Alchemy

"Applied digital alchemy for interactive experiences ..." reads the tag under peterjohnson.net. Why the choice of the word, "alchemy?"

A standard definition of "alchemy" is any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little worth, into something of great value.

Alchemy, as the term is used here, refers to taking raw, base materials such as computer hardware, software components and media assets and combining, processing and manipulating them to create a compelling experiential product. Combining visual art, sound and technology is something more than a simple nuts-and-bolts task; innovative interactive media is modern-day wizardry, manifesting Arthur C. Clarke's dictum, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

"Alchemy means: to carry to its end something that has not yet been completed" - Paracelsus, 1540

Historical alchemists were innovators, explorers, and inventors. As should be today's creators of interactive media solutions. "New media" should, by definition, be "new" - not a rehashed version of whatever is currently trending on the Web. Indeed, "innovation" is a key element of the story that many clients are trying to communicate, and the medium should be the message.

The word "alchemy" also evokes an era where creators were not specialists: the engineer who is also an artist, the scientist who is also a storyteller. The "Renaissance man" moved freely between media and disciplines. Creators of interactive media experiences - or, at the very least, the creative lead of the team - must be able to do the same.