Dust or Magic is both an anecdotal history book and an inspirational guide. It is difficult to categorize--it is about multimedia, whether your definition of that is a CD-ROM, a Web site, or an interactive video project. But it is also about the founders of the industry, the pioneers that stretched the boundaries and were able to bring to market products that didn't have a specific audience and yet were hugely successful.
Apple's HyperCard, and its developer Bill Atkinson, serve as a prime example for much of the information cited throughout the book. The focus, though, avoids the invention of the HyperCard in lieu of the difficulties Atkinson faced trying to define his product for consumers, tracing it from conception to approval to delivery.
Dust or Magic introduces the founders of the multimedia industry to many of the young people thinking about entering it; the book sets the record straight for kids who grew up believing Myst spawned the CD-ROM industry, or who envision the Web as the complete manifestation of multimedia.
Bodies that can push pixels we have; project managers of teams we need. Managers that understand where the industry originated so that they can make an educated guess about where it's going can make better decisions during development.
Dust or Magic can put things in perspective if you are new to the business, or refresh your memory if you were around when If Monks Had Macs shipped (1988, in case you're too young.) --Mike Caputo
Product Description
"It was incredibly engrossing. I expected to skim through it, and found myself reading it avidly, putting aside all the other work I should have been doing, in favor of consuming it. Very readable, it's as much of a page-turner as most fiction I'm reading. It has unique insights into the creative process which I'd like to share with many of my colleagues..." - Aleen Stein
Will your idea turn into Dust or Magic? It's in your hands!
Many creative careers and financial fortunes rest on potentially "breakthrough" digital media projects - which can end in tears, or turn to magic. This innovative book examines, in depth, how to create that magic.
In Dust or Magic, Bob Hughes delves deep beneath the gloss and the hype surrounding multimedia, to reveal the human beings who make the magic, and to show how it happens. The book draws together a wealth of knowledge and experience, with insights from recent science and older creative industries, and reveals the key to designing accomplished interactive computer-based media. It presents a simple, consistent and convincing paradigm for satisfying and successful creative work, and gives practical advice that will save designers from falling into old traps and re-inventing perfectly good wheels.
Dust or Magic is for programmers, writers, artists, animators and interface designers, for the people who teach, lead and hire them, and also for people who simply want to know how human creativity fares in the new, digital age.
It will show you how to: * Ask the crucial questions at the start of your project, making the difference between success and failure * Harness your time and energy to increase the productivity, effectiveness and enjoyment of your work * Create and manage small teams with a shared vision founded on trust, respect and self-discipline * Understand the history of the medium and realize the importance of your place within it
Features: * Lessons for the World Wide Web, intranet, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM and other upcoming digital media * Solid conceptual framework for tackling creative work projects * Practical guidelines and priorities for effective project planning * Numerous real-life examples of successful projects and proven techniques for creative work
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