Simple, fast, cheap: Success factors for interactive multimedia tools

This paper discusses key factors contributing to the "success" of interactive multimedia development tools in non ICT professional contexts. We define "success" in terms of acceptability and large scale usage by entities and institutions who may need to build interactive multimedia artifacts but do not have technical competences "in-house" and must cope with very limited financial resources. Schools or museums, for example, may want to exploit interactive multimedia for communication or educational purposes, but are bound to many resource-related constraints. In this perspective, we argue that simplicity, low-cost, and ultra short "time-to-market" are key requirements for interactive multimedia development tools to be accepted and widely adopted by non ICT professionals. To support his claim, we illustrate an exemplary tool that meets these requirements and was developed at our lab within the Policultura Project. The tool was successfully used by cultural heritage experts in Italian small museums and by over 1300 students of 55 schools in Italy, and brought important educational and social benefits to all stakeholders involved.