly common. Many of these bring together a developer and a distributor or content expert. This minimizes the developer’s marketing costs and allows the developer to concentrate on creating titles. Financial arrangements vary from having a distributor fund that development costs to licensing a title and paying a royalty on each unit sold.

MARKETING NON CONSUMER TITLES

 

Non consumer titles, such as reference works used by libraries, corporate training title, and educational titles directed at the college market, make up the vast majority of CD-ROM sales. They are less complex to market than consumer titles, do not require shelf space, and are not as prone to seasonal sales. This target audience is usually smaller, more defined, and easier to reach. Large wholesalers who sell to retailers, also have corporate divisions. Other distributers such as Software Services, specialize in sales to educational institutions or government agencies. Because of the fewer number of potential buyers, telemarketing and direct mail campaigns can be effective. Trade shows that allow vendor demonstrations are also a useful way to reach specific industries.

DISTRIBUTING MULTIMEDIA TITLES ONLINE

 

In April 1994 here were 1,000 sites on the Internet. Eighteen months later there were 110000 sites. In 1996 there were more than 20 million people worldwide who had access to the Internet. On prediction is that this number will exceed 50 million by the end of the century.

 

The Internet is quickly becoming a major delivery medium for multimedia. The World Wide Web provides all of the elements of multimedia, including sound, animation, video and Hyperlinking – and the content can be updated as often as desired. Thus the advantage of online distribution is the vast audience and the ability of the developer to constantly refresh the content to keep it timely. The drawback of delivering multimedia online is its slow speed. The fastest commonly used modems transfer data at a fraction of the speed of CD drives, so a major disadvantage of distributing online is the inability to deliver large files quickly. On the other hand, although the information on a CD-ROM can be accessed relatively quickly, once a CD is mastered no data can be added. This means that whatever is on the CD when the user obtains it will not change.

 

Thus the Internet and CD-ROMs are complementary – the strength of one overcomes the weaknesses of the other. For example, Microsoft’s reference title Complete Baseball provides historical data and team and player statistics. Those who have registered copies of the CD-ROM can access daily game updates. This distribution process has significant value for the education and corporate training markets. An online course could be developed and a CD-ROM sent to those who enroll. The CD-ROM would have course materials such as case studies, reference works, tests, tutorials, virtual labs, and other tools. The online component would allow instructors to give assignments involving material on the CD-ROM, establish “chat rooms” for student discussion, and update and augment materials as needed.

 

If a publisher includes online distribution in the marketing mix, a decision needs to be made on how to structure the online connection. The developer could install a server and

establish a home page that could be accessed by users, but consideration would need to be given to how the system would be maintained and how often the content would be updates.

Kiosk – based Multimedia

 

A kiosk is a computer-based system used to provide information and conduct transactions. The most widely used kiosks are bank ATMs. Kiosks are a good medium for multimedia because they can be configured to accommodate the needs of the user and the developer. For example, a videodisc or a large hard drive could be added to the system to accommodate video, a printer could be part of the kiosk to provide a hard copy of desired information; and if the content needed to be updated.

 

There are two types of kiosks, informational and transactional. Transactional kiosks provide for user input. Examples of transactional kiosks are ATMs, school registration systems, and airline self ticketing systems. In most cases the user must enter information in order to complete a transaction. An input device such as a keyboard, numeric pad or card reader may be necessary. Fortunately, a touch screen can display a keyboard, so no peripheral unit is needed.

 

Informational kiosks are those found in shopping malls, libraries, and museums, which allow the user to access information such as store location and hours; city services and employment opportunities; and art collections and artist biographies.

 

The success of a kiosk is to a large extent determined by its location; it needs to be accessible to the intended audience. In most cases, this means locating the kiosk in a high traffic area that is convenient to the potential user. Shopping malls, college bookstores, bank buildings, airport terminals, libraries, and museum lobbies are examples of practical locations. The kiosks location will often have an effect on its features. For examples, sound might be considered a desirable element that could be used to attract people to an amusement park kiosk, but if the kiosk were located in a library reading room, the use of sound would be misappropriate.