Multimedia in Web Design: A Mixed Blessing for Designers

by Ellen Foster
Web Design School Review Columnist

The things that make Web design gurus giggle like school girls are the same things that can annoy and repel site visitors. Elaborate graphics, videos, slide shows, audio clips, and animation can help your Web site come to life, but at what cost?

Bandwidth limitations have been a consistent speed bump on the road to awesome multimedia Web pages, but if you work in moderation with stable technologies, you could have the coolest Web design in school.

Consider Your Audience and Objectives in Web Design

There are times when excessive eye-candy—flashing, flickering images or streaming video—just isn’t appropriate. If you’re a professional Web designer for a company specializing in products for geriatric adults, videos that require the user to download software or plug-ins probably won’t be appropriate. Your objective is to keep the visitor coming back. If you’re aiming for a more tech-savvy audience, you can ask more of them. For example, you can expect student users on an academic Web site to use specific plug-ins and browser software—these folks will put up with longer download times because they may be more invested in the content you’ve produced.

Web Design School Can Be Your Ticket to Multimedia Design

The ever-expanding market for Web-based information means increased demand for professional Web designers. And while it may have once been enough for budding Web designers to “teach themselves,” in today’s market employers look for Web designers with education and experience in their field. Web design school can help you achieve a solid understanding of the technology and design aspects of Web site construction, and online schools can enable you to learn while you continue to work full-time.

About the Author

Ellen Foster is a freelance writer and teacher. She has worked with students of all ages.

Source(s)

“Applications for multimedia,” Web Style Guide

Posted at 4:38 PM on July 16, 2007

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