LO1: Be able to research the development of digital media technologies to support the planning of a new product

My idea for an interactive product is a website that allows you to tour South Yorkshire through the web. The website contains close up shots of popular places in South Yorkshire such as museums and universities which you can manually move around to cover all angles. Also, you can enter buildings of popular to see what’s inside without having to visit. If you like what you see you can then potentially visit in person. 

Technologies from the past influenced my idea because before Web 2.0, technology was not interactive  which limited people to what they could use technology for. Since 2005, when Web 2.0 was introduced, technology allowed audiences to interact with the product therefore making for example, the internet much more easy to use and you can do much more with it. This has influenced my idea it has been made possible for my audience to use the final product effectively and give a more authentic experience as it would prior 2005. In addition, technological convergence has influenced my product as some past technologies have joined to form one which is a phenomenon called technological convergence. For example, a mobile phone is an example of technological convergence as it combined the telephone, messaging, music playing and video watching etc into one device. This is the same for my idea as it will combine the use of 360 degree camera, where you can move around an image, and an interactive website where you can read information and select options on screen.

Developments in technology has allowed industries to plan ideas and products because there has been a surge a of planning tools online such as Microsoft Teams where the project manager and his crew can plan together while everyone is in a different location. Additionally, online mind mapping tools such as MindMeister allows team members to create a mind map showcasing thoughts and ideas online which can be seen by work mates. All of the planning which is done online can be sent to relevant people who need to see it via email which makes it simple for ideas to be spread throughout a team. In terms of production and post production, every media sector has high level technology that can be used to make an ultimate product that will make their target audience purchase a product. For example, the print sector has software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign where page creator can design the layout and look of the pages. The film/video sector has technology and software such as Adobe Premier Pro where editors can make a high quality product with crisp transitions and added effects. Also, the video sector has technology like cameras, tripods and dolly’s plus a plethora of other equipment that can be used to actually record the footage before being implemented into Premier Pro to be edited. If a company may want to work with other company to create a product whether that’s through a lack of funding/equipment or a desire to work together, then that is a common occurrence as for example, Channel 4 worked with Hattrick productions to create the popular TV show Derry girls which gathered a large audience. This process is called synergy where two organisations come together to make a media product. This can help my idea as I can use high level software to create the product to a high standard where it looks professional and good quality. Media products can be advertised in many different ways for example, companies who do not have a specific target audience will release billboards, advertisements online, bus wrapping etc to try and catch the public’s eye. This is called above the line marketing where the advertisement is right infront of you so you are more likely to become interested. However, below the line advertising is used to reach a specific audience. This can be done by leaflets to peoples houses or private emails that a consumer might receive. This is linked to the development of technology as these advertisements are made using high level software so they look professional which would appeal more to the audience. Furthermore, companies can get sponsorships from other companies which will help promote their product as it might reach a larger audience which will bring in a higher income. Finally, due to the high level of technology, conglomerate companies can distribute their products throughout the subsidiary’s that they own. For example, Disney will distribute the films that they make on Disney Plus. This means that the product can reach around the world therefore increasing sales and gaining a larger audience.