Helpful Tips

 ContentsPlanning Your Project

(A guest topic by AutoPlay beta tester Derek Johnson.)

Before you start your project you need to consider whom the project is for and what is required of it.

If the project is for your own use, it is a good idea to compose a list of what it will do, the type of media you want to include in it, and how it is to be designed. A quick sketch of the basics is always a good place to start.

If the project is for a customer, you have much more to include. The basics are the same, of course. In this project, the customer may want to be involved to a certain degree. There are times the customer will give you the go-ahead to create a project using your own initiative and will only be interested in the finished product. You should get into a habit of discussing the idea behind the project and what it will be used for. Will the project form part of an application for the work they carry out, or will it be used for presentation? And for whom? Some companies may need the project for their own use only, while others will surely be showing it to their customers.

Additionally, you should seek out the ideas that your customer has for the project. Some customers will already have an idea in mind as to how they want the project to run—and may even have a sketch for you to use. Company media, too, may need to be included in the project, such as a company logo. All this needs to be acquired in advance, along with any other content they want in the project. After all, they are the customer!

Once you have all the information necessary from the customer and have acquired any media that needs to be included, you should go through your sketch again to ensure that you are happy with the overall layout and design. Once you are happy that the project will work in theory, it is time to create it.

Included Media

There is a lot of media that can be included in Autoplay Media Studio. You might find it easier to edit any graphics and video before you start.

Internet web pages are also something you may want to consider. If you are linking to the Internet for information, make sure you have the necessary permission and licenses before starting your project. Don't forget, too, that a web page on the Internet today, may not be there tomorrow. The internet is changing daily and it might be a preferable strategy to include a copy of the web pages in you project instead of linking to them—if this is permissible!