Articles

Multimedia and Web Design

With the ever-expanding galaxy of blogs, websites, and social media technologies floating about out there in cyberspace, people are being forced to come up with ever more inventive and creative ways of attracting attention. Multimedia and Web Design courses aim to harness this inventiveness into a commodity (i.e. an industry role).

Media technology is evolving at a breathtaking rate: websites have become more sophisticated and computer games are now hyper-realistic, while developments in home entertainment, e-business, and e-learning technologies are also coming thick and fast. All this advancement means that exciting opportunities abound for people with multimedia qualifications.

The word ‘multimedia’ means different things to different people, and the subjects offered on each course can vary. Some courses concentrate more on web design, some offer social science and media subjects, while others teach elements of computer programming and software design.

The multimedia and web design sectors look certain to continue to grow for the foreseeable future, making them excellent career prospects for those who would like to combine visual design and IT.

Education

A large number of new Multimedia courses have been introduced in recent years. Options include higher certificate and degree courses in Multimedia, Communications & Multimedia, Multimedia Computing, Multimedia & Computer Games Design, Interactive Multimedia, and Multimedia Applications Development. There are also a number of specific Web Design courses available at further education colleges listed in the Guide.

Subject options across the various Multimedia courses include Visual Design, Media Studies, Web Authoring, E-Learning, Computer Programming, Social & Economic Studies, and Games Modelling Design. Students may also learn how to use software programmes used in multimedia and website design (e.g. Flash, Director, Photoshop) as well as sound and video editing software (such as Final Cut and Pro Tools).

The Work

Multimedia graduates have a wide range of career options open to them, such as in the web design, media, e-learning, computer games, education, and e-commerce industries. There are also opportunities for them to find roles in business, tourism, arts, journalism, the civil service, and several other sectors, as the vast majority of organisations awaken to the importance of maintaining an attractive, informative, and smooth-running website.

Industry professionals will typically find work on things such as interactive websites, DVDs, and programmes featuring an imaginative combination of image, sound, and text. The content can be anything from an e-learning language programme to a movie’s DVD menu. 

Multimedia designers usually work with a client or manager who provides them with a brief containing the content to include. The designer then suggests a number of ideas or structures. When one is chosen, the designer must then create and design each of the elements (animations, menus, images, etc.) and fit them all together, before testing the finished product and resolving any problems.

With broadband access becoming more widespread, websites are gaining more interactivity, incorporating video, audio, shopping, and other content. As it is vital for a website to be memorable, innovation is essential. 

Much like a regular designer, a web designer is given a brief and must use imagination and skill to create the finished product – a unique site that showcases the subject, product, or content as required. Sites can be for the Internet (public) or the intranet (accessible only within a company). The job may include design work on the ‘front end’ of the site (seen by the user), as well as programming and technical work on the ‘back end’ (the details visible only to the webmaster). Many designers specialise in a particular software programme or language, such as php, xml or Flash.

Other responsibilities that multimedia or web design professionals may have include writing content for websites and manuals, editing video and audio files and preparing them to be viewed or heard online, designing and implementing database or e-commerce solutions, and regularly updating and managing clients’ websites. 

Multimedia is especially suited to students with a combination of interests in the media, humanities, and computing areas. Creativity, IT skills, teamwork, and an enthusiasm for new technologies are all important qualities. 

Did you know?

The first webcam was used in a computer lab at Cambridge University – its sole purpose was to monitor the coffee levels of a particular coffee maker in order to avoid wasted trips to an empty pot.

Further Resources

q Irish Internet Association: www.iia.ie

q Golden Spider Awards – Eircom’s website awards: www.eircomspiders.ie

q The Eircom Junior Spiders – www.juniorspiders.ie