Counter Top Multimedia Content is one of the oldest types of rich media content found in the retail environment, as manufacturers have been putting multimedia displays at cosmetic and jewelry counter tops for almost a decade now.
One of the most popular tools for creating counter top multimedia is Adobe ShockwaveFlash, a tool for rich media development that uses a software program called FlashMX to create interactive product marketing applications. An example of an application created in Director3D using ShockwaveFlash is the Sony Trinitron Technology Tutor (TTT), which was created by Mind Taffy Design in 1999 using only 384KB of code and 3D data, and was deployed by Sony on the web, as well as via a stand-alone application. The UI can be seen here.
The key to effective counter top multimedia is the "attract loop," which compels the user to use the multimedia, at which time a User Interface appears and helps the viewer navigate the promotional or educational content. After the user is finished, the multimedia will detect inactivity and "time-ou," and will again begin to run the seamless "attract loop" until the mouse is moved or a keyboard stroke is detected.
Besides the attract loop, the User Interface must also be of compelling design and easy operation; this will entice the end-user to explore the rich media application thoroughly, thus perusing all of it's product data and brand promotions media. Mind Taffy Design has created custom, brand-specific attract loop multimedia, webpages and UIs for the past seventeen years for some of the largest international manufacturers, including Sony, Samsung, Nokia, Tyco, IBM and Dell.