Designing and developing multimedia CD‐ROMs: lessons from the Treasures of Islam

A multilingual and multimedia CD‐ROM containing rare Islamic works of art is designed and produced under fiscal constraints. The disparate rare materials are organised and presented through an intuitive interface based on a book metaphor for a diverse audience. The major portion of the cost (35 percent) was devoted to digitising the images, texts, audio and video segments. Approximately 20 percent of the production team’s time was spent on interface design, while an equal amount of time was spent on analysing and organising the collection of materials for inclusion in the CD‐ROM. The procedure and associated costs for developing this digital exhibition are discussed.