| What
is "multimedia?"
It usually combines:
INFORMATION (Text, Content, Copy, Words) with sound, graphics, motion
and interactivity.
How does multimedia
writing differ from print-based?
Traditional
(or print-based) is seen by readers. Multimedia is seen by viewers.
Traditional appears on paper. Multimedia appears on a screen.
What difference does
this make?
It makes a
lot of difference to the writer and the viewer.
- With traditional
writing, the reader can hold the document and maintain control of reading
pace and position.
- In multimedia,
the viewer has much less control over the text.
- The text is more
diffused on a screen than on paper, the surface produces a glare, and
eyes must adjust to movement of the text (scrolling, linking, appearing
and disappearing, rolling across the screen.)
- It is much more
difficult to read text on a screen than on paper.
How can a multimedia
writer deal with this?
There are many techniques. The goal is to make viewing text easier, so
information can be understood. Go through each activity on the
right to discover some of the best ways to write and present multimedia
text. Much more detail can be found in Barbara Moran's book, Crafting
Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations.
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There are 10 pages and a quiz. Each page asks you
to conduct an online comparison. After you complete the 10 pages
and take the quiz, you are finished with this section.
All of the examples are screen-captured, which means
they are images, not links. If you'd like to visit the actual
websites, go to the Helpful Website list on this CD-Rom.
Note helpful links and suggested readings from Crafting
Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations
Links open in separate windows. Stretch
them to view and close them to return to this site.
Start by clicking the "Start
here" button at the top of the page
Read Chapter One: What is Multimedia
Writing?
“One
cannot make the words too strong.”
--Mark Twain
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Explore
the Basics