For an assignment on the different types of interactive media I had to complete research into different types of interactive media products, and from my findings explain the purpose, uses and features of these different media products.

Type of interactive media	Explain the purpose of this type of interactive media.	Explain how people use this type of interactive media, and what features they have.
Virtual Reality experiences	To create an immersive experience that makes you feel like you are actually there.	To simulate environments that you cannot visit yourself like space or deep below the ocean.
Augmented reality apps	To make you feel like something impossible (like a Pokémon in Pokémon GO) is in real life.	It is used to make people feel like something is there when is not. It is often used on touch screen devices so you can interact with what is created within your environment
Interactive websites	To draw people into a website to increase engagement and interest in what the site is offering or promoting	A website may have toolkits and features that allows a user to create something from the website to use in other environments
Interactive animation storytelling	It gets young children engaging with the story where they cannot just sit back and listen, they have to engage which can push learning	It is often used to educate children with short attention spans. It will have questions based on the story that the children will have to answer.
Interactive films and videos	It can increase they audience’s engagement when they have impact on the story	It will have narrative decisions be in the hands of the viewer and at critical moments in the story the viewer will have to make a decision that will impact the rest of the story
Mobile apps and games	It is designed to get people coming back to the app so that the creator can keep making revenue off it	It is typically used to entertain or as a distraction from the outside world, they can also be used educationally by teaching in short bursts. It tends to feature puzzles and tasks for the user to complete.
Simulations and training software	It can be used so an employer can create simulations of a work environment without the risk of anyone interrupting normal workflow	This type tends to be used to teach people a topic or instruct on how to do a job. It will most likely feature a very realistic depiction of the required work so that the learning is effective

For the second task I had to select a form of interactive media to research and then explain how the features of the product can be used to engage an audience as well as enhancing the usability.

D&D Beyond

I chose this website as I use it regularly to create character sheets and run games as it features an array of tools for a Dungeon Master to run a game. The first tool I ever used was the character sheet creator which breaks down the complex task of writing out a character sheet into drop down menus which explains the choices that you need to make in a simple and easy to understand way. The more familiar you become with this tool the easier it becomes to use but I can see that the amount of option that are available can put off newcomers. However, once you get used to it becomes an invaluable tool for anyone that wants to play D&D.
Most of the tools available on the website are also available on the phone application that makes using these tools a lot easier on the go and means that realistically the Dungeon Master is the only person that needs a laptop or desktop computer. This close connection between the app and the website meant that the tools are easily accessible on any platform that is needed.
An easier to use tool on the website is the dice rolling which has been added since I first used the website. It has become a key component of the website with player no longer having to use another site or app on another tab or window. And it means that people can use the dice rolling within their character sheets just by clicking or tapping on the modifier that they want to roll where it will automatically calculate the bonuses. There is also this feature on enemy or monster sheets which again makes life easier for the Dungeon Master. This interface for rolling multiple dice could be improve as if you want to roll large amounts of dice you have to click or tap a lot.
The encounter builder and is a tool that is only needed by a Dungeon Master as player do not typically need to run enemy encounters. It allows a Dungeon Master to select multiple monsters and different types of enemies for a single encounter. It uses a system like a takeaway app just adding monsters onto a list as the Dungeon Master requires. When the Dungeon Master has set up their encounter by adding any other extras into the log the Dungeon Master can then run the encounter where they have set up their players in a campaign which allows the collation of all the character sheets that your party of players use. The encounter builder will also have a tool to makes sure the encounter is on the level of your party and not to difficult for them to overcome. The encounter builder will then collate all this information onto one webpage for the Dungeon Master to use containing all the player health point and all the statistics of the enemies and monsters. It again is an essential tool as it makes to collection and use of the information needed for the encounter a lot easier for the Dungeon Master. However, it requires user to learn themselves how to use this tool as there is no tutorial available from the creators of the website.