Critique two:
Evaluate a multimedia presentation

The goal of this assignment is to challenge you to utilize what you know about flash to evaluate a multimedia presentation in terms of its:

• News value
  Does the presentation’s content pass the traditional tests of what NEWS is?
  Has the student clearly defined his or her audience?
  Is this project/presentation worth the investment of multimedia to tell the story?
  Is it ethical in its uses of technology?
• Information editing
  Has the designer developed a clear, easy-to-understand concept?
  Does this presentation utilize the BEST ways to communicate this story to an audience?
  Were deliberate decisions made to utilize each form of media presentation -- audio, video, text, still images, interactivity?
  Is restraint used appropriately?
  Does this presentation demonstrate that the designer has carefully considered the effectiveness of each delivery methods?
  Are multimedia forms used deliberately and not gratuitously?
• Information architecture
  Is the presentation INTUITIVE and APPROPRIATELY INFORMATIVE?
  Is the designer aware of the information’s inherent structure?
  Can relevant information can be retrieved quickly?
  Is the interface easy to learn -- almost effortless?
  Are there any non-working aspects of the piece?
• Aesthetic presentation
  Is the presentation aesthetically pleasing in terms of color use, balance, proportion, contrast, unity, balance, focus and organization?
  Does the designer consider the user’s frame of mind and expectations and break traditional design rules appropriately?
  Does the design drive the technology?
  Are all aesthetics relevant to the news value of the presentation?
  Has the presentation been tested in multiple browsers?
  Is the design professional and appropriate to the audience?
• Creativity and innovation
  How well does the designer use the unique, interactive features of multimedia?

Spend some time with the presentation below. Following the suggestions from the class critique presentation, plan your work. Using screen grabs when appropriate, write a two-page, double-spaced critique that answers the appropriate questions listed above. (NOTE: the text part of your presentation should be two pages, double-spaced. If you use screen grabs, the printout -- of course -- will be longer.) Please use margins no narrower than 3/4" and Times as your font, no smaller than 11 pt.

Print out your responses and hand them in by the start of class on Wednesday, Nov. 5 (section one) or Thursday, Nov. 6 (section two).

The presentation you will evaluate is:
Exonerated, Freed, and What Happened Then
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2007/11/25/nyregion/20071125_DNAI_FEATURE.html