User Friendly – Practical 10

Previously for software, programs and applications to be considered user friendly all they needed was to have a professional presentation, a simple – but not simplistic – interface and easy navigation tools. However, a rise in the importance of the individual and an understanding of a diverse audience has brought demand for ever more personalised settings. No longer are products specialised for a specific audience, they are created diverse and adaptable. This trend (along with other social and technological advancements) has effected the way that media companies and practitioners work. This is the age of multi-platform, multi-format and multi-media producers.

user-unfriendly

We have seen industries develop and incorporate mediums to communicate to the largest possible population. Radio news bulletins are expanded to tv news stories and morning tv interest segments, which are all uploaded online – as podcasts, blogs, twitter announcements and facebook statuses. The core content remains the same, aspects altered to suit the forms and conventions because by encompassing all devices and mediums the producer is able to reach what is labelled the “tv audience” and “online audience” etcetera. It is also important to provide diverse means for audience interaction, being the time, place, they view it from and the structure, order with which they view it.

Feedback on the first draft of our fourth project brief has stressed the necessity for this diversity. Our project is an advocacy, propaganda type powerpoint presentation that we must submit as a complete, artefact – so their is no “presentation” as such. To produce it as a presentation, however, I have been timing audio files, video clips, images and text to transition and play automatically. Feedback has said that this inhibits the consumers involvement and interaction with the piece. I completely agree, and will begin incorporating ways which the audience can interact with different stimulus and proceed/return of their own accord.

This makes me wonder though, does removing the control you have over how the project is received limit the power of its purpose and meaning?

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