Design Methods and Practical Development

Visualisation

Visualisation is an important design method and it plays a large part in the development process. If you are working in a visual medium it is important to know what viewers or users will see once your idea comes to life. If you are unable to visualise the end product, there is a fault.

There is no defined visualisation process, as every designer and producer works differently. With experience you will begin to see what works best for you, but there are many well-established methods of doing this.

• Once an idea has been created, sketches can help develop it into a holistic concept
  
• In multimedia, if the idea involves motion this should be tested to see how it will work
  
• Sketches can lead to storyboards, which are often presented to clients at project meetings
  
• You do not need to be able to draw well to create a storyboard
  
• Storyboarding is a formalisation of the concept and can reveal a story from beginning to end
  
• They are useful in defining what goes where and in multimedia can show the navigational architecture and flow of information.

Content templates and site maps are necessary at the development stage of web site production, as are "wireframe" drawings showing the positions of various elements such as menu options (as with this example of the Bournemouth University home page).

One of the things we do is what's called a content template and it's like taking the base elements of the site, images, logos and placing those and then passing that to the client. It's a bit like if you were going to a location shoot and actually just took a photograph of the scene and then later on you decide what movement goes in that screen. Dominique Lee

There should be close collaboration with the client in the creation of a successful design and it is important to remember that the client has deep insight into their company.

The clients response to your visuals may influence the final concept. Some clients, depending on their backgrounds and skills, may actually come up with good well thought through ideas.

It is important during the process of visualisation to remain open to change.

The delivery platform needs to be considered when visualising as this can greatly affect the direction a project will take. The system capabilities need to be taken into account in multimedia, but technology should support and not lead the project.