Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle 2t2871

Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle

ISMT multimedia 2002 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

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

Multimedia application development lifecycle Most similarities can be found with the software development lifecycle computers 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 important special equipment – interface/conversion problems prototyping is a must ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 3 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phases conceptualization and planning design and prototyping production testing distribution and follow-up and (of course) management

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 4 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Management phase 0, because it … spans all other phases, including activities such as planning estimation control resource management documenting

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 5 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Business Plan Defines objectives and means to achieve these objectives Analyze and define finances markets products distribution channels key employees

Develop a business model ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 6 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Project Management Planning, estimating, monitoring, controlling, and coordinating resources finances people material resources (equipment, tools, materials, ...) content

in order to achieve the project objective Most important variables: time, cost, quality ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 7 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Multimedia project management Traditional project management tasks Additionally, the manager of a multimedia project must orchestrate different technologies persons (with skills and personalities) resources

in a marketplace that is constantly evolving and changing ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 8 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Project plan A common document which should help all interested parties to understand the defined goal understand the way of attaining the goal follow the schedule cooperate with others use the resources (tools and content) properly

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 9 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 10 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

People Many different specialties are required in each phase of the project Both technical and artistic specialties are needed They have different backgrounds (professional and cultural) skills and expertise and, of course, personalities ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 11 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Material resources Different types of resources Computer hardware and software Production equipment Content (existing and new)

How to obtain them? Borrow Lease Purchase Make your own ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 12 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Legal issues Securing sources of funding Licensing content and/or technology Hiring employees or contractors Drafting contracts Purchasing or leasing the necessary equipment, props, office space

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 13 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 14 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

The Kickoff Meeting

Projects often start with a meeting to discuss the project direction and plan Usually only a group of key players Serves to create and unite the team Defines and/or clarifies goals, roles, expectations, and strategies ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 15 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Project Scope

What are you making? … … the concept What is it for? … … the purpose What do you want to say? … … the message What will be used? … … the approach

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 16 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Types of projects Electronic Books and Magazines Kiosks and Information Centers Multimedia Databases Corporate Training Interactive Education Interactive Games

Interactive Music Interactive Movies Interactive Art and Performance Interactive Sales and Marketing Presentations and Communications

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 17 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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) ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 18 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

The Message What is the message that you want to convey to your audience All components of your project must be related to its message Consistency Focusing Creativity

Closely related to the “approach” ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 19 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Market Research First … Identification: Is there a target audience at all? Is there significant competition? What could be our edge in the marketplace?

Classification business vs. consumer early adopters vs. lazy ones

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 20 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

… 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 base Storage capacity Speed Economy ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 21 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phase 2: Design

Bridging the gap between the 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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 22 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Design goals

Simplicity Consistency  involvement Affordability Fun, efficiency, timing

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 23 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Simplicity Multimedia by definition includes 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

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 24 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Consistency Primarily related to 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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 25 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

involvement Most people like to get “involved” Adding a human dimension to the communication with a mindless machine People enjoy exploring and discovering new paths – reward curiosity by deg depth Allow s to explore more than one level of information – but only if they explicitly choose to do so ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 26 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Affordability

Analyze what the s from the 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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 27 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 28 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Shaping the Design Often begins with a brainstorming session a dynamic process of gathering ideas and exploring possibilities without 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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 29 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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) ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 30 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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)

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 31 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phase 3: Prototyping A limited implementation of a design Emphasizes exploration and experimentation Prototyping helps simplify and improve production process Often used as proof-of-concept and/or testing purposes

Multimedia applications must be prototyped ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 32 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 33 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phase 4: Production Organizing people and resources Providing and producing content – text, graphics, videos, sound, animation, VR Integrating all of the above into a meaningful, coherent product Details of production related to different media types will be covered in a separate lecture ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 34 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Organizing the Production Schedule Specification of all the tasks and their interdependencies in sufficient detail Estimates should be made for each task (i.e., time and effort / manpower) Appropriate resources should be allocated A number of milestones has to be established Main project goals must be established Deliverables: the product itself, documentation and additional materials ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 35 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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) : quality obtained is always proportional to investment made ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 36 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 37 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Source Materials Source: any items containing media data that can be used in our product Production can involve creating 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) ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 38 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Selecting the Right Tools Most important criteria: Whether the production artists are familiar with the tool(s) selected Whether 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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 39 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Production Integration Integrating content elements: usually the responsibility of programmer(s) Project manager must overview integration Project manager should make sure that no content is forgotten or missing Problems of all types tend to multiply as the delivery time is approaching

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 40 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Style guide Necessary in order to create a product with a sense of integrity and unity Use of punctuation, grammatical conventions, use of jargons Samples, illustrations and templates for graphical layout Graphics production: standards used, layout templates Video production Sound production Conducting and attending production meetings ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 41 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Documentation Different types of documentation may be needed, depending on the project Both size and scope depend on the project and its intended audience Mass 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… ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 42 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phase 5: Testing Walking in 's shoes – before the does so Main questions When to test What to test How to test When to stop testing

But the crucial question is: can testing give us complete confidence in the product? ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 43 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

More on testing Different types of testing: functional, content testing, collateral materials testing, testing Different timing: alpha, beta, testing Test plan with relevant information on schedule resources testing environment deliverables ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 44 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phase 6: Distribution

Activities related to: Preparation and duplication of physical media Choosing distribution options and channels Marketing Sales

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 45 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Options and Channels

 Publishers  d label program  Self-publishing

 Mail order catalogs  Distributors  Retailers  Education and government markets  Content-specific stores  Direct mail  Bundling

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 46 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Marketing Public relations – press releases, press kits, trade shows Promotions Advertising Meetings, presentations and negotiations Sales calls Product demonstrations ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 47 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Phase 7: Follow-up Development wrap-up Maintenance Training Documentation Customer relations Pursuing additional opportunities

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 48 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

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) ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 49 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Customer 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 ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 50 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Maintenance Classification Maintenance: managing the operation and use of a product once it has gone into distribution Different classifications possible according to strategy (preventive vs. defensive) according to type of changes introduced (corrective, perfective, or adaptive)

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 51 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Training Teaching and educating an audience about the purpose and use of a product Training equips s to be self-sufficient with a product – reduces s’ need for Consequently, training should reduce the cost of ing the product

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 52 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

(What do they think of us?) mail-back registration cards online customer comment forms direct customer (e.g., by phone or email) press reviews, and sales statistics

ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 53 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić

Pursuing additional opportunities Some products are suitable for organizing groups – some are not: Oracle group makes sense Encarta group does not (why?)

New versions or upgrades Reuse of the content material in a different publishing medium Creation of companion products ISMT multimedia 2002 Lecture on Multimedia Application Development Lifecycle /Slide 54 © Dr Vojislav B Mišić