How do you assess media quality and impact?

1 Technical Quality

Technical quality refers to how well your media product meets the standards and expectations of your chosen medium, format, and platform. For example, technical quality can include aspects such as resolution, frame rate, sound quality, loading speed, and accessibility. To assess technical quality, you need to use appropriate tools and metrics, such as quality checklists, software testing, analytics, and feedback. You also need to consider the trade-offs between quality and performance, such as file size, bandwidth, and device compatibility.

2 Aesthetic Quality

Aesthetic quality refers to how well your media product communicates your message, engages your audience, and expresses your creativity. For example, aesthetic quality can include aspects such as design, style, tone, narrative, and emotion. To assess aesthetic quality, you need to use your own judgment and vision, as well as the feedback and reactions of your target audience. You also need to consider the context and purpose of your media product, such as the genre, format, and platform.

3 Social Impact

Social impact refers to how well your media product influences or changes the behavior, attitudes, or beliefs of your audience or society. For example, social impact can include aspects such as awareness, education, advocacy, or entertainment. To assess social impact, you need to use both quantitative and qualitative methods, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, reviews, and ratings. You also need to consider the ethical and cultural implications of your media product, such as the representation, diversity, and inclusion of your content and audience.

4 Quality and Impact Framework

One way to organize and synthesize your assessment of media quality and impact is to use a framework that helps you define your goals, indicators, and evidence. A framework can help you align your media product with your intended outcomes and evaluate your progress and results. For example, you can use the Kirkpatrick Model, which has four levels of evaluation: reaction, learning, behavior, and results. Each level corresponds to a different type of impact and requires different types of data and methods.

5 Quality and Impact Cycle

Another way to improve and optimize your assessment of media quality and impact is to use a cycle that helps you plan, implement, monitor, and review your media product. A cycle can help you integrate your assessment into your media production process and make adjustments and improvements based on your findings. For example, you can use the Plan-Do-Check-Act Cycle, which has four stages: plan your media product and assessment, do your media production and testing, check your data and feedback, and act on your findings and recommendations.

6 Quality and Impact Tips

To assess media quality and impact effectively and efficiently, it is important to define your media product's objectives and audience clearly and realistically. Choosing the most relevant and feasible indicators and methods for your assessment is essential. Additionally, collecting and analyzing data and feedback systematically and objectively is key. Furthermore, communicating and reporting your findings and recommendations should be done clearly and convincingly. Finally, it is important to learn from successes and failures, so that you can apply your lessons to future media products.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?