Emergent Principles for Digital Documentary

Digital Documentaries are an area of rapid invention and experimentation at all levels, including creative content, production techniques, and business models.  As with many forms of digital storytelling, a focus on technologies can be distracting; platforms change rapidly, and are dependent on external commercial forces rather than creative potential.  This article presents several design strategies for driving experimentation in digital documentary above and beyond the specific of platform and technology. The core focus is on treating digital docs as experiences, with an expanded range of designable moments, as well as a strategic approach to designing interactions for their unique set of challenges.  The discussion is not intended to fully define digital documentary design factors, but rather, defines a useful subset of methods that can lead emerging practitioners to new innovations in their approach.