Set the Scene

Once you have made your objectives clear and chosen the digital tool you are going to use, you can make a start!

With most ICT products you should begin by 'setting the scene' so the audience know what the product is, what it is for, what are they going to see / hear, etc.

• This is likely to need to be one of the first things the audience sees / hears / reads.
• This might be an introductory paragraph in an essay, a slide with key points in a presentation, a few key words on a poster, an introductory video or the homepage of website.
• This is important so that the audience have an overview of what they are about to see / read / hear​.

Key words / phrases vs full sentences

1. Some digital products require the user to read the information and want to convey a lot of detail via text (an essay, for example)​.
   • These sorts of products obviously require full sentences and paragraphs​.
   • The reason this website has full sentences is because it is designed to be read without any verbal explanation, so needs to be self-explanatory.​
2. However, some digital products will be accompanied by a verbal explanation (e.g. a verbal presentation or an instructional video) or want to convey ideas and concepts quickly and clearly without the audience reading large chunks of text (e.g. a poster).​
   • These products do not need full sentences and paragraphs and in fact are often better if they DO NOT contain these.​
   • Key words and / or phrases are often more appropriate to give the audience concise messages that are then explained in more depth by the accompanying verbal explanation or text.