The Principles of Interactive Design

This exciting new text explains how to communicate effectively through interactivity. Communication fundamentals are used as guidelines for creating interactive documents such as multimedia products and World Wide Web sites. The student is taught how to approach the interactive project as a communcation tool while incorporating various media, communication principles, user interfaces, interactive design, and implementation to build a successful product. The principles presented are timeless and provide an excellent process to approach any interactive project.

• Shows users how to create an interactive document that communicates successfully

• Explanations and examples illustrate how text's graphics, color, sound, video, animation, 3D, and Virtual Reality can be used to maximize effectiveness

• Presents a methodology for successfully developing the creative and functional aspects of interactive projects

• Inclusion of user-interface and audience issues encourages design that facilitates navigation, ordering, and other project objectives

• Exploration of the concepts and processes of interactive design enable this resource to be applied as technology evolves

Preface
Is This Book for You
The Contents of This Book
Acknowledgments

Part 1 Background Information
Chapter 1. : Interactive Design and The Design Process
Interactivity Defined
What is Interactive Design?
What Does an Interactive Designer Do?
The Interactive Design Process

Part 2 : Project Planning and Visualization
Chapter 2. : Defining your Project
Justifying Your Project
How Much Interactivity in Necessary?
Defining Your Audience
Engaging Audience Interest
Playback Environment
Assessing Your Audience’s Playback Technology
One Last Word about Researching Your Audience
Resources
Project Content
Establishing Goals and Visualizing Your Project

Part 3 : Interface Design
Chapter 3. : Design for Interaction
Navigation
Orienting the User to the Interface
Metaphors
Three Click Rule
Interactive Controls
Usability and Functionality
Less Is More
Chapter. : Working on The Screen
Resolution
Screen Dimensions
Aliased Versus Anti-Aliased Objects
Backgrounds
Windows and Panels
Layout
Layout and Visual Hierarchy
Design a Unified Interface
Color
Color Methods
Color Monitors versus Grayscale Monitors
Using High Contrast in Your Interactive Document
Color Depth
Reducing Bit-Depth and Dithering and Image
Color Palette Options

Part 4 : Resource Media
Chapter 5. : Typography and Graphics
Typography
Basic Terminology
Type Categories
Getting Text into Your Document
Reading Type Onscreen
Font File Considerations
Anti-Aliasing Type
Balancing Design Time and Effort
Graphics
Sources of Graphics
Integrating Images into the Interface
Do’s and Don’ts with Images
Chapter 6. : Time-Based Media : Animation, Video, Sound, and Virtual Reality
Animation
Animation in Interactive Documents
Animation in the Interface
Common Animation Effects
Video
Sources of Video
Integrating Video into Interactive Documents
Sound
Sound Is Analog
Recorded Digital Sound Concepts
Sources of Sound
Editing Sound
Using Sound in Your Document
Virtual Reality
Principles for Designing for Virtual Reality
The Future of Virtual Reality

Part 5 : Putting it All Together
Chapter 7. : Prototype and Testing
What Is a Prototype?
When Is It Appropriate to Develop a Prototype?
How Is a Prototype Created?
Project Specification and Style Sheets
Usability and Functionality Testing
A Word on Programming
Chapter 8. : Alpha, Beta, and Final Versions of Your Document
Alpha, Beta, and Final Versions
How to Deal with Flaws and Bugs
A Last Word on Testing
The Never-Ending Project
Reusing Parts of the Project

Glossary
Index