Managing interactive media projects / by Tim Frick.

By:

Frick, Tim

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: Clifton Park, NY : Thomson Delmar Learning, c2008.Description: xix, 198 p. : ill. (chiefly col.) : 26 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.)ISBN:

9781418050016

Subject(s):

DDC classification:

006.7 FRI

Online resources:

Contents:

Managing interactive media projects -- Conceptualization and initial planning -- The initial proposal -- Defining project specs -- Content assessment and treatment -- Information architecture and navigation chart -- Creating a script and asset list -- Art direction and interface design -- Revisions, approvals, scope and feature creep -- Prototyping and scope creep redux -- Design production -- Production and programming -- Testing, revision tracking and quality assurance -- Final revisions, launch, promotion and maintenance.

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Standard Loan	Clonmel Library Main Collection	006.7 FRI (Browse shelf(Opens below))	Available		R19538NKRC

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

From the birth of a media project idea to the implementation and maintenance of that project, this book provides the skills and know-how to master the process of managing interactive media projects. Managing Interactive Media Projects offers important insights and techniques for various approaches to the process of creating interactive media. It covers the ever-important steps of planning, documenting, writing, designing, implementing, testing, debugging and maintaining interactive media projects that range from web sites and online media to DVDs, CD-ROMs and Flash. Detailed breakdowns of key steps in developing interactive projects coupled with in-depth case studies and digital supplemental materials make it a valuable resource in today's creative market. Written in a cohesive yet easy to understand manner, this book will transform the daily drudgery of technical specifications and documentation into an easy-to-implement process that will help readers to surpass even their own expectations on their interactive media projects.

Includes index.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

Preface (p. ix)
Chapter 1 Managing Interactive Media Projects (p. 1)
Introduction (p. 2)
Who Should Read This Book (p. 2)
Party Line (p. 2)
Why This Book? (p. 4)
Projects this Book Covers (p. 5)
Case Study: Theater Company Web Site Overhaul (p. 5)
Meet the Neo-Futurists (p. 5)
The Content Developer (p. 6)
A Typical User (p. 7)
Step-by-Step (p. 8)
Effective Communication (p. 9)
Collaboratively Yours (p. 9)
Project Scenarios (p. 9)
Stay Flexible (p. 10)
Get Crackin' (p. 10)
Exercises (p. 11)
Chapter 2 Conceptualization and Initial Planning (p. 13)
Introduction (p. 14)
Get the Hook (p. 14)
Honing an Existing Idea (p. 15)
Profile: Threadless.com: A Good Idea for the Right Audience (p. 15)
It's All About the Details (p. 19)
The Other Side (p. 21)
Develop a Thesis Statement (p. 21)
The Initial Plan (p. 22)
Define Your Audience (p. 22)
Define Your Goals (p. 22)
Define your Tools (p. 23)
Set a Launch Date (p. 23)
Find Resources (p. 23)
The Money Question (p. 24)
Summary (p. 25)
Case Study: Conceptualization and Initial Planning (p. 25)
Brainstorming with the Neo-Futurists (p. 25)
Exercises (p. 28)
Tools (p. 28)
Chapter 3 The Initial Proposal (p. 29)
How Much Does a Web Site Cost? (p. 30)
Proposal Precursors: Defining Projects (p. 31)
The Dangling Carrot (p. 34)
Elements of a Good Proposal (p. 35)
Payment Structure (p. 40)
Scope Document (p. 40)
Change Request Forms (p. 40)
Case Study: Building the Neo-Proposal (p. 41)
Joomla CMS (p. 42)
Conclusion (p. 41)
Exercises (p. 41)
Tools (p. 44)
Profile: Alesia Tyree, McDougal Littell: Elements of a Good Proposal (p. 45)
Chapter 4 Defining Project Specs (p. 47)
Define Before You Design (p. 48)
Defining a Spec (p. 49)
Profile: Judi Lapinsohn: The Importance of Strategic focus Groups when Assessing Content (p. 49)
Case Study: Defining Project Specs (p. 53)
Lock and Load (p. 56)
Sign-off (p. 56)
Applying Your Specs (p. 57)
System Requirements (p. 57)
Profile: Jason Saunders, Charlottezweb.com: Choosing the Right Hosting Provider (p. 57)
Testing (p. 59)
A Cautionary Tale (p. 60)
Conclusion (p. 61)
Exercises (p. 61)
Supplemental Materials (p. 61)
Chapter 5 Content Assessment and Treatment (p. 63)
Content is King (p. 64)
What Makes a Good Story? (p. 64)
Where Will the Content Come From? (p. 64)
Flow Will the Content Be Defined? (p. 65)
Case Study: Assessing the Neo-Futurists' Content (p. 65)
Your Content Development Schedule (p. 67)
Profile: Lee Parkel, Abelson-Taylor: Routed Clean: The importance of the Review Process (p. 67)
The Treatment/Content Outline (p. 69)
Peer Review (p. 70)
Conclusion (p. 71)
Exercises (p. 71)
Chapter 6 Information Architecture and Navigation Chart (p. 73)
Content Structures (p. 74)
Information Architecture (p. 74)
Define Media Elements (p. 75)
Define Naming Conventions (p. 75)
Define Directory Structures (p. 77)
Creating Your Flowchart (p. 80)
Conditional Logic vs. Information Screens (p. 80)
Types of Charts (p. 81)
Create Wire-frames (p. 82)
Define Possible Future Content Structures (p. 83)
Case Study: Information Architecture (p. 83)
The Neo Flow (p. 83)
Conclusion (p. 85)
Exercises (p. 85)
Supplemental Materials (p. 85)
Chapter 7 Creating a Script and Asset List (p. 87)
Tell Your Story (p. 88)
Head to Head: Script vs. Flowchart (p. 88)
The Script (p. 89)
Consistency Check (p. 91)
Case Study: Script and Asset List (p. 91)
Scripting the Theater (p. 91)
The Asset List (p. 92)
Profile: Judy Cammelot, Devore Software: Developing Scripts for Interactive Projects (p. 93)
Conclusion (p. 93)
Exercises (p. 95)
Tools (p. 95)
Chapter 8 Art Direction and Interface Design (p. 97)
Defined, Designed (p. 98)
Conceptualization (p. 98)
Conceptualization Take Two (p. 100)
Creating Design Comps (p. 102)
Profile: Christina Weisbard: The Creative Process and Working with Clients (p. 103)
Creating a Design Rationale Document (p. 107)
Presenting the Designs (p. 108)
The Waiting Game (p. 108)
Comp Revisions (p. 109)
Final Approval (p. 109)
Case Study: Art Direction and Interface Design for the Neo-Futurists (p. 109)
Conclusion (p. 112)
Exercises (p. 112)
Tools (p. 112)
Chapter 9 Revisions, Approvals, Scope and Feature Creep (p. 113)
The Revision Factor (p. 114)
Creepers at Bay (p. 114)
Managing Expectations (p. 115)
Case Study: Revisions on the Neo-Futurists Site (p. 115)
Revision Philosophy (p. 117)
Unrealistic Expectations (p. 118)
Approvals: Waiting for the Thumbs Up (p. 119)
Defining the Approval Process (p. 120)
Managing Approvals (p. 120)
Conclusion (p. 120)
Exercises (p. 120)
Tools (p. 120)
Chapter 10 Prototyping and Scope Creep Redux (p. 121)
Stop, Click, and Roll(over) (p. 122)
Rapid Prototyping and Iterative Steps (p. 122)
When to Prototype (p. 123)
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Prototypes (p. 123)
Profile: Michael Schaffner: It Works on My Machine: Prototyping and the Testing Process (p. 123)
Feature Creep (p. 124)
Profile: Christopher Salvo: The Benefits of Rapid Prototyping (p. 125)
Conclusion (p. 126)
Exercises (p. 126)
Profile: Dave Clarke: Prototyping Games in Flash (p. 127)
Case Study: Prototyping and Scope Creep Redux (p. 129)
The Navigation Banner (p. 129)
Chapter 11 Design Production (p. 131)
Defined, Refined, Redesigned (p. 132)
Concurrent Design and Production (p. 132)
Screen by Screen (p. 134)
Where to Begin (p. 134)
In Your Element(s) (p. 135)
Files and Folders: The Name Game (p. 135)
Work That Template (p. 136)
Don't Be Lazy (p. 137)
Case Study: Design Production for the Neo-Futturists' (p. 137)
The Content Template (p. 137)
Screen Production (p. 140)
Presentation and Approval (p. 140)
Conclusion (p. 140)
Exercises (p. 140)
Tools (p. 140)
Chapter 12 Production and Programming (p. 141)
Come Together (p. 142)
Make it Modular (p. 142)
Thirty-One Flavors (p. 143)
Individual vs. Team Production (p. 143)
File Management (p. 143)
The Clock is Ticking (p. 145)
Revisiting Your Tools (p. 145)
Standardize Production Elements (p. 146)
The Asset Library (p. 149)
Structure Setup (p. 150)
Profile: Marcia Sutter: Working with Content Management Systems (p. 151)
Your Faithful Documents (p. 152)
Tracking Time (p. 152)
Progress Reports (p. 152)
Case Study: Production on the Neo-Futurists' site (p. 153)
Conclusion (p. 156)
Exercises (p. 156)
Tools (p. 156)
Chapter 13 Testing, Revision Tracking and Quality Assurance (p. 157)
Ready, Set, Test (p. 158)
Testing Defined (p. 158)
Case Study: QA for the Neo-Futurists' Site (p. 159)
The Testing Environment (p. 161)
The Testing Matrix (p. 161)
Bug Standards and Priorities (p. 163)
Finishing Touches (p. 164)
Test Away (p. 164)
Tallying Your Results (p. 164)
Exterminate (p. 164)
Lather, Rinse, Repeat (p. 164)
Other Testing Options (p. 164)
Internal vs. External Testing (p. 165)
Profile: Sean Conley: External Testing and When to Do It (p. 167)
Even Creepier (p. 168)
Case Study. Newark InOne Search Engine Tour (p. 170)
The Need (p. 170)
The Specs (p. 171)
The Content (p. 172)
The Design (p. 173)
The Production (p. 173)
The Testing (p. 175)
The Deliverable (p. 176)
Conclusion (p. 177)
Exercises (p. 177)
Tools (p. 177)
Chapter 14 Final Revisions, Launch, Promotion and Maintenance (p. 179)
The Home Stretch (p. 180)
The Cut-off Point (p. 180)
The Final Files (p. 180)
What's in a Master? (p. 180)
Deliverable: Application vs. Source Code (p. 181)
Looking Ahead (p. 182)
If You Build It, Will They Come? (p. 182)
Pixel Polygamy (p. 182)
Promotion (p. 182)
Maintenance (p. 184)
The Plan (p. 184)
Payment Plans (p. 184)
Case Study: "Launching www.neofuturists.org" (p. 185)
Neo-Prep (p. 186)
File Finessing (p. 186)
Promotional Opportunities (p. 187)
Conclusion (p. 188)
Exercises (p. 188)
Tools (p. 188)
Index (p. 189)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Tim Frick an instructor at Ascend Training, a Chicago-based facility dedicated to teaching creative software to industry professionals