Multimedia Tools Taking Flight

In effective writing, writers have long been taught the importance of “hooking” the reader; structuring the written content in such a way that the reader will have a desire to keep reading more. However, as much of the communication that takes place on ICT platforms today involves far more than mere text, it is essential to know how to “hook” the audience not only with words, but with the variety of multimedia tools that are now available. Multimedia adds a new dimension to the consumption of online content such that the audience is doing far more than simply reading and imagining; they are actually experiencing. Effective use of multimedia allows the audience to live the content being presented to them, and in so doing, they are able to form a much more vivid memory of the information and more easily retain it, which is really what makes multimedia such an incredibly powerful communication tool.

            I think video or any form of visual storytelling is the most effective multimedia tool, as it combines both sight and sound to create a much more unique experience for the audience. Essentially where sight and sound are combined, a message is able to be communicated on two fronts. Whether it be the music, narration, background color, or animations, each of these things is capable of conveying either a mood, emotion, or some other sensory experience that contributes to the overarching message that is trying to be conveyed. The more a message can speak to the different senses (sight, sound, etc.) of the audience, the more effective it will be.

            One example of how multimedia tools have been effectively employed can be seen in the assortment of interactive, multimedia segments NASA has available in its multimedia gallery. In trying to communicate something as complex as the universe and space technologies, multimedia can play a huge role in simplifying such content into terms that almost anyone can understand.  One particular example I found featured a history of the Apollo missions, which began with a comic/storyboard style account of the first moon landing, and was narrated but interspersed with actual radio transmissions from the first moon landing. This multimedia segment also had a photo gallery, videos with actual footage from the mission, and an interactive map of the lunar landing site that the audience could explore.  

           Another great multimedia example from NASA’s multimedia gallery described the capabilities and functions of the International Space Station which used a digital diagram of the space station in which the audience could zoom in to a particular part of the space station by clicking on one the capabilities, which then brought up a video that described that component of the station. These videos also had music with a pioneering, adventurous theme, which served to create a more intense experience and convey the sense of exploration and adventure that is typically associated with space travel. Each of these examples clearly illustrates the power of multimedia tools as they can turn something as complex as rocket science, into an experience that all can enjoy and learn from.

Link to NASA multimedia gallery:
 http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/mmgallery/#.VFZjuBauQTD