#multimedia-design #multimedia-production #visioning # High-quality multimedia production **December 2025** ## Multimedia as intentional design I believe that designing and producing multimedia is both an **art and a science**. In many ways, it is like teaching. The exception is that the primary focus is human emotion. Too often, I’ve heard someone say to a multimedia producer, “Let’s just record this, and then you can work your magic.” That framing always gives me pause, because successful multimedia projects are built through a combination of thoughtful planning, creativity, technical skill, and a genuine interest in how people think and feel. Yet, high-quality multimedia is not the result of technical skill alone. It is the product of emotional intelligence applied intentionally throughout the design and production process. ## Why high-quality matters High-quality multimedia design and production is an intentional outcome. It emerges from a commitment to **continuous improvement**, learning from prior creative decisions, and revisiting both operations and team practices. Above all, **it depends on planning and design**. Strong multimedia work rarely happens by accident. It is shaped through thoughtful framing, clear goals, and deliberate choices. Producing high-quality multimedia matters and is worth the effort for the following reasons: - **Brand and reputation** — what the work signals about an organization’s and a producer’s values and standards - **Team skill and creativity** — the craft, judgment, and commitment of the people involved in doing the work - **Institutional support** — the seriousness with which the team is supported in carrying out its mission - **Respect for the audience** — acknowledging the time, attention, and trust of viewers and consumers (or learners) - **Organizational potential** — the broader impact the work can have on organizational culture > [!info]- A Selected Example of High-Quality Multimedia > See **[[KLM, autopilot in action]]**. This piece demonstrates what I admire most in high-quality educational multimedia. It reflects careful planning, strong narrative structure, and design choices that make the subject matter stand out. ## Who shaped my thinking Since working as an Instructional Designer at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), my work has involved close engagement and leadership in creating high-quality educational media. Upon reflection since then, my time there proved formative through my work with a team known as the Creative Lab. In short, their standard became deeply ingrained in how I think about both the process and outcomes of multimedia production. The Creative Lab was a full in-house creative services team that provided leadership in user-interface design, multimedia production, and publications. The staff, Media Officers with a range of professional expertise, included graphic designers, video producers, video editors, and behavioral scientists. Expectations for their work were exceptionally high. They worked collaboratively, took pride in their craft, and, frankly, had a fun job. It was great to work with them. Working alongside these professionals significantly altered how I understood the multimedia field. Managing project timelines while collaborating with them taught me how to measure progress, guide creative work effectively, and bring complex productions to completion. While I do not identify as a creative professional by training, I have developed a strong ability to organize and run multimedia workflows well, as well as use my digital creative skills to craft small videos, documents, and other visuals. ## Working with multimedia producers I do not identify as a multimedia producer by profession, but I have worked closely with skilled creative professionals for many years. In that time, I have contributed to the production of multimedia elements and directed a multimedia team at George Washington University. My role was not to out-create creatives, but to support their work by improving operations, clarifying vision, and creating the conditions for high-quality production. At times, this meant motivating them to see beyond what had been done for some time. In that leadership role, my responsibilities focused on improving operations and providing clear direction. This work included overhauling systems for designing online course media, leveraging multimedia producers’ expertise to support subject-matter-expert upskilling, leading the redesign of a brand, and helping transform the team into a more client-facing group. I have a great deal of respect for professional creatives. **Multimedia production is a deeply skilled and human-centered profession**. Over time, I have noticed that many of the most effective creatives are thoughtful and measured in their engagements. The ones who have stood out to me are those who consistently shape outcomes by asking strong questions, challenging assumptions, and helping others see possibilities more clearly. Some qualities I have grown to admire in multimedia producers include how they engage people through inquiry, their honesty about what can and should be done, and their resistance to the idea of merely providing a service. Instead, they guide others through a process that values imagination, clarity, and trust. In my experience, high-quality multimedia is not driven by tools or workflows alone, but by people who are supported, **empowered**, and given the space to do thoughtful work.