What To Include On Your CD-ROM To Make It Easy To Use And Maintain User Interest

You have 650 MB or more of space to fill on a CD-ROM, but do not make the mistake of using it up with a 350 MB movie of you or your director talking about your business, unless that is the key feature that the rest of the program revolves around.

Use Your Space Wisely

You must make sure that every single byte of space is used by material that:

• Informs
• Educates
• Interests
• Provokes
• Aids or
• Entertains the viewer; and then stop.

Do not add superfluous material just because you have the space. This is even more important with a DVD, where you have many gigabytes of vacant space.

Naturally, you will use all the written information that you have available on your topic; however, a CD-ROM is not an eBook with pictures, but an interactive tool. On the following list, you will find just a few of the elements that you can include to improve your finished product.

• Live Interviews with Experts, Customers, Developers, and more
• Links to new information on your Website
• 3D pictures of subject matter
• Sidebars with interesting tit-bits
• A searchable database of relevant information
• "Show me" examples in graphic and movie formats
• Tests - people like to know their level of competence
• Relevant games or puzzles
• Audio reading the words on each page [With a switch!]
• Background music - you never see a movie without music!
• Relevant sound effects, but don't overdo it.

Technical Stuff To Include

It's simple to setup, but I still find CD-ROM's that don't load or start automatically when inserted into the computer.

Look for some basic elements that too many developers forget to include:

• An autorun file so the CD-ROM will load and start automatically
• A text file with important information about the CD-ROM
• Your manual. Many people like to read the details
• If the manual is in PDF format, include Acrobat™ Reader™ [Get Permission]
• Include all the bits of software required by your CD-ROM
• List the names of the software and other products in your Credits
• Where you've used copyrighted material, provide a reference
• Give the user the option to run from CD-ROM or hard drive
• Make sure the user can print relevant information from the CD-ROM
• Let the user skip your intro, however much you like it!
• Make it easy to quit, don't make them search for the button
• If relevant, provide a searchable Glossary of terms used
• Let a user keep a record of any tests or assignments they complete
• On quit, provide an option to return to specific place or start afresh
  

Subscribe to our free Newsletter for more tips and information

Home Page > CD-ROM Intro > Content Material > Next

© Copyright 2001-2007. Power Business Publishing. All Rights Reserved.