The context and purpose of communication are the primary elements in the multimedia communication model.

Gary Heba

The Context and Purpose

Heba asserts that the forces driving the rhetoric for multimedia communication are in both the context and purpose of the message: something to say and a place in which to say it (131).

The context is the occasion of use. Where is the information being used? Is the product for work, research, training, education, leisure, or a combination of uses? If the group uses the product, will networking need to be integrated with the interface?

The purpose is the use of the product. Why is the information being used? Is the product a reference or training application? Is it a game or enabling tool? How will the use of the product influence the way it is designed, accessed, and evaluated. For example, a training program will need to be more structured and less open-ended than a reference application or a game.

Not all products are alike, so keeping the context and purpose in mind before it is designed avoids unnecessary error and reduces costs.