Websites, multimedia, social media and apps

A website is a set of linked pages stored on a web server and delivered over the internet to a browser. A typical web page can include hypertext links to other pages, text or copy, images such as photos and illustrations, graphics for buttons and layout, and icons. Each asset does a different job: copy gives the written information, images show what something looks like, and buttons, icons and layout graphics help you move around the page and find things quickly.

Multimedia products bring together the same kinds of asset — text, images, graphics, sound and video — but they are installed and run as programs or apps on a device rather than opened in a browser. A multimedia encyclopaedia on a museum's gallery computers might combine narration, a short video of a fossil dig, an animation of a skeleton rebuilding itself and clickable diagrams, all held inside one program, so it still works when the connection drops.

Assets shared by websites and multimedia products include photographs, video, sound and audio, music, podcasts and radio clips, plus graphics for buttons, menus and layout.

Social media platforms

A social media platform lets users post their own user-generated content — photos, text and videos — and message other users directly. Users pay nothing, so the platform is usually funded by advertising. This shapes what you see: platforms often rely heavily on photos and graphics because a strong image can catch your attention as you scroll.

Apps

Apps are programs you install on a smartphone, tablet or smart TV. They cover many jobs, including games, shopping, navigation, work or office, email and social media apps. An app holds the same mix of text, images, graphics, sound and video as a website, but once installed it runs straight from the device with no browser needed.