Week One Guide

Welcome to Week One! Here's how to get started:

1. Read the Course Syllabus to get an official overview of the course.
2. Read Chapter One in the textbook.
3. Read the Multimedia Designer article linked below.
4. Read Assignment One -- the Multimedia Interview -- described below and on the syllabus.
5. Read and prepare for the discussion questions to be discussed Monday night, August 29, in Webex.

Here are the objectives for Week One -- in other words, the most important concepts I want you to "get" by the end of our first week:

• Identify the main participants in the multimedia development process
• Describe the importance of good project management techniques to multimedia management
• Describe the importance of developing the ability to control projects to meet deadlines
• Describe the difference between "web" and "multimedia" projects
• Describe the iterative nature of multimedia project development
• Identify and describe the importance of collaboration and communication in project management

Let's Talk

Let's talk about multimedia project management for a few minutes, based on what you've read in Chapter One of our textbook and the article about multimedia designers. First, take a look at this graphic:

The most important participants in the multimedia process are the clients, the users, and the developers. As you learned from chapter one, the client is usually the owner of the project -- the owner of a company or organization that needs a website or a multimedia project developed for its needs. Sometimes, though, the owner might be a venture capitalist investing money into multimedia on behalf of another organization. In each case the project management style will be a little different; when the client is the owner, you can expect more involvement and buy-in; if the client is an outside venture capitalist, you'll probably be more on your own to develop the project.

The users are also very important. They should drive the development of the project from inception to final delivery, all the way through. In fact, they're so important that actual users should be on the development team to provide input and reactions throughout the development process. Experienced users can provide detailed assistance on what the project should be like. Inexperienced users, from perhaps an organization that has never had a website or multimedia project, will still be valuable but just won't be as informed.

As you know, the project's developers can consist of a team of people, such as instructional designers, programmers, graphic artists, multimedia developers, audio specialists, animators, and more, or it may just be one person with multiple skills pulling the whole project together.

As we go through this course, you will learn how to manage each participant in the multimedia process -- the client, the users, and the developers. This is probably one of the most important project management skills you will learn.

Multimedia Example

One of the best ways to explore multimedia and learn how it is put together is to look at actual examples. This week we'll begin by looking at www.froguts.com. Take some time and explore the site, and be prepared to answer the following questions:

• Who is the owner?
• Who are the users?
• Who were the developers?
• What is the purpose?
• What steps were likely taken to put this together?
• What forms of multimedia are present in this example?

Readings for this Week

Finally, this week you should read the following:

1. Chapter One of the text, Managing Interactive Multimedia Projects
2. A Job By Any Other Name, by Jopson & Smith
3. Assignment One -- the Interview

Discussion Questions for Monday night, August 26

1. What is a multimedia designer?
   
2. What are the jobs of a multimedia designer?
3. How do the owner, users, and developers work together to produce multimedia?
4. What is a typical multimedia development process?
5. How was Froguts likely designed? Who are the users?
6. What should Mightybytes do first as they prepare for the Neo Futurist web project?

Assignments for Week One

• Send a one-paragraph bio and a picture to Dr. Codone by COB August 26
• Due by COB Monday September 16 -- Multimedia Interviewer Part A -- interviewee selection and planned questions.  See the assignments explanation on the syllabus.
• Participate in Webex discussion on Monday night, August 26, from 8pm-9:30pm.  Be prepared to talk about the questions listed above for the chapters and article.
• Visit the froguts website and explore it.
• Complete the readings as specified.
• Prepare for the discussion by reading the discussion questions.