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Chapter 1
Determination of Interface Specifications
▪ Introduction
▪ Selection of Specification Requirements
▪ Advantages of Our Choices
▪ Disadvantages of Flash Format
▪ Treatment of Disadvantages
▪ Design and Production Tools
▪ Summary

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Chapter 1. Determination of Interface
Specifications
1.1. Introduction
The determination of the specifications for the user interface (UI)
of the application is one of the most important issues to address
before commencing with the design of the application.
From the specifications of the interface, will depend to a large
extent, many of the properties will have the application.
These properties relate, on the one hand to the operation of the
application, and on the other hand, in its appearance.
Let us accept that the proposed application belongs to the
multimedia applications of interactive video in Flash format and that
its interface resembles the image in Figure 1.
Figure 1. User Interface of a Multimedia Application of Interactive
Video in Flash Format (schematic)

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1.2. Selection of Specification Requirements
We define the specifications of the interface based on the
following two basic conditions, which should be satisfied:
• The video must be high-definition (HD)
• The video must be Flash (Flash format)
With regard to these two conditions, we are primarily interested
in the operational dimension of the results produced by these
conditions, in their practical implementation in the design of the
interface.
We are not interested in the theory associated with the
requirements but how these conditions affect the practical
requirements of the user interface in the proposed application.
The selection of the conditions (requirements) that must satisfy
the specifications of an interface is dependent on the level of
equipment, hardware and software, which is assumed for the
majority of the users of our application.
With the rapid development of Information and Communications
Technology (I.C.T) and the Internet and with continuous increasing
processing capabilities and information display of computers, the
two conditions tend to be the rule for the interface specification
requirements.

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1.2.1. High-Definition Video
The term high-definition video or HD refers to a video standard,
which has a higher resolution than standard resolution.
Without providing technical details and without analyzing other
parameters of standard HD video, we accept that the dimensions of
HD video are 1280 × 720 pixels (px).
We accept that the condition of HD (High Definition) affects and
defines the dimensions of the user interface.
Regarding the specifications of the user interface, we chose to
create an interface with dimensions of 1280 × 720 px, which
satisfies the requirement of HD.
We can visually estimate the aspect ratio (width × height) of HD
video by examining the light-blue rectangle in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Proportion (aspect ratio) of dimensions (width × height) of
the high-definition video: 1280 × 720 px

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1.2.2. Flash Format Video
The term Flash format refers to video files that can be run using
the software Adobe Flash Player or Adobe (formerly Macromedia)
Shockwave Player.
The (free) software Flash Player, is suitable for viewing
multimedia and running applications. It runs files with the extension
Shockwave Flash (SWF), which constitutes the conventional format
of Flash files and serves a role on the Web.
Flash Player can run as follows:
• on a computer, via the operating system, and as an independent
playback application (Standalone Flash Player),
• on the Internet, via a browser, as a Web Browser application
(Browser Plug-In),
• in supported mobile devices (supported mobile devices).
The player of the Flash Player is shown in Figures 3 and 4.
Figure 3. The case in which the application is produced to operate on
a desktop (Desktop Application)
Figure 4. The case in which the application is produced to operate on
the Internet (Web App)
Remark
If our application is produced for the Internet as a web app, two
buttons are added to (to select the Table of Contents and Full Screen)
and the Info/About button is removed from the right lane of the
Flash Player.

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1.3. Advantages of our choices
The definition of the interface specifications based on two basic
conditions, which should be satisfied, implies several advantages of
the interface.
Analytically:
a) First Condition: The video should be HD
As mentioned in subsection 1.2.1, the dimensions of the HD
video are 1280 × 720 px. A visual comparison of Figures 1 and 2
indicates the advantage that these dimensions provide to the
designer of the application, such as providing adequate space for
easily positioning the necessary elements of the user interface,
such as:
― the monitor, which displays the video files that we want to
project and constitutes the digital content of the application,
― the vertical table of contents of the application (left), in which
the entries serve as links to various parts of the digital content
of the application,
― the horizontal menu (strip) of the application modules (front),
in which the labels serve as links to the beginning of each
module of the application,
― the speech video of the presenter of the application, through
which we implement the introductory remarks at the beginning
of each module,
― the remaining elements, such as the (educational) slogan of the
application, the button to interrupt the flow and transfer to
another module, the identification logo, and the strip of Flash
Player.

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b) Second Condition: The video should be in Flash format
As mentioned in subsection 1.2.2, the term Flash format relates
to video files that can be run using the Flash Player.
Consequently, we do not examine the method of construction of
these files. The only property that interests us is the ability of these
files to run via the Flash Player.
The advantages of Flash format are as follows:
― offers exceptional (positive) properties in the distribution
method of the digital multimedia content (video), in computers
and/or on the Internet,
― Flash Player is a very common application—it has been
installed and is used by approximately 95% of the browsers on
the Internet,
― as a video player, it works equally well on computers that are
based on several different platforms: such as Windows (PC),
Mac, and Linux,
― offers software designers sufficient control with respect to
how the final product appears during the operation of
applications,
― provides the ability to create (qualitative) interactive
multimedia content with text, graphics, images, animation,
and video,
― offers software designers the opportunity to control the
appearance of the media player using custom controls.

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1.4. Disadvantages of Flash Format
In the previous section, the advantages of using the Flash Format
to construct interactive multimedia applications were presented.
However, the Flash format also has disadvantages; the most
important disadvantages are presented as follows:
• Flash is a relatively complex format. Beginners discover that
they need more time to learn this format compared with other
applications.
• Flash requires the use of relatively expensive software. To
achieve complete creative control, a few hundred dollars are
needed to acquire the necessary software.
The following question is proposed:
Question
How should we create interactive multimedia video applications,
which
― are designed in Flash format to exploit the advantages of this
format and
― are designed in such a manner that the influence of the
disadvantages of Flash format will be significantly reduced?

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1.5. Treatment of disadvantages
To answer the previous question, let us consider exactly how the
software in Flash Format is created (or which software
applications generate the Flash Format of software).
The software in Flash format is created using the following
programs:
1. Flash authoring program, which is known as Macromedia
Flash. It is a specialized and expensive program to create files
in Flash format.
2. Third-party Flash authoring programs. Some cheaper
alternatives are as follows:
a. enable content creation (software files) in Flash format.
b. enable the conversion of media files in Flash format.
By selecting case 2b for the creation software in Flash format, we
can answer the previous question and provide the correct answer.
Conclusions
We will construct our application by utilizing case 2b, i.e., using
third-party programs to easily and intuitively create video files,
which may realize the conversion of these files in Flash format in the
last stage of production (of the video). This approach represents a
significant reduction of the effect of the disadvantages of Flash
format.

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1.6. Design and Production Tools
After the shaping of the prerequisites for the user interface of the
application that we will construct, we proceed to the selection of the
appropriate software tools, with which we will realize our goals.
The selection of basic software tools is realized based on the
following prerequisites:
easy to find,
relatively easy to learn,
offered as free (or trial) software.
1.6.1. Tools for Design of the Interface of the
Application
For the interface, we will employ Microsoft Office PowerPoint
Version 10 or later (a free 60-day trial is available) as a basic tool
(creating pages/slides, editing graphics).
1.6.2. Tools for Design, Development and Production
of Application
For the video, we will employ TechSmith Camtasia Studio
Version: 7 or later (a free 30-day trial is available) as the basic tool
(screen capture, multimedia processing, and final production).
The use of other additional (free) applications (software tools),
such as FastStone ‘Image Viewer’, Wonderwebware ‘Screen Ruler’
and ‘Big Free Clock’ (contactplus.com), will be referenced in the
appropriate corresponding section of the book (refer to 3.1.
Introduction: Free Tools of Visual Design).
Recommendation
Regarding the application design and production tools, the use of
the respective free and open-source software is recommended as a
credible alternative option.

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1.7. Summary
The first chapter presents (more) basic choices concerning the
issues that should be examined prior to commencing with the
application design: determination of the specification requirements
of the user interface of the application.
We defined the interface specifications based on two key
conditions, which must be satisfied:
The video must be HD
The video must be in Flash format
We noticed that our choices have several advantages and
disadvantages. Therefore, we ask the following questions: how do
we utilize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages?
We explored how the software in Flash format is created (i.e., via
which software applications the software in Flash format is
produced) and derived the answer to the question: we will construct
our new application using a video editing program that is capable of
producing software (video) in a suitable Flash format to run in Flash
Player.
We selected the appropriate software tools for creating our
multimedia and interactive application.