Assignment 2: Selecting Digital Media & Multimedia Design
Home ⟾ Assignment 2: Selecting Digital Media & Multimedia Design
Answers summarized using writing-for-the-web principles with accessible, royalty-free media.
1) Selecting Digital Media for Your Website – Three Things I Learned
Quality over quantity (and resolution vs. speed): Aim for high-quality images (a good rule of thumb is ≥ 1000px on the long side) but balance file size so pages load quickly. You can scale down; you can’t scale up without pixelation.
CRaN test for image choice: Pick images that are Clear, Relevant, and Natural. Avoid cheesy stock, odd eye-contact, distracting backdrops, and out-of-context scenes.
License & attribution (TASL): For Creative Commons works, provide Title, Author, Source, License next to the image. Link to the original and to the license and note edits if you made any.
2) Multimedia Design – Three Things I Learned
Keep Videos Short and Engaging: Educational videos work best when they’re about 3–5 minutes long. This keeps viewers’ attention and helps them retain key information.
Use Tools Like Canva, Pablo, and Adobe Spark to Design Graphics: These free tools make it easy to create professional-quality images with templates, fonts, and layouts that enhance your website’s visual appeal.
Follow Ethical and Accessible Design Practices: Always use copyright-free or Creative Commons media, give attribution, and make sure your visuals add meaning and not just decoration. Provide captions or alt text for accessibility.
3) Writing for the Web – Q&A
a) What is copyright?
Copyright is a legal protection that gives creators the exclusive right to use, distribute, or modify their original work. This includes images, text, videos, music, and graphics. It ensures that artists, writers, and designers receive credit and control over how their creations are used.
When designing websites, educators must understand that copying or reposting copyrighted content without permission can violate the law. Instead, you can:
Use your own original media
Choose public domain or Creative Commons-licensed resources
Always give proper attribution when required
b) How do we ensure we are not violating copyrights when using images or multimedia elements from the web?
To safely use images, audio, and videos online, follow these best practices:
Use Creative Commons or royalty-free resources (such as Pixabay, Pexels, or Videezy).
Check the license type, some require attribution, some don’t.
Give credit using the TASL method:
Title
Author
Source (link to where it was found)
License (link to the license type)
Avoid copyrighted music and visuals unless you have written permission.
Create your own graphics and media using tools like Canva, Pablo, or Adobe Express (Spark).
Keep accessibility in mind—always add alt text and captions for images or videos you embed.
c) How does branding affect the use of images, color, and multimedia? (with examples)
Branding defines a website’s visual identity. It influences color choices, image styles, tone, and overall feel.
Colors: Each brand’s palette conveys emotion. For example, blue is often used by educational institutions to communicate trust and calmness, while bright red or orange may be used for excitement or energy.
Images: Consistent imagery builds credibility. A classroom website might use real student photos, while a corporate site may rely on clean, professional stock images.
Multimedia: Background music, icons, and animations should match the tone of the organization. For instance:
A school website might use friendly illustrations and upbeat background tracks.
A university course page could include quiet, professional background music and simple transitions.
Branding also ties into accessibility and universal design:
Use sans serif fonts like Verdana or Lucida Grande for readability.
Avoid relying on color alone to emphasize meaning, use bold, italics, or symbols instead.
Maintain high contrast (4.5:1 ratio) between text and background.
Ensure your color choices are color-blind friendly and consistent with your brand identity.
d) How do images and multimedia affect the design of websites?
Images and multimedia play a powerful role in attracting attention, reinforcing ideas, and improving memory retention, but they must be used carefully and ethically.
Positive Effects:
Enhance comprehension and engagement. Images are processed faster than text.
Help maintain viewer attention through visual storytelling.
Make educational websites more interactive and inclusive (using multiple means of representation, engagement, and expression, key principles of Universal Design for Learning).
Design and Accessibility Tips:
Use alt text for every image to describe content to screen readers.
Ensure videos have closed captions and background music is not overpowering.
Avoid flashing GIFs or animations that could harm sensitive viewers.
Make sure users can control playback. Never autoplay sound or video.
Test your design on multiple devices and browsers (phones, tablets, laptops) to ensure full accessibility.
Optimize all media for fast loading times, compress large files and avoid unnecessary high-resolution visuals.
Design with socio-economic accessibility in mind: keep your site lightweight for users with slow Internet or limited data.
In short: Effective multimedia design blends clarity, legality, and inclusivity. The goal is not just to make your website attractive but also usable and accessible for all learners—regardless of ability, background, or technology.
4) Online Resources for Legal Images & Multimedia (Not in Module)
Wikimedia Commons: Massive archive of images/video/audio with clear license tags.
Musopen Public-domain music, recordings, and sheet music.
FreePD Public-domain music categorized by mood (no attribution required).
5) Example Media (Replace with Your Own)
Title: Full Moon — Author: Greg Hewgill — Source: Wikimedia Commons — License:CC BY 2.0.Tip: Place TASL attribution directly under each media item you add. Always verify the license on the item’s page.
