Assignment 2 : Creative Multimedia

Posted by Fadhli Amri b Halim

Keyword : Creative Multimedia

Topic : Creative Multimedia is the Heart of Design

1st task : ESSAY

Creative Multimedia is the heart of the design. This title somehow will make the readers especially one who does not have any basic knowledge about multimedia feel bewildered and even mystified in understanding what the topic is all about. Plenty of questions may be arisen from this title. What is creative? What is multimedia? What is creative multimedia? What is design? I will give thorough explanations for all these questions in order to enhance your understanding and to avoid confusion.


The first question that needs to be asked is, what is design? There is no generally-accepted definition of “design” exists, and the term has different connotations in different fields however, a design informally refers to a plan for the construction of an object as in architectural blueprints, circuit diagrams and sewing patterns. Carnegie Mellon University School of Design Professor Dick Buchanan has once stated that:

"Design is the human power to conceive, plan, and realize products that serve human beings in the accomplishment of any individual or collective purpose."

Besides that, another definition of design aired by designer Richard Seymour during the Design Council's Design in Business Week 2002 is 'making things better for people' which emphasizes design activity that focuses first and foremost on human behaviour and quality of life, not factors like distributor preferences. I am agree with Seymour’s statement of design which is quite true in certain circumstances because all in all, design is actually created for the betterment of human beings. It is ‘making things better for people’ however; design itself does not contribute to make things better for people as it also depends on its features. Design is everywhere. That is why sometimes searching for a definition may not help grasping what it is. It is what drew you to the last piece of ornament you bought and it is what made online shopping possible. It has made a trip to Kuala Lumpur easier by using KL Monorel and it has turned Jimmy Choo's name into what he is now- a well known shoe designer. It all happens because of design.

What comes to mind when you think of creativity? Obviously some of the characteristics of creative person are person who is optimistic, imaginative, inventive, adventurous, taking risks and perseverance. Do you think about originality and the value of what people produce? Perhaps you think you can only be creative if you are artistic. According to Franken (1994), creativity is defined as the tendency to generate or recognize ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. Creativity and design works simultaneously. In order to have an exceptional design, one needs to have a high level of creativity. It cannot be separated with each other or else the result will be dull and tedious. In addition, creativity can be simply defined as the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity involves two processes: thinking, then producing. Meanwhile, innovation is the production or implementation of an idea. If you have ideas, but do not act on them, you are imaginative but not creative.

Another question to ask is “what is multimedia?” Multimedia is simply multiple forms of media which are integrated together. Media can be text, graphics, still images, audio, animation, video, data, and so on. A very simple example of multimedia can be seen in a presentation using Microsoft Power Point by a student. In the presentation, the students presented his or her content with text and a related video to improve the listeners’ understanding of the topic presented. The combination of text and video in the presentation is an example of multimedia.

The term ‘creative’ and ‘multimedia’ are usually compounded together which creates a new word- creative multimedia. With the convergence of electronics, computing, and telecommunications, the demand in creative multimedia is escalating rapidly. Simply put, creative multimedia is forms of media which are interpreted and integrated creatively. Forms of media like animation, video and even pictures need to be injected with creativity to make things lively and vivacious. In this case, brilliant and extraordinary ideas are important to make those things come alive. Multimedia has become a huge force in American culture, industry and education. Practically any type of information that is received can be categorized as multimedia, from television, to magazines, to web pages, to movies. Multimedia is a tremendous force in both informing the public and entertaining us.

Back to the title of this essay which is ‘creative multimedia is the heart of the design’; it is absolutely true to its meaning. Creative multimedia and design solely depend with each other. They need each other in order to stay put in the market. Advertising is perhaps one of the biggest industries that use multimedia to send their message to the receiver. Radio or television is the medium of advertising which is a great way to promote an item and can significantly make the item is received by the masses with greater results. A plain, dull poster design will not be able to attract lots of audience therefore, the need of creative design is vital in delivering multimedia message with the goal of attracting numerous attention. Even a simple poster needs creativity to deliver the message for example using colourful, vibrant pictures and font so that the reader will be easily attracted to the advertisement.

Another example of creative multimedia can be seen in animation. Animation is a visual technique that provides the illusion of motion by displaying a collection of images in rapid sequence. It is mostly associated with the work of film makers. Illustrators create action from a series of images and we have the illusion of something that comes alive. Again even in animation, design and creativity play an important role to create a fine masterpiece. Whether it is a computer animation or a traditional animation; or whether it is a 2D animation or 3D animation; those are all important markers in establishing an animation. Examples of excellent animation are The Lion King, Cinderella, Ice Age, Kungfu Panda, Despicable Me, Shrek, Finding Nemo, and countless other animation which are all depend on design. Thus, creative multimedia is the heart of the design.

So my final conclusion is, creative multimedia is the heart of design. Without the design, creative multimedia would be nothing special so it is important for creative multimedia to focus on its design.


2nd Task : Mind maps

(What is creative multimedia?)

(Creative Multimedia is a Heart of Design )

3rd Task : Sketches

( The sketch of the 1st idea by combining the word 'fly' 'whistle' and 'beak' from the random word bird )



(the development of the sketch after consultation )

Task 4 : FINAL PRODUCT; POSTER

(The final product )

-END- :)

Every Metaphor and Simile has an Analogy Inside

This video is quite related with the lesson that I have learnt in class which is metaphor, analogy and simile. Hope it will help those who is still grasping in the dark.

Juxtaposition: Analogy, Metaphor & Similes

In this lesson we learn about analogy, metaphor and similes. Here I will define the three terms for a better understandings.

Analogy

Analogy is to use something familiar to explain a complex matter. It is a mixed between metaphor and similes. Analogy is 'reasoning or explaining from parallel cases'. Put another way, an analogy is a comparison between two different things in order to highlight some point of similarity.

Examples of analogy:

1. Glove is to hand as paint is to wall
2. Citizens are to president as solar system is to galaxy
3. Horses are to past societies as computers are to future societies

Metaphor

A figure of speech that implies comparison between two different things that actually share something in common. Using one thing to describe another thing

Metaphors are comparisons that show how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in one important way. Metaphors are a way to describe something. Authors use them to make their writing more interesting or entertaining.

Unlike similes that use the words “as” or “like” to make a comparison, metaphors state that something is something else.

One thing conceived as representing another; a symbol: “Hollywood has always been an irresistible, prefabricated metaphor for the crass, the materialistic, the shallow, and the craven” (Neal Gabler)

Examples of metaphor:

1. A lifetime is a day, death is sleep; a lifetime is a year, death is winter
2. Life is a struggle, dying is losing a contest against an adversary
3. Life is a precious possession, death is a loss
4. Time is a thief

Simile

A figure of speech in which two fundamentally unlike things are explicitly compared. Simile is when you compare two nouns (persons, places or things) that are unlike, using the term 'as' or 'like'.

Examples of simile:

1. As flat as a pancake
2. Like a volcano
3. As light as a feather
4. The water is like the sun
5. The rain falls like the sun,rising upon the mountains

"The water is like the sun."

"The water is like the sun" is an example of simile because water and the sun have little in common, and yet they're being compared to one another. The "is" is also part of what makes this stanza an example of simile.

"The rain falls like the sun,
rising upon the mountains."

Here is another example, comparing falling rain to the rising of the sun. Good similes compare two very different nouns.

SENSES

Sadness is as happy as laughter.
You might cry because it hurts.
You might laugh because it hurts.
But I know one thing,
laughter is laughter and sadness
is sadness.
They can show the
same things like
hurting and gladness.

	It's been a hard day's night, and I've been working like a dog
	The Beatles

Chili and love

In the next lesson, we were asked to relate pictures into words. It can be an essay or even a poem about the pictures that were chosen. So, in the class I were asked to write about chili and love.

My essay on chili and love

I love eating chili but I cant keep going on with my life with just eating chili but I can put chili in every food I eat. Food without chili will fill me up but I can't help noticing there is something missing. That is how I feel about love. I can live without love but without it I am an empty hollow. It is exactly like eating food without chili. The need of love is like the need of chili.....

.

But if you eat chili you can get hot!!

Brainstorming Me

Usually mind mapping starts in the centre but I did not start the central idea in the middle of the paper. I tried to do the mind map using Tony Buzan's software of mind mapping and it helps me a lot. It is such a helpful software which help us to do a neat mind map and it is easier to read and understand the content. Before this I used the conventional method of mind mapping which is hand writing but when there is too much to write, everything was jumbled up and I could not even read what I have written. Besides, even an A4 size paper could not occupy the content of the mind map and the handwritings become worsen. I would like to encourage everyone to use Tony Buzan's software as it is effective and hassle free!

Mind mapping technique (logical mind map)

This week we learn about how to mind mapping in a systematic way. Mind map is a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. It is a visual thinking tool that helps structuring information, helping you to better analyze, comprehend, synthesize, recall and generate new ideas. Brainstorming is usually related to the process of mind mapping. According to Alex Faickney Osborn, brainstorming is a process for developing creative solutions to problems. Brainstorming works by focusing on a problem, and then deliberately coming up with as many solutions as possible and by pushing the ideas as far as possible. One of the reasons it is so effective is that the brainstormers not only come up with new ideas in a session, but also spark off from associations with other people's ideas by developing and refining them. Just as in every great idea, its power lies in its simplicity.

There are four basic rules in brainstorming (Osborn, 1963) intended to reduce social inhibitions among team members, stimulate idea generation, and increase overall creativity:

• No criticism: Criticism of ideas are withheld during the brainstorming session as the purpose is on generating varied and unusual ideals and extending or adding to these ideas. Criticism is reserved for the evaluation stage of the the process. This allows the members to feel comfortable with the idea of generating unusual ideas.
• Welcome unusual ideas: Unusual ideas are welcomed as it is normally easier to "tame down" than to "tame up" as new ways of thinking and looking at the world may provide better solutions.
• Quantity Wanted: The greater the number of ideas generated, the greater the chance of producing a radical and effective solution.
• Combine and improve ideas: Not only are a variety of ideals wanted, but also ways to combine ideas in order to make them better.

Coldplay - The Scientist

This is a very rare way of telling a story and this video really fascinated me. At first I did not understand why he is walking backwards all the time but when I watched the whole video till the end now I have grasped the idea that he is actually telling a story. This is a very creative way of telling a story and not by using a typical approach. However, there is a very slight mistake in the video that disappointed me a little bit otherwise everything is great. Whatever it is the idea is the main focus in everything we do.