CEI - Creating Interactive Images (Lesson)

Creating Interactive Images

What is an interactive image?

Have you ever wondered how people, especially children, can sit and play a video game for hours? The answer is because it is interactive. They use remote controls to control the activity happening on screen. With each click and movement of the remote control, there is a reaction. Imagine having this type of interaction with your website and customers, or from a presentation or document that you presented. Interactive images can be the component needed to engage your viewers or customers.

Interactive images can be incorporated into content such as reports, training resources, lessons, infographics, posters, and more. Using interactive images is a great way to enhance illustrations and communicate with your audience.

There are several online interactive image generators that you can use to create interactive images or you can also create them yourself. The purpose will determine which route you will take. Two popular forms of interactive images being used by businesses are 360 photographs and hotspot images.

Interactive Images

360 Degree Photograph

A 360-degree photograph is a controllable panoramic image shot from many angles, creating a full spherical view with an added interactive component. To get a 360 photograph, it takes a special 360-degree camera. However, there are special software and apps that have been created that stitch individual pictures together to create a 360 photo. Take time and explore some of these special software and apps.

Businesses today, such as real estate companies, use 360 photographs to give online tours of their properties. Companies also use 360 photographs to give customers an inside look at their business or give a customer the experience of being there in the moment. Many businesses make these images interactive so the viewer can scroll around the scene by clicking and grabbing it with a mouse.

360 Degree Photo

 

Hotspots

A hotspot is the action point placed on a specific area of content or image that opens up elements with the click of a button. You can click or hover over a spot on an image and it will lead to the content or action of your choice. Clickable hotspots can do the following:

  • Open up to a video.
  • Open a link to another website or article.
  • Provide more text about the subject matter.
  • Open to another image.
  • Provide audio.

A good hotspot should stand out and the element connected with that hotspot should be relevant to the topic. Take a look at the example image below and the hotspots created.

 IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS