Search
Flash
AP Chile earthquake interactive under utilizes navigation
I recently came across AP’s Chilean earthquake interactive via Interactive Narratives, and my immediate reaction was one of confusion with their navigation. Five headings were presented, three of which were based upon the medium used (“Maps,” “Gallery,” and “Video”) while the other two were based upon the content (“Deadly Quakes” and “Aftermath”). However, the “Deadly Quakes” section contains a map, so why isn’t it in the “Map” section? Furthermore, “Aftermath” contains maps and images, so why isn’t it within the corresponding “Map” and “Gallery” section?
Providing HTML and Flash versions of same site … worthwhile or waste of time?
During my User Interface Design course today, we discussed the site “Museumsinsel Berlin,” which used 3D models, graphics, and interactivity to depict the changes to this famous collection of German museums. While the interactivity is comparable to other online infographics, our attention was drawn to the navigational option to switch views back and forth between an HTML and Flash version. I’m impressed that they duplicated their bilingual content, but I’m not sure it was worthwhile …
Starbucks Love Project promotes philanthropy, creativity, and music in interactive interface
Investing in an interactive digital marketing campaign is a very clever move in my opinion. Add in user submission tools, social media, and a humanitarian cause and you’ve got yourself a winner in my book. After spending some time with Starbucks Love Project, I knew I had to pass it along to II readers so you could also smile and enjoy being serenaded by people of all ages from around the world. Then, if you feel inspired, feel free to upload your own video singing the melody “All you need is love,” or create your own “love drawing” with their simple Flash drawing board. If that level of interactivity is intimidating, you can continue perusing their video archive of singers, or browse Starbuck’s red products, all the while helping promote a campaign to fight AIDS in Africa.
USA Today tracks US federal taxes in customizable graphic
Last week, USA Today launched “Tracking taxes: A look back at tax rates and spending.” Although it doesn’t cover state or local taxes, this tool enables Americans to get a quick snapshot of how their federal taxes are being spent, and how that has changed over time. The user interface is clear, inviting, and customizable. Although several assumptions were made to calculate the figures, I still enjoyed the interactive and I encourage you to spend some time with it.
El Mundo wowed me with their Haiti multimedia coverage
I have been tracking multimedia work documenting the Haiti earthquake since I wrote about the initial packages I saw two weeks ago, and I can say without a doubt that El Mundo’s multimedia coverage is the best I’ve seen thus far. In particular, their graphics team constructed three excellent step graphics depicting the scope of the earthquake, the inefficiencies in building construction, and the use of the USNS COMFORT, a Navy hospital ship, during the relief efforts. Regardless if you don’t understand the Spanish text, I highly recommend that you spend some time navigating around the graphic and admiring the high-quality 3D illustrations, smooth animations, and detailed analysis of these topics.
American Heart Association promotes CPR with interactive “hand symphony”
Seth Gitner, assistant professor at Syracuse University, recently sent me “Hand Symphony,” an innovative piece by the American Heart Association that helps promote their new hands-only approach to CPR. Users can create their own music track by mixing 12 video clips of hands clapping, snapping, tapping, and more. The final result is a customizable dance, hip-hop, or latin track that you can then send to friends and share via multiple social networks.
Two interactive energy maps, one main difference: usability
I recently came across two interactive energy maps, one by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) tracking dirty heating oil in New York City, and the other by Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) displaying a wide range of renewable energy information around the world. Both display countless data points on a map mashup, but after playing with both it is evident that distinct decisions regarding the UI and interaction design resulted in two drastically different user experiences.
Trivial Pursuit experiment combines interactivity and innovation to promote game
Drop everything and go play Trivial Pursuit. No, not the old board game that is probably collecting dust in your game closet. I’m talking about the new “Trivial Pursuit experiment- Who’s smarter than who?,” where men and women compete against each other in this interactive feature. Currently, the women are just narrowly winning, so join in and get some Flash inspiration while playing this fun game!
Innovative Individuals: Juan Thomassie
I am honored to recognize Juan Thomassie, senior designer at USA Today, as this week’s “Innovative Individual” for his expertise in interactive data visualization and graphic design. I had the pleasure of attending a seminar that Juan taught when I was a Poynter fellow in 2007. As a budding Flash developer, I was extremely impressed by his extensive knowledge of actionscript programming. Ever since, I have enjoyed looking for his byline on innovative graphics at USA Today.
Multimedia round table | “I kill a friend” (warning: graphic content)
This month’s round table discussion is about one of – if not THE – most controversial multimedia packages I have ever encountered. If you watch the trailer to the French advertising site “I Killed a Friend,” it goes something like this: “Want to kill a friend? Need to get rid of someone? Call our professional killers. All you need is a photo of the victim. ‘I killed a friend.com’: now you can kill on the internet.” Low and behold, I inserted my photo, chose one of the five killers, and watched my death unravel right in front of my eyes.
Categories
Subscribe to RSS Feed
English
Español
