Phase 1: Conceptual Development

Goals and Messages

Determine the following:

 

• Primary and Secondary Goals of the Product
• Primary and Secondary Goals of the Client/Publisher
• Primary and Secondary Audience Description (interests, needs, skills, capabilities, assumptions)
• Audience Capabilities (platform, browser/app, connection speed, degree of net-savvy and net experience)
• Platform Descriptions (make, models, RAM, hard drives, CD-ROM, data load for each)
• Top three messages the product needs to convey

After you've thought through these issues, rethink the goals -- Are they the true goals or merely the obvious ones?

Content

• Does this product use primarily existing content? If yes, how is it to be repurposed? In what ways will it be made appropriate to the interactive medium?
• If new, how will it be captured and created? How much will there need to be?
• Does this product use data entered by users? If so, how much and in what forms? What can be done with it once entered?

Structure and Interpretations

• What is the Primary organization of the content?
• What are other organizations that can be made available for other modes of searching, viewing, browsing, learning, exploring, and understanding?
• What are the main presentation ideas of the structure of the title/project?
• What are the most important and compelling features?
• Are there any novel interactions? If so, what are they?
• Will any new or emerging technologies be employed? Will the audience be able to use them (or will the audience be given the necessary means and support to use them?)
• What is the level of interactivity?
• Are there any Adaptive technologies employed? Which ones and how?
• Are there any Co-Creative features?

Sensorial Design

• Describe the overall visual elements and styles of this product (use adjectives if necessary).
• Describe the overall auditory elements and styles of this title.
• Describe the overall text elements and written portions of this title.
• Describe any ideas about animation style and use.
• Describe any ideas about video style and use.
• Describe the sophistication of programming needed.
• Describe any current authoring systems that are intended for use or modification.

Market Testing

• What are the environmental issues that concern the user of this product?
• Which of these are most important to them?
• Who are the competitors for this product?
• How do these competitors rate on the environmental issues? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
• How can these strengths and weaknesses be addressed? What are the best opportunities and how can these be used to an advantage? What are the most critical weaknesses and how can these be eliminated?
• Where are the best positions within the field of competitors?

Team

• Who are the primary members of the production team? What are their roles and responsibilities? What is their experience?
• Are there technical, programming, marketing, and media professionals represented on the team?

Next step: Phase 2: Design, Specification, + Prototype

 

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