Interactivity in Multimedia Application  (Lim Ru Jun) 

(Group 9)

Introduction

Multimedia is the combination of text, sound, video and graphic (Rouse, 2005). Designer can used multimedia to deliver the message that want to present easily. Multimedia is more interesting and can grab the user attention than other. For example: Nowadays, most of the teach ware is present in Flash or animate so the user can interest in learning. Interactive multimedia is a dynamic technology for multimedia. It allows user input to deliver the message. The user can interact with the multimedia application by click the button or enter the text.  

Nowadays, many fields are providing the software that allow user interact with it, especially education. These can helps the user interesting in learning can easy to memorize the things by using the multimedia such as graphic, video and more. Most multimedia application will provide the interactive between the user and the application. Most teach ware using flash is allowing the user to participate. The teach ware will provide the activity for the user after the lesson. For the child, it is easy to remember and more interesting.

Interactivity multimedia also widely use in entertainment. The special effect that sees in the games and feature is relying on the interactive multimedia. So the user can become more active in the games and not the passive roles. The player can move the character by using the mouse or keyboard (Farrer, n d).

Interactive Multimedia

Interactive multimedia is the media that require the input from the user. Interactive multimedia can be the websites, games, email and other media that allow user to participate with the content in an active manner. Simple browsing the web also is the interactive multimedia because user can select which information he wants to read or view. When we search the image on Google, the user can click the image to access more information also is a type of interactive multimedia. Games are the good example because the player requires taking active action in the games.

Interactive multimedia not only the user interacts with system. It also can be referring to the system that allows the user to interact with other user. Facebook is the example for this type of interactive multimedia. Email also is the interactive multimedia because it allow user to compose the email, send the mail to other or read the email.

Online resource database also can be considered as the interactive multimedia. The active research is requiring conducting by the user. The resource will be display depend on the user input. Dictionary is an example of online resource database. The user requires to enter the word he want to view and the result will be show (Dain, 2013).

Multimedia application

Multimedia application can be explain in many different ways. It can refer to the systems that are created by the used multimedia. The multimedia application also can refer to the software that used to develop the multimedia work. For example: Adobes Photoshop is software that allow user to modify the image such as adjust the color, brightness and other. These types of software are used to combine various raw source files.

Advertisement that can found on the internet is a type of multimedia application. The advertisement can be simple and the content such as text and image can be found in the printed media. An advertisement can combine many types of media to create memorable advertisement such as sound effect, animation or allow the customer interact with the application. So the customer can select the activities that want to do in the websites.

Software used to create the multimedia work also is a type of multimedia application. There have many types of software available in the market. Different software will provide different function such as the user want to create an animation so he can use Adobe Flash. Most application is allow the user to combine various image, text, audio or video to be layered and edit together to create a final result (Wiesen, n d). 

The software that used to play run the multimedia work also can be considered as the multimedia such as Flash player. Most software is only allowed to run the specific format. The user can use the software to run the final result of multimedia work.

Interactivity in Multimedia Application

Nowadays, most multimedia application allows user input to deliver the information. The user can interact with the application by click button or enter the text. After that, the multimedia application will display the specific result. Mostly, different result will be display depend on the button or text that user enter. Interactivity can make the application become interesting format to get the user attention and give the user good experience in using the application.

Interactivity not only can allow the user interact with the system. Some social network such as forum also can be considered as the interactivity. The user can interact with other user that is using the system. When the user is post a status, it will visible immediately and other user can view this status. Sometimes, other user also can comment to this status. Facebook is the stronger example. Facebook allow user to post the status to their wall and the status will be immediately display to other. Other user can give the comment to the post. Facebook also provide the chat for the user so the user can communicate with other user.  

Software that used to develop the multimedia work can be referring as the multimedia application. Normally, the develop software allow user to select the tools depend on the situation such as the user want to draw an image, so he can select the pen tools to draw the image. The user also can set the action of multimedia work by insert the coding just like the action script in the Adobe Flash. The user is delivers the information by click the button or coding. Some software also allows the user to adjust the work until they are satisfied.

Computer game is a good example of multimedia application that can interact with the user. Most computer user will have the experience in playing the games. Normally, computer will request user to enter the command by click the mouse or keyboard. Different command will have different result. For example: the user can click the start game button and the application will begin the game and the user can click the keyboard button to control the movement of character (Arie, n d). This is the reason why the computer games are popular in the world because it is interesting.

Conclusion

With doing the research for interactivity in multimedia application, much multimedia application that we always use is interactive multimedia such as email. Interactive multimedia is requiring the input from the user and the result will be display based no user input. Interactive multimedia not only the user interacts with the application. The user interacts with each other by using the application also can consider as interactive multimedia.

Interactive multimedia is more interesting than other media. It is not the multimedia application just simply display the information. The user can engage the application content and become the active roles to the application. Interactive multimedia is flexible because the user can give the command to the application what he wants to do.

Reference

Dain, A., 2013, What Are the Different Types of Interactive Media, [online], available at: < http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-interactive-media.htm > [Accessed at 21^st September 2013]

Farrer, A., n d, What is Interactive Multimedia, [online], Available at : < http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-interactive-multimedia.htm > [Accessed at 21^st September 2013]

Rouse, M., 2005, Multimedia, [online], Available at: < http://searchsoa.techtarget.com/definition/multimedia > [Accessed at 21^st September 2013]

Wiesen, G., n d, What Are the Different Types of Multimedia Application, [online], Available at: < http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-multimedia-applications.htm > [Accessed at 21^st September 2013]

Arie, B., n d, What are the different types of Interactive Design, [online], Available at: < http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-interactive-design.htm > [Accessed at 21^st September 2013]