WEEK 5: DISCUSSION OF ELEMENT OF DESIGN

EMPHASIS

• Creates a focal point in a design - how we bring attention to what is most important. What catches the eye and makes the viewer stop and look at the image. 

•  Created by:
• contrast - contrast makes something is more easily seen and understood; something different attracts the eye. 
• Elements can be contrasted: 
• line (a curve in the midst of straight lines), 
• shape (a circle in a field of squares), 
• color (one red dot on a background of grays and blacks), 
• value (a light or dark area in the middle of its opposite) 
• texture (rough vs. smooth). 
• contrasting orientation:

• space (horizontal, vertical, diagonal)
• style (a geometric shape in an otherwise naturalistic image) 
• size.

• anomaly, or something that departs from the norm
• example: a person wearing a snowsuit on a tropical beach.

• placement. 
• implied lines all directed toward the same place can create a focal point there. 
• isolating an element from the others by its position in space

• Without emphasis = no focus point for viewer to look at the image = communication cannot occur.
• If everything is emphasized (all text is large and bold, all images are animated or flashing, everything is in bright colors) = nothing will stand out, nothing will be emphasized, nothing will grab the viewer’s attention.
  
  
  http://shykoo.blogspot.com/2010/01/homework-2-unity.html

WEEK 5: PRODUCTS OF MULTIMEDIA/WEB DESIGN

In this week, we had learnt about

- Content design

- Interaction design

- User interface design

In a design, it begins with Information Design, followed by Interaction Design and Interface Design.

Information Design is all about content and strategy, interaction design is about navigation while interface Design is something that we seen as presentation.

Interface Design is actually Presentation Design. It is the final outcome that would be seen by the audience.  It is presenting and communicating with the audience. As I learnt, User Interface design is not just about the arrangement on a screen, but as lecturer had mentioned, it is more than that. It is more to “look and feel”. Because in the applications of sending the message, the 'watching" is not enough to build up the interactions. That is why those user interface design involves arrangement and presentation of media, building a mental model of how users think, identifying navigational issues  and understanding user’s response and reaction.

WEEK 4: NO TOPIC

I attend the class where there is no one there...

I never thought I was earlier, because it was 10 minutes late...

My phone died...

I thought the class had been replace somewhere...

Keep waiting...

With hope, someone is coming...

I open the website, find for Prof Jamal's number.

Another phone is still alive..
Texting Prof. Jamal...

I got the answer, just because i did not check my phone before i came to class...

I drive home safely!!

WEEK 3: GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE

This week, the class had been divided into two sections. The first section is presentation about Glimpse into the Future that held around 1 hour and 30 minutes.  The presentations are all about social media, immersive learning, and augmented reality.

• SOCIAL MEDIA: I understand that social media is one medium that we use for interaction within communities. In one of presentation, they introduced Frog VLE as social media. They said that VLE frog could be used as media social. Since I did not explore the Frog VLE so much, I was quite surprise, and excited, how good Frog VLE since I saw is as only a medium that had been used to give some information through the net. I even think tha, better to use Facebook since it is much easier and user-friendly even for kids. However, Prof Jamal, the lecturer, explained that Frog VLE is not a medium of social learning. The reason is, Frog VLE cannot be registered by anyone,only through the administrator. Different to Youtube, Flickr, Facebook, and twitter which are various types of social media that could be registered by anyone.

The social media

• VIRTUAL REALITY: We  learn about Virtual Reality which also known as Immersive learning.  From what I’ve learn, it is some kind of blended where there is a computer, which generated simulation of reality to the user. It combines  multimedia elements and interactivity and use widely in education, business, and entertainment. It use some kind of 'recorded video' and play like they are going through the experience.

Virtual reality USUALLY need head mounted display

• AUGMENTED REALITY: We also learn about augmented reality. I have to present this topic but I did not have a chance to present since my group is the last group to present, and we are running with time. In my understanding, based on my reading and exploring websites, augmented reality is something seem as virtual reality. It seems those situation, user is going through the 'journey'. However, the AR usually needs a camera to make it is adapting the technologies at the real time.  At first, I did confuse, which is the latest technologies, either virtual reality or augmented reality, since virtual reality seems had been used in advanced industries such as simulating aircraft and golf experience. After having some research and review, I found that augmented reality is approaching virtual reality with real time. That's the different. Virtual reality is simulation, where it play like a real situation while augmented reality is applying the virtual into the reality. It improves the reality value. It is real awesome!

Augmented Reality using marker

Apps Augmented Reality for mobile.

Augmented reality that had been used widely in sports.

Then the lecture begins. The lecture is about Multimedia Development. 

• In Multimedia production, there are a team which work from different parts that succeeding the multimedia. There are
• Producer/Project Manager
• Creative Director/
• Multimedia Designer
• Art Director/Visual Designer
• Graphics Artist
• Interface Designer
• Game Designer
• Subject Matter Expert
• Instructional Designer/Training Specialist
• Script Writer
• Animator (2D/3D)
• Sound Producer
• Music Composer
• Video Producer
• Multimedia Programmer
• HTML Coder
• Lawyer/Media Acquisition
• Marketing Director

In some cases, based on budget for Human Resource, some expert will combine more than 1 type of expertise. For the example, a Visual designer, also could be a graphic artist and interface designer.

• Then, when we already have the team, now we will have a Multimedia Development Process which are very systematic. It starts from Planning and costing (Idea/objectives, Multimedia expertise required, time & cost estimation), then followed by designing, producing, testing and delivering. To produce the multimedia, those steps is managed using Instructional Design Model either ADDIE, ASSURE, Dick & Carey model, Raid Prototyping and so on. It would ensure we are producing the multimedia based on the steps and criteria required that we need to fulfills as the audience intention.

• From those lessons, the process had been divided into couples of phases. 
• First for Phase 1: Planning/Analysis where all the members have to identify, what they are going to produce, and why should the, with who are the audience. They should know what the audience should get, and what the audience want. 
• In  Phase 2: Design, it include designing the storyboards, Scripts, Flowcharts and design in detail before. 
• Then it followed by Phase 3: Development, which is deciding, what courseware/authorware that would be use.
• Phase 4: Implementation is the phase where we implement the most importance part, to add up the value, and recognize why it is better than other product. The last phase, 
• Phase 5: Testing & Evaluation is to see how it works! It is running well, or vice versa…

Phew.... this topic is quite hard and really needs full of attention!!

WEEK 2: (CONT.) IMPORTANCE OF MULTIMEDIA

Based on second week learning, this is the point that I've get from Prof. Jamal:

• Stimulating & Efficient Format
•  Interactivity in multimedia permits self-paced learning adapting to individual’s skills and motivation

• Effective Communication of Information
• The dynamics of sound, video, and animation are powerful supplements when added to text and graphics.

• Better Retention of Information
• Interactivity gets the viewer involved at a self-directed pace allowing the information to make optimum impact.
• Retention of Information :
• 20 % of what we hear4
• 40 % of what we see and hear
• 75 % of what we see, hear and do
•  Ease of use
• Intuitive Interface
• Immersive Experience
• Self-Paced Interaction and Better Retention
• Better Understanding of the Content
• Cost Effectiveness
• More Fun = Greater Efficiency

In this point of learning, I learnt that multimedia play such a big part in computing technology nowadays, especially in education system. It seems that multimedia could attract and makes the environment is more interactive and interesting to the user. It will makes the user see and feel the multimedia as their senses comfortable with the presentation. If it is a situation of learning, multimedia will bring the students excitedly learn and feel the lessons.

WEEK 2: INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA & MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS

On this week, class had been started by Dr. Jamaluddin at 4.00pm. Dr. Jamaluddin explained that he will handle the class in first 7 semester.

Definition of Multimedia
Based on https://tojde.anadolu.edu.tr/tojde17/pdf/intmultimedia.pdf, there are two definitions about multimedia.

Definition 1: “Multimedia is the combination of a variety of communication channels into a co-ordinated communicative experience for which an integrated cross-channel language of interpretation does not exist” 
(Elsom-Cook, 2001). 
  
Definition 2: “… multimedia can be defined as an integration of multiple media elements (audio, video, graphics, text, animation, etc.) into one synergetic and symbiotic whole that results in more benefits for the end user than any one of the media elements can provide individually” (Reddi, 2003).

In this class, I learnt three phases of defining the meaning of multimedia.

Definition multi-media (Original): Multimedia means using two or more media for a presentation, such as videos and slides.

Definition Multimedia (2nd version): Multimedia refers to computer-centered presentation that combines elements of photo, video, text, graphics, audio and animation.

Latest definition of multimedia: Computer-based interactive communications process includes the use of text, graphics, audio, video, and animation. 

My reflection of learning: In this class, Dr. Jamaluddin had introduced us about Multimedia. As I learnt from this class, multimedia comes from 2 words, which is multi and media. From my understanding, multi means various, while media is a tool used as medium to present some knowledge resources. Combining those words brings up the meaning that medium that used to be present comes with elements of multimedia including interactivity. The importance point that had been added to multimedia is interactive. I learnt that multimedia is not a multimedia when the presentation is not interactive.

Elements of Multimedia

In multimedia, there are 6 elements that had been stated in the definition which are text, graphics, audio, video, animation. and interactivity. Text and graphics are static elements. Audio, video and animations are dynamic elements.

Categorization of multimedia

Multimedia products easily group into two categories which are linear and non-linear.

Based on my reading, I understand that linear is something that presented and it came as one way interaction where we will watch and 'feel' the presentation while non-linear is the category where we control the situation,and play the part of interactivity such as playing video games and so on.

Based on http://www.b-u.ac.in/sde_book/multi_system.pdf, 

• Linear active content progresses without any navigation control for the viewer such as a cinema presentation. 
• Non-linear content offers user interactivity to control progress as used with a computer game or used in self-paced computer based training. Non-linear content is also known as hypermedia content. 

Composing the Multimedia

Multimedia had been developed by combining the elements, managed in authoring tools and published through the network. Those elements will be combine well, as the clients need, build up in authoring system, and distributed multimedia system in networking.

History of multimedia
From the lessons, we learnt that multimedia only gaining attention in recent years because of previous computer did not reach the level of capability and reasonable price as now. It means that on that time, to produce multimedia, the hard disk is an almost impossible thing to have. The size is very small, while the price is so expensive. So, the Multimedia is something that could be produce with high cost.

The history of multimedia production development