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