#2 New Media Exploration Process

While looking for a site to blog about I came across the Pixar site which had detailed information regarding the companies process. The site has a seemingly simple structure, loading content on demand. The navigation is extremely user friendly, preventing the user from experiencing information overload. The part of the site that I focused on for this blog was the design process.
The site uses an interesting metaphor to display its design process. The site uses an old school view finder to display the process. The use of the view finder coincides with the simplification of a complex process that is broken down into four essential parts: development, pre-production, production, and post-production. During the development phase many ideas our pitched, fleshed out, then developed into storyboards, with the best pitched to the director. The next phase is pre-production, which involves the assembling of assets. The key element of pre-production, at Pixar, stays with the Disney tradition of developing a strong story. The pre-production phase is very involved as it requires a great deal of preparation of the parts. The actual production phase is time consuming in that it requires the artists and computer to meld together flawlessly all aspects of the assets. Once in the post-production phase the final touches are added creating a flawless film.
It would seem that the bulk of the work is down in the pre-production phase, however, without the final touches the films would not have the lasting impact that they currently display. The attention to detail is evident in all aspects of the process. In researching other process structures for varying media outlets the process appeared to be similar. The common thread was a heavy focus on the pre-production phase. Reinforcing the idea that, when a project is properly planned it seems to flow much smoother through the design process. A solid design process ensures that quality is maintained across the board on all the design aspects.