In essence, multimedia means a variety of techniques and technologies that combine images, moving images, sound, and animation in a package aimed at conveying content. The delivery channel can be WWW, CD-ROM, DVD, or mobile devices.
It is evident, therefore, that just as in the WWW, content is key. There is simply no reason to start a multimedia development project, if Powerpoint would suffice, and if the content will benefit from a multimedia presentation, one should abandon animated slides and opt for a full-fledged multimedia product.
In its simplest form, multimedia is this:
Such animation, easy and cheap to produce with Macromedia Flash, is abundant these days on the Web. It most certainly works as an attention getter, but as such, it is just a gimmick with no ability to enhance the visitor's user experience. It is just self-sufficient animation with no contribution to the content.
So, if designing usable WWW services can be a challenge, multimedia production certainly is too. Without help in the planning stage and a capable producer, it is more likely than not that the project becomes a money pit.
In these days, when users are bombarded with multimedia content even on their mobile phones, one can safely ask if there is real added value in all those products. On the other hand, many a company selling complex products might very well benefit from using multimedia to visualize their products. The balance here, the content versus display dilemma, is the one that governs multimedia production.
So where is the middle ground, where real benefits can be reaped with reasonable cost and time? It is where the production is done properly: first you see what are the goals and the resources, before you decide on any tool or technology. Also, make sure your production agency knows their business and can deliver the goods on time and on budget. Neglecting these prerequisites spells disaster in the project. It is Sabulo's expertise to analyze your project, find the best palette of tools and technologies for you, and then direct you to a dependable design agency.