Audio makes the difference. "Other than storytelling -- and let's assume good photography -- the audio, that's what puts one person above everyone else," Breite said. That means well-placed, meaningful natural sound, as well as effective voiceovers. Angelotti said the best voiceovers were those done by the subjects, which enabled them to tell their stories directly. Here's a presentation with great natural sound...

Don't sacrifice ease of use for something that looks cool. Judges said too many multimedia presentations are hard to figure out. Consider the downside of breaking conventions, such as a back button in the upper left corner. And whatever navigation system you choose, keep it consistent. (As Gitner put it, don't keep moving the car door handles.)

The best interfaces preview the content and show users how to navigate through it, Jenkins said. The navigation on "Soul of Athens" was one of the reasons it was named "Best Multimedia Package" -- its design made it easy to find great content...

Don't pack too much in. When the judges reviewed some entries, one would cry out, "Too much!" Don't overload the user. Pick out the best stuff and use it to tell the story. Don't feel compelled to use a lot of material to justify a project. And keep in mind that the user interface can easily become confusing when there is a lot of content.

-- Kelli Polson