JAMES WORTH DIGITAL MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS

philosophy

Why should we use digital media, then we must ask what, where, when and how?

Over the last 50 years, media influence has grown exponentially with advances in technology. We now live in a society dependent on information and communication, even for daily activities, including work, entertainment, health care, education, personal relationships, travel, etc. We must appreciate the social implications that media have on society when managing client communication objectives. What, where, when, how can we best use fast changing technologies to create sustainable communication objectives; yet avoid those mistakes that once made are difficult, if not impossible to fix?

Can we overuse new and emerging digital technology, and when does overuse become abuse?

The current urge to use new digital technology, because it results in ‘out of the box’ thinking, easily becomes linear and derivative; the message becomes subsumed, often a secondary part of the content. This is also true for In-house communication, marketing and design departments, which soon find that their expectations are subsumed by IT infrastructure requirements. Freedom to create becomes severely constrained by how IT determines when and where it can be used.

How do we advance the use of digital media and also maintian simplicity of use and core functionality?

The new reality for media is about discipline, core functionality, good design, and avoiding mission creep. For the end user, it will be about less rather than more. Refining features and communication goals rather than piling on as many as you can cram; not being hyper-reactive to a handful of user requests that may not reflect the larger user base. It will become vital to manage change and bring both IT and the user to a common understanding for effective communication media across all sectors. It is the art of compromise.