THE MULTIMEDIA DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Software Evaluation Criteria

1. Usefulness - does the application accomplish an important task?
2. Efficiency - how efficiently does the software get its job done?
3. Stability - how stable and predictable is the application?
4. Portability - can the application run on multiple platforms with minimal redevelopment?
5. Scalability - can additional functions be readily added on?
6. Ease of Use - do users find it easy or hard to make the program work? Do they like using it?
   

Development Cycle

Rapid prototyping is typical of multimedia applications.

Software developed for testing with focus groups, such as at Microsoft, takes about half of an 18-month development cycle for a new title. After testing and revision, the test software yields the interface and media content, but the application is typically recoded in a lower-level language, like C++.

Most CD-ROM games, educational and reference titles, take about 18 months to develop also. They are typically coded in a higher-level language, like Lingo, and programming is also about half of the development cycle. For CPU-intensive 3D games, programming takes up almost all of the development cycle.

Web site development is very rapid. Depending on the size and complexity of the project, development time can be as little as a month.Typically though there is more programming involved and most sites take 3 - 6 months to launch. Some large corporate sites can take over a year to launch.

Steps in the Process

The steps taken in developing a multimedia product are like those of any software project

1. Determine project goals
2. Develop work scope
3. Assess system requirements
4. Design the system
5. Develop the system
6. Test
7. Deliver

A one-page summary of the project should provide the reader with the "big picture":

• Who is the product aimed at?
• What will the user be able to achieve with this product?
• Why is the product worth using (and developing)?

In the work scope, you need to specify

• Schedule
• Budget
• Staffing

The first step in any application development is an assessment of...

• Technical requirements
• Market or client requirements
• Current means of accomplishing the task, including competition
• Task analysis

These generally translate to restrictions or constraints that will help guide your design, including

• Low-end system specs
• Special capabilities that must be supported
• Budgetary and scheduling constraints

Know thy user, for he (or she) is not thyself

• Educational background
• Level of technical expertise
• Physical or mental limitations
• Language and common terminology
• Cultural preferences

Applications that are easy to learn are more likely to attract a wider audience. Take advantage of your users' considerable knowledge and experience

Using a computer should always be easier than not using a computer.

• Reliability - absence of malfunctions
• Robustness - tolerance and protection of user
• Tailoring - accomodates differences without burdening user

Be sure you understand the task at hand before you leap to a solution!

• Who is the user?
• What tasks does the user now perform?
• How are these tasks learned?
• How often do users perform these tasks?
• What is the relationship between users and data?
• How do users communicate with one another?
• What are the time constraints on the tasks?
• What happens when things go wrong?

Several different types of design, undertaken by different designers/teams, go into a multimedia product. At the very least, these include...

• Interface design
• Functional design

Interface design

Ease of use is a property of the system; not a "feature" tacked on at the end.

- Repetoire of functionality
- Concept of operations - how the user uses the system, and how the system fits in the user's life
- External behavior of the system, including response to errors

Myth vs. Conceptual model

• Designers make myths
• Consistent external behavior
• Does not necessarily reveal internal behavior

• Users make conceptual models
• Mental representation of what the system is doing
• Used to make predictions, extrapolations, educated guesses about system behavior

Every application is designed with a use model in mind. An explicit use model ensures that it is designed for the correct audience.

• How will people use the system?
• What problems will it solve for them?
• How will it integrate with their environment?

Functional design describes how exactly the system will do what it is supposed to.

• System architecture
• Data descriptions
• Unit-level code specification

Development of the system includes ...

• Creating the user interface
• Writing code
• Editing content
• Integrating the pieces

It is strongly advisable to use incremental development.

Testing includes the following:

• Unit-level testing, which ensures that system components work as expected
• System-level testing, which ensures that the integrated system works as expected
• Interface testing, which ensures that the system truly is consistent, easy to use, and worth using

Testing typically takes half of your development time. Be sure to allow plenty of time for testing!

When delivering the finished system, it is important to

• Ensure that the correct end-users are aware of this new product
• Provide training, user manuals, or other support to make learning easier
• Gather feedback to help improve the next version and/or product

Support

Even when the system is delivered, the work isn't over.

Maintain system
- Fix bugs
- Enhance functionality
- Maintain versions

Evaluate technical feedback, market reaction, and user reaction
- What frustrations do users experience?
- What shortcuts do users invent or ask for?
- What gets used? what doesn't?
- Who is buying or using it? who is not? why?