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neurologyYou need to know

• Interactive digital media formats include websites, information points, mobile apps, e-learning products, digital maps and games; the most suitable format depends on the product’s purpose, target audience and access device.
• Interactive digital media can combine images, audio, video, animation, text, tables, lists, forms, navigational buttons, maps, quizzes and layers to communicate information and enable interaction.
• Computers, games consoles, kiosks, phones, smart TVs and tablets have different screen sizes, orientations and controls, so content and interfaces must be adapted to the intended device.
• Users can interact through touch screens or styluses, voice controls, camera input, keyboards or buttons, and mouse or joystick controls; the chosen method must suit the application, audience and device.
• An effective graphical user interface uses a consistent layout, colour scheme, house style and typography, with enough white space to make content clear and controls easy to locate.
• Interaction styles include clicking, touching or gesturing, voice control, motion or movement, and drag and drop; feedback or closure confirms that the system has received an input or completed an action.
• Non-linear navigation allows users to choose different routes through a product rather than following one fixed sequence, increasing user control and supporting different needs.
• Accessibility features include alternative text, readable and resizable text, captions, contrasting colours, flexible input methods, mobile accessibility, and layouts that adjust to screen size and orientation.
• Interactive digital media conventions include intuitive interfaces, clear navigation, consistency and suitability for the target audience; creativity can be original or derivative while still following these conventions.
• Creation hardware includes computers, monitors, mice or trackpads, styluses, graphics tablets, touch screens, microphones and digital cameras; each choice affects precision, efficiency, asset quality and cost.
• Web-authoring software, app-creation software, authoring tools and kiosk-interface software provide different tools and output options, so software must be selected for the required product format and features.
• Wireframes plan screen layout and interface elements, storyboards plan sequences and changes over time, and navigation or hierarchy diagrams show links between pages, scenes and interactive elements.
• Master pages and page templates define repeated features such as layout, house style and navigation, while asset tables record each asset’s position, purpose and relevant properties.
• Asset suitability depends on age appropriateness, quality, on-screen size and technical compatibility, including file size, file type and resolution.
• Assets can be sourced through advanced searches, property filters, licence filters, media libraries and stock collections, and their licences must permit the intended use.
• Bitmap images are made from pixels and are suitable for detailed photographs, whereas vector images are defined by shapes and paths and can be resized without becoming pixelated.
• Image assets can be repurposed through colour and tonal adjustments, resizing, filters, transformations and retouching; audio and moving-image assets can be cut, split, trimmed, joined or extended and optimised for suitable quality and file size.
• A well-managed product folder uses a clear structure, such as root, images, media content and styles folders, with consistent file names so linked assets can be located reliably.
• Native proprietary formats preserve editable product features during creation, version control allows earlier versions to be restored, and platform-independent export formats allow finished products to run without specialist creation software.
• Testing checks navigation, interactivity, inputs, outputs, media playback, appearance, volume, quality, controls and file compatibility, while review judges fitness for purpose against client requirements, audience needs, accessibility, aesthetics and engagement.

• Select an interactive digital media format, access device and interaction method that are justified by the product’s purpose, target audience and required content.
• Create wireframes, storyboards, asset tables and navigation diagrams that specify screen layout, house style, content, controls, navigation paths, asset properties and responses to user input.
• Source assets using advanced, property and licence-based searches, checking that each asset is legally usable, age-appropriate and technically compatible.
• Repurpose bitmap or vector images by applying appropriate resizing, colour correction, transformations, filters and retouching, then export them in suitable formats and file sizes.
• Edit audio and moving-image assets by importing, sequencing, cutting, splitting, trimming, joining, adjusting volume or visual properties, and exporting at an appropriate quality and file size.
• Create and organise a product folder with logical subfolders and consistent file-naming conventions so that all linked assets remain manageable.
• Construct an interactive product using master pages or templates, a consistent house style, fixed and editable regions, multimedia content, navigation systems and accessible interface features.
• Configure playback controls, hyperlinks, hotspots, rollovers, triggers and behaviours so user actions produce accurate outputs, feedback and closure.
• Save editable native files using systematic version control, then export or publish the completed product in a platform-independent format compatible with the intended devices.
• Test the product iteratively with a test plan containing expected outcomes, actual outcomes and pass or fail results; correct faults, retest them, review fitness for purpose, and propose feasible improvements or further developments linked to constraints, client requirements and audience engagement.