6107: Multimedia project ends.

Exam is over. Assignment submitted. Hurray.

OKie continue where i left off for this project-assignment.

I have been using MMB for the project and its not enough though. That’s why MMS allows embedded videos, wav. files and also FLASH.

I have to embed videos into our product. Before that, I need to create the videos. Finding videos for our theme is quite challenging. In the end I have to settle for one manually made movie and one video download from a source, Metacafe.com.

The manually made one involves using ADOBE software. USing scan-pictures and estimate where the subtitles will be to put the right location for the picture.

and Windows Movie Maker (WMM).

Using WM prove to be time consuming cause it has been a long time since I have used it. Adding the right size for the subtitle, the right colour, the

timing. The time adjustment prove to be very complicated. And at times, the programme HANGed!!! need to restart my PC at times. I felt like HANGING…in the AIR.

FInally finish with music embed. A pity though, no voice over…so the interactiveness is not that of high level.

so this is how it looks like in the courseware after embedding it.

it looks bland though…simple…toooo simple….not satisfied.

Things was not the same for the BACK massage step-by-step video. Read through the manual. The words were difficult as we did not introduce those words in the courseware. And there were no pictures to illustrate some of the steps. HEnce, decided to take a video done by someone. Luckily found one. With voice over, simple instruction w/o subtitle but thats sufficient.

AFter thinking, hmmm…i should have added a similar one to the HANDARM massage part instead doing the video manually. Unfortunately, not able to find a similar video. In terms of following ID rules…or not…its better to have two of the same kind. Standardization to avoid awkward presentation.

Lastly, the video extracts…..

Next, i had problems with making it autorun w/o affecting the videos and music. Being a newbie, I compile and turning it into exe. file but had problems getting the sound to play. BEst placed to get it solved for those who have zero knowledge in technical stuff, is to go to their forum (MMB). It was immediate answer. I had problems solving it when i was reading the HELP section provided by the software. So next time to solve a similar problem, go to the forum of that software.

Satisfaction level towards the end-product (out of 10) 7

 

Insights:

There is always solution at the end. Always.

 

Empathized:

Now I understand being a technical designer is not easy. The time spent to create one small part takes hours in order to get the right path for the users’ needs.

Now I understand why those technical designer with miles of experience will charged a “big” amount for doing what non-designers will see as small, easy and don’t take much time.

 

 

 

6107:Multimedia Project cont’

…continue where I stop

The above image is for “preparation”. Again, as explained in the previous entry, when the user move the cursor to the designated picture, explanation for that picture will appear. Here, I added phrases / word to represent or identify each image. This associatism is to help the user to relate.

 

The above image is the first page for the item-steps. The pictures used for each category are the same pictures the user is going to see in the “other” page. Another feature in this page is the user will click on the button (as hinted) to go the intended page. When the cursor touch the GO button, a simple explaination of the intended page will appear above the picture.

Despite the similar explanation as shown at the top of the page, I believe, this will ease the user. There is a possibility that when the user touch the GO button, the user needs to move the eyes to the top in order to read what was the explaination. This occurance can be quite inconvenient for a certain group of people. This group can be considered as slow learners.

all right….this is my progress so far….

gambate neh..

ps: its raining heavily

6107:Multimedia Project

This semester, I am taking Multimedia as one of my subjects. One of my assighments, is to develop a courseware on any theme / subject depending on your prior knowledge, or work experience. Luckily, this is a group assignment (my group: K, H and me).

We have chosen massage as our theme. Reason, one of our group members work in a massage cum yoga centre. Hence, resources are plentiful, but it depends what we intend to create. We decided to go simple and most importantly, basic, looking at time constraint and the technical knowledge that we possessed at hand.

What we created is a courseware specifically for adult learners who has ZERO knowledge on how to massage and also SMALL PERCENT of prior knowledge on what massage is exactly all about. Thus: MASSAGE FOR BEGINNERS is being constructed. The objectives of the courseware are:

1. To create awareness on the benefits of massage

2. To illustrate correct basic massage techniques

3. To create awareness on the precautions taken before massage

Yours truly part is to develop / create the courseware-the technical part. That was the challenge. Initially, I decided to use FLASH but I got stuck at time-frame. I wanted to use FLASH cause we need to make the courseware as INTERACTIVE as possible. After all, this is a miltimedia subject that I am taking. By the way, I invested on some DIY FLASH help-books but it didnt’ really help me…It’s not that I don’t understand but I believe I don’t have sufficient prior knowledge to master it (I am going to learn how to use FLASH after this project). Then, I decided to give MULTIMEDIA BUILDER (MMB) a try. MMB is another authoring tool that helps ignoramous people like me to create something similar of what you can create with FLASH.WHile creating the courseware, my thoughts are

USER-FRIENDLY: EASIER to NAVIGATE + SIMPLE INSTRUCTION  

Eventhough the stakeholders are adults, which is equivalent to these people can think or they have prior knowledge in using any courseware, we cannot assume such notion. The important rule is we have to “assume” these people need to be taught on how to use the product. Remember each individual is different and thus, we have all sorts of people and something call..multiple intelligence.So, let’s move on to the courseware.

Initially, the courseware looks like this.

My verdict: plain and an eye sore. I was not satisfied how it turn out. Ughgh.. i cringe at the sight of it.

Need makeover.

SO the above is the makeover.

Firstly,instead of putting the items in individual flower, I decided to cluster them around the flower. When the user is on that page, that particular word will have a different colour. As you can see, the word “benefits” is of GREEN in colour.

By the way, the numbers (1,2,3,4,5,6) under each word is to show which item comes first. Such arrangement, I feel can help the user to navigate the page according to importance. For example, one need to know the HISTORY of massage before moving on the another item: BENEFITS. In HISTORY page, the user will be able to realise how massage comes about and able to relate the importance of massage.

On the BENEFITS page, there is also a brief intro on BENEFITS.

Under the intro, there are instructions in the form of TIP. The word “instruction” comes too strong of a meaning, and it can turn to be quite offensive especially for adult learners. TIP is as similar of giving out clue or HINT. Hence, the effect of the word is soft. TIP creates the meaning of FUN while browsing through the page.

The interactive part will be the human body with BLUE buttons. When the user moves the cursor on the BLUE button, info on that particular part will appear. When the cursor moves away, the info will dissappear.

Pictures on massage (on the left side) is to enhance representation of the theme: massage. These pictures will indirectly enforce that this product is all about massage.

These pictures below are the new makeover:

This picture is the main page. In the main page, there are objectives of the courseware. Again, the pictures are to enhance the courseware-theme. HEre, the pictures on the right and the explanation on the left is to create balance-arrangement of the page. There is another interactive part in this page. When the user moves the cursor on any of the items, short info of what to expect at the particular page will appear. The flower-word-number arrangement is the same for all page is to create schema on the user on how to use or browse the courseware. This is also to create convenience for the user to use other pages. Giving a different layout for different pages, will create confusion and increase a new need of understanding to navigate the page. After all, this courseware is targeted to beginner level. Additional burden like how to navigate or browse the page should be kept at the minimum level.

 

 

The next one is the HISTORY page. The interactive part will be by moving the cursor along the GREEN line, sort explaination on each era will appear. The different family of green from LIGHT to DARK represents the development of massage according to era and time frame.

 

 

This page (below) is on precaution. The page browse is of similar to benefits.

 

 

By the way, white daisy is chosen because of the meaning it carries..purity which is synonymous to massage.

OKie…so far my progress is there (including “preparation”-but not shown) . Moving to to steps and feedback…gambate neh

It is a challenge to develop a courseware-the technical part of it. Challenges like finding the right pictures, if you get the pictures, whether it will be blurred  (as the size is too small), the right colour combination, the arrangement, the suitable words, lines of sentences do you want to have etc etc etc. And every of this detail has to be justified.

Next challenge compiling the courseware to executable file……arghghgh…

my END verdict: its FUN FUN FUN.