Design for New Media : Interaction Design for Multimedia and the Web

New media is like a giant jigsaw puzzle; a combination of different skills and media.  We know all about the pieces, but the biggest problem is putting them all together to get the ¿big picture¿ of new media design.  Design for New Media gives a unified approach to looking at the area, covering both the separate elements, and putting them in the context of new media design as a whole. The book is divided into four sections;  The first section considers some of the issues that arise from designing with new and developing technology.  The author then moves on to look at the ¿building blocks¿ of new media (sound, colour and animation), and their role in the design of a new media product is explained.  The third section covers interaction design and   those elements of new media that are connected with the use and understanding of the product.  Finally, the process of design itself is considered in a practical way;  how do you take that first step in designing a new media product?

Lon Barfield is a new media designer and consultant.  He is the author of The User Interface, published in 1993 by Addison Wesley.