The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Revisiting the Concept of Interaction in Urban Motion and Printed Posters Based on Richard Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

https://doi.org/10.22034/bagh.2026.562435.5940
Volume 23, Issue 157
July 2026
Pages 59-68
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Maryam Naderi
Zahra Rahbarnia

Department of Research of Art, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Problem statement: With the expansion of interactive graphics in contemporary urban spaces, particularly in Motion Posters and Printed Posters, the concept of “interaction” is linked to the active and multisensory participation of citizens. However, in the dynamic and multilayered urban environment, the interactive capacity and the agentive role of passersby in engaging with urban media have received less attention. Richard E. Mayer’s Multimedia Learning theory can provide an appropriate framework for analyzing citizens’ perceptual experience and enhancing the interactive function of urban posters. Therefore, revisiting the concept of interaction in posters and aligning it with Mayer’s principles is necessary for analyzing the audience’s processes of perception and learning. This study seeks to answer the following questions: How is interaction represented in urban Motion and Printed Posters, and what role do the principles of Multimedia Learning play in shaping the audience’s interactive experience in the city?
Research objective: The objective of this article is To revisit the concept of interaction and align the principles of Multimedia Learning with urban Interactive Posters and audience experience.
Research Method: This research is fundamental in nature with a qualitative approach, using descriptive, analytical, and comparative methods, and has an applied character. Data were collected from reliable library and online sources and analyzed with a focus on Mayer’s theoretical principles. In this context, two Interactive Posters were analyzed as case studies: the Motion Poster Weltformat Festival and the Printed Poster Arsenic Season Opening, both of which are applicable within urban graphics and represent significant examples of multisensory interaction in urban environments.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that interaction in urban Motion and Printed Posters manifests in both physical and perceptual forms. Applying Mayer’s Multimedia Learning principles, including dual channels, limited capacity, and active processing, enables the purposeful use of citizens’ sensory channels and increases message retention in their working memory. Consequently, the audience transforms from a passive recipient into an engaged, participatory, and meaning-making agent.

Keywords

Interactive Graphics
Motion and Printed Posters
Multimedia Learning
Richard E. Mayer.
Subjects
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