How to Write a Specification?

1. How to Write a Specification? • LO1 - Unit 5 Create an Interactive Multimedia Presentation

2. When do you write a 'Specification'? • The specification should be written after you've carried out initial research but before you begin to work on your multimedia solution. • The specification ensures that the work that you are going to produce will actually meet the needs of the client or scenario. • You should write a number of straightforward statements, clearly outlining the nature of the project to be designed and made. • If the research section has not been completed fully, the specification will also be lacking.

3. What should be included? • Intended audience • Purpose of the product • type of media/ components to be used • delivery format • Success criteria

4. Intended Audience • This should be easy to answer as its usually given by the client or indicated in the scenario. As soon as you start thinking about a project you want to complete, you must consider who the project is for. • The intended audience could be define in many ways, here are some criteria that could be used. • Age • Gender • Location • Religion • Social class • Income bracket • Education level

5. Purpose of the Presentation • Every product is created for a purpose and this is also true of a multimedia presentation. Here is a short list of possible purposes for a multimedia product. • To convey information • To entertain • To generate sales • To increase sales • To publicise

6. Type of Media to Include • You will need to think about the message that you want to convey and then decide what must be included. From that starting point you can add other element that could be included. These may be: • Text • Static images • Video • Sound • Animation

7. Delivery Format • This should be a relatively straight forward item as it is probably mentioned in the scenario or brief. It is probably a good idea to consider this under two headings. • Where will the product be used. • What implications does this have on the end product. You should consider the format that the completed presentation is to be presented and how it is to be stored. Will it require specific hardware to show it and how will it be distributed? The latter will have an impact on the final file size of the presentation. Possible formats include: • Web • Multimedia CD/DVD ROM • Kiosk • Interactive TV • Mobile devices

8. Success Criteria • The final part of the specification is the success criteria. Like the other areas of the specification the success criteria may be set out in the Brief or Scenario. On a simple level it could just be 'Does it work'. However there could be far more to be said about the product. • Imagine that you have even asked to create a multimedia product that uses animation and text to explain the Green Cross Code in a way that young children can access. Your success criteria could be:

9. Success Criteria Imagine that you have even asked to create a multimedia product that uses animation and text to explain the Green Cross Code in a way that young children can access. Your success criteria could be: • Product created • Includes animation • Includes text • Young children can follow the instructions • Young children find the content suitable • Young children can learn from the instructions. • You are not assessing whether the Green Cross Code increases road safety - the quality and effectiveness of the product advertised are different from the quality and effectiveness of the multimedia product itself.