mm10lifecycle

Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle

ISMT multimedia 2002Dr Vojislav B Mišić

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 2 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Lecture Overview

Multimedia application development lifecycle

What is the same as in other product dev’t lifecycles

.. And what is different Individual phases and their characteristics


Multimedia application development lifecycle

Most similarities can be found with the software development lifecyclecomputers involved – the product itself is software requirements often vague and unstable

Important differences:both technical and creative/artistic parts are present,

with creative/artistic aspect often more importantspecial equipment – interface/conversion problemsprototyping is a must


Phases

conceptualization and planningdesign and prototypingproduction testingdistribution and follow-upand (of course) management


Management

phase 0, because it …spans all other phases, including activities

such asplanningestimationcontrol resource managementdocumenting


Business Plan

Defines objectives and means to achieve these objectives

Analyze and define financesmarketsproductsdistribution channelskey employees

Develop a business model


Project Management

Planning, estimating, monitoring, controlling, and coordinating resources financespeoplematerial resources (equipment, tools, materials, ...)content

in order to achieve the project objectiveMost important variables: time, cost, quality


Multimedia project management

Traditional project management tasksAdditionally, the manager of a multimedia

project must orchestrate different technologiespersons (with skills and personalities) resources

in a marketplace that is constantly evolving and changing


Project plan

A common document which should help all interested parties tounderstand the defined goalunderstand the way of attaining the goal follow the schedulecooperate with othersuse the resources (tools and content) properly


Finances

$ Funding: the process of finding sources of capital to develop your product

$ Various types of funding:$ loans$ grants$ self-funding$ venture capital

But: each has good and bad sides


People

Many different specialties are required in each phase of the project

Both technical and artistic specialties are needed

They have differentbackgrounds (professional and cultural)skills and expertiseand, of course, personalities


Material resources

Different types of resourcesComputer hardware and softwareProduction equipmentContent (existing and new)

How to obtain them?BorrowLeasePurchaseMake your own


Legal issues

Securing sources of fundingLicensing content and/or technologyHiring employees or contractorsDrafting contractsPurchasing or leasing the necessary

equipment, props, office space


Phase 1: Conceptualization and Planning

Every multimedia project begins with an idea or concept

The concept and the plan define a project

Planning should make the realization of the concept as straightforward as possible


The Kickoff Meeting

Projects often start with ameeting to discuss theproject direction and plan

Usually only a group of key playersServes to create and unite the teamDefines and/or clarifies goals, roles,

expectations, and strategies


Project Scope

What are you making? … What is it for? … What do you want to say? … What will be used? …

… the concept

… the purpose

… the message

… the approach


Types of projects

Electronic Books and Magazines

Kiosks and Information Centers

Multimedia DatabasesCorporate Training Interactive Education Interactive Games

Interactive Music Interactive Movies Interactive Art and

Performance Interactive Sales and

MarketingPresentations and

Communications


Target Audience

what is their background (with respect to age, education, gender, …)

what are their preferences (even those prescribed by current fashion)

are there some cultural and other constraints to be observed

what equipment will they use to access your product (environment)


The Message

What is the message that you want to convey to your audience

All components of your project must be related to its messageConsistencyFocusingCreativity

Closely related to the “approach”


Market Research First …

Identification: Is there a target audience at all? Is there significant competition?What could be our edge

in the marketplace?

Classificationbusiness vs. consumerearly adopters vs. lazy ones


… Technical Research Later

Is it technically feasible to create a product that is better, cheaper, more useful than anything else available

Think about:Delivery media Installed baseStorage capacitySpeedEconomy


Phase 2: Design

Bridging the gap betweenthe audience and you

Design should embody concept, purpose, and messages

Technology helps and often is indispensable – but technology alone without the proper design creativity cannot do the trick


Design goals

SimplicityConsistencyUser involvementAffordabilityFun, efficiency, timing


Simplicity

Multimedia by definition includes user interaction and exploration

Note: prettiest designs may not be the simplest, nor the easiest to use

Good interaction design should instill a desire to go on and find out more

However, efficiency is always an issue


Consistency

Primarily related to user interface (we will have more to say about this)

A good product should behave in a consistent manner

Consistency reduces learning time and reduces chances for surprise, even with functions you have never used before

Increased familiarity translates into increased productivity


User involvement

Most people like to get “involved”Adding a human dimension to the

communication with a mindless machinePeople enjoy exploring and discovering new

paths – reward curiosity by designing depthAllow users to explore more than one level

of information – but only if they explicitly choose to do so


Affordability

Analyze what the users fromthe target group can afford

Different audience segments have different amounts they are willing to spend on a given product

Design goal: accommodate as much as possible within a given price range


Other qualities

some applications can be fun to use (but each user can have his or her own definition of what exactly is “fun”)

user comprehension has its own pace – try to be neither too fast, nor too slow

performance is always an issue: but this is predominantly a technical problem


Shaping the Design

Often begins with abrainstorming sessiona dynamic process of gathering

ideas and exploring possibilitieswithout judgement or constraint

A good brainstorming session results in a collection of ideas and solutions that become the foundation for both the design and the prototype developed from it


Storyboard

An illustrated scene-by-scene plan for telling a story: represents actions, images and narration unfolding over time

Each significant frame is described in (some) detail, the actors are outlined, and their important actions are spelled out

Storyboard may be considered to be a specification of the prototype (and, ultimately, the product itself)


Information Design

How to organize and present information in a clear, accurate, meaningful and useful form

Includes the information in all media and their visual interaction (to an extent)


Phase 3: Prototyping

A limited implementation of a designEmphasizes exploration and

experimentationPrototyping helps simplify and

improve production processOften used as proof-of-concept

and/or testing purposes

Multimedia applications must be prototyped


Product Specifications

A complete list of features that covers structure and behavior of the product should emerge from the prototyping phase

In multimedia, this means type and amount of content, interface characteristics, and interaction


Phase 4: Production

Organizing people and resourcesProviding and producing content – text,

graphics, videos, sound, animation, VR Integrating all of the above into a

meaningful, coherent productDetails of production related to different

media types will be covered in a separate lecture


Organizing the Production Schedule

Specification of all the tasks and their interdependencies in sufficient detailEstimates should be made for each task (i.e., time

and effort / manpower)Appropriate resources should be allocatedA number of milestones has to be establishedMain project goals must be establishedDeliverables: the product itself, documentation and

additional materials


Organizing People

Responsibilities and roles should be clearly delineated and defined

Some people may take on different roles (well-defined tasks are a must)

Professional services should be used whenever possible (at a cost)

Remember: quality obtained is always proportional to investment made


Organizing Production Resources

Organizing resources: define what is required and a schedule of its usage

Equipment selection: based on the project script and on the actual shooting location

Major equipment has its own schedule, with each major piece assigned to a person

Compatibility issues must be resolved


Source Materials

Source: any items containing media data that can be used in our product

Production can involvecreating new source materials,converting (re-purposing) existing materials,or (most often) both

Source materials must be indexed and kept in order (do not delete anything, never)


Selecting the Right Tools

Most important criteria:Whether the production artists are familiar with the

tool(s) selectedWhether the format used by the tool is compatible

with other tools

Availability and cost may be important for small projects: in large projects, the cost is never a big part of the overall budget


Production Integration

Integrating content elements: usually the responsibility of programmer(s)

Project manager must overview integrationProject manager should make sure that no

content is forgotten or missingProblems of all types tend to multiply as the

delivery time is approaching


Style guide

Necessary in order to create a product with a sense of integrity and unityUse of punctuation, grammatical conventions, use of

jargonsSamples, illustrations and templates for graphical

layoutGraphics production: standards used, layout templatesVideo productionSound productionConducting and attending production meetings


Documentation

Different types of documentation may be needed, depending on the project

Both size and scope depend on the project and its intended audienceMass audience requires the documentation to be as

simple as possible, together with additional materials (getting started, tutorials, … )

Narrow, well-educated audience require in-depth coverage, description of more sophisticated functions

Internet helps…


Phase 5: Testing

Walking in user's shoes – before the user does so

Main questionsWhen to testWhat to testHow to testWhen to stop testing

But the crucial question is: can testing give us complete confidence in the product?


More on testing

Different types of testing: functional, content testing, collateral materials testing, user testing

Different timing: alpha, beta, user testingTest plan with relevant information on

schedule resources testing environmentdeliverables


Phase 6: Distribution

Activities related to:Preparation and duplication of physical mediaChoosing distribution options and channelsMarketingSales


Options and Channels

Publishers Affiliated label program Self-publishing

Mail order catalogs Distributors Retailers Education and

government markets Content-specific stores Direct mail Bundling


Marketing

Public relations – press releases, press kits, trade shows

PromotionsAdvertisingMeetings, presentations and negotiationsSales callsProduct demonstrations


Phase 7: Follow-up

Development wrap-upMaintenanceTrainingDocumentationCustomer relationsPursuing additional opportunities


Development Wrap-up

To determine the actual schedule and costs and compare them against the original estimates

To find out ways in which the process (and subsequent products) could be improved

In other words: how we did it, and what have we learned by doing it (that coul dhelp us fare better next time)


Customer Support

Providing assistance to customers and clients in response to specific problems and inquiries

Internet helps here as well … Main activities:

maintenance training

Multimedia titles generally need little support


Maintenance Classification

Maintenance: managing the operation and use of a product once it has gone into distribution

Different classifications possibleaccording to strategy (preventive vs. defensive)according to type of changes introduced (corrective,

perfective, or adaptive)


Training

Teaching and educating an audience about the purpose and use of a product

Training equips users to be self-sufficient with a product – reduces users’ need for support

Consequently, training should reduce the cost of supporting the product


User Feedback(What do they think of us?)

mail-back registration cardsonline customer comment formsdirect customer contact (e.g., by phone or

email)press reviews, andsales statistics


Pursuing additional opportunities

Some products are suitable for organizing user groups – some are not:Oracle user group makes senseEncarta user group does not (why?)

New versions or upgradesReuse of the content material in a different

publishing mediumCreation of companion products

mm10lifecycle

Education

dr vojislav b mii finances

dr vojislav b mii people

dr vojislav b mii legal

project planning

project objective

project direction

resources tools

personalities resources