Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Mobile App with user tests
Working on a project which will result in a mobile app. The design process will involve a user test - i think 3 participants will be good number to test the design. Making productions work on different browsers and computers is a workload when working with the web. Creating design for mobiles is 300 times harder. Getting an application to work on Sony Ericssons, Nokias, iPhones, Samsungs, HTC's etc. is a real puzzle. It's a challenge and I really believe it will be smoother in years to come.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Design studio of CSR Game part 2
studio idea worked well, with several in the group sketching on the design concept. Having people not only brainstorm ideas but rather develop individual ideas we were able to find the best parts from everyone and combine them in to one concept and start developing further.
The wireframes was a good way to present ideas to our client. I pointed out that these were just sketches and not finished design. Think it's important to clarify that, so it doesnt become confusing. I noticed that our client likes that the design process is open so she can get include all her ideas.
For next phase wireframes and storyboard will be created in two phases and used more in an 'orthodox' sense. The wireframes will be built on to what has been created in the storyboards.
The wireframes was a good way to present ideas to our client. I pointed out that these were just sketches and not finished design. Think it's important to clarify that, so it doesnt become confusing. I noticed that our client likes that the design process is open so she can get include all her ideas.
For next phase wireframes and storyboard will be created in two phases and used more in an 'orthodox' sense. The wireframes will be built on to what has been created in the storyboards.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Design studio of CSR Game
We are in the initial process of design studio i.e. an agile working method that starts with a design studio where designs are presented internally and getting feedback in the spur of the moment. From there on designs are developed based on the best part on the design studio.
Started with almost designing the interface, however changed it to wireframe sketches to keep the design open. I came up with wireframes, with some in a storyboard manner and some in shape of mock-ups. It sounds confusing.. and it is : ) Traditional readers might think the mentioned design techniques should be kept apart!? We'll see tomorrow on the design studio day what the internal group thinks about the technique and the design.
To be continued...
Started with almost designing the interface, however changed it to wireframe sketches to keep the design open. I came up with wireframes, with some in a storyboard manner and some in shape of mock-ups. It sounds confusing.. and it is : ) Traditional readers might think the mentioned design techniques should be kept apart!? We'll see tomorrow on the design studio day what the internal group thinks about the technique and the design.
To be continued...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Internet-based activism - The Green Party
For the election to the Europe parlament 2009 the Swedish Green Party (Miljöpartiet) pointed out the importance of integrity on the web for all citizens. They had their leader Maria Wetterstrand - in a commercial on Spotify (the spot, though in Swedish) - talking about their stand against surveillance society as well as advocating on file sharing in non-commercial purpose.
Through this use of Spotify, blogging a lot and twittring on Twitter The Green Party succeeded and doubled their result. Together with their friends in the European Free Alliance they received 53 mandate, which was ten more than the former mandate period.
Through this use of Spotify, blogging a lot and twittring on Twitter The Green Party succeeded and doubled their result. Together with their friends in the European Free Alliance they received 53 mandate, which was ten more than the former mandate period.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
New Cultural Media
The Language of New Media
Lev Manovich (2001)
Prolouge, Introduction, Chapter 2 and 3
Manovich refers new media to computer media which consists of web sites, virtual worlds, multimedia, computer games, interactive installations, cinema and human-computer interfaces. The book examines in which ways the new media relies on older cultural forms and languages, and in what ways it also breaks with them. It's interesting when Manovich is examining media of our present time through the lens of a movie enthusiast of the old school. He surely understands the birth and development of cinema and its impact on the culture. The author also takes on other perspectives to create bridges between old and new media.
Man with a Movie Camera
The avant-garde film Man with a Movie Camera (clip 1 of 9 on youtube) made by the Russian Vertov in 1929 is mentioned throughout the book. The film had no well-definied language of that time with neither story or dialog. It is instead filled with an endless use of techniques. Normal footage morphs into manipulated footage, new techniques appear one after another creating 'effects'. A new language is born in cinema. We start to realize all possibilities that exist with the movie camera. The film is an eye-opener in all types of media, letting us understand the possibilities offered by e.g. web sites, multimedia, interactive productions as long as we are willing to try out new ways in the medium.
Cultural interfaces
In 'Interface culture' Stephen Johnson claims that all culture, past and present, is filtered through the interface when the web browser made such an impact with the growth of internet in the 1990s. Manovich elaborates on the interface as a crucial part in the culture by using the term 'cultural interface' to describe human-computer-culture interface. Manovich means that as all forms of culture becomes computer-based - texts, photographs, films, music, virtual environments - and we are now interfacing to a culture encoded in digital form. He also discusses how interface plays a crucial role in todays information society as work and leisure not only involve a lot of computer use, but they also converge in the same interfaces. Erasing the border between professional and amateur, creator and user has propelled a lot of users to become culture producers. The interface isn't the only cause for this development. Software programs like web browsers, search engines, word processors, media editing applications are used by both producers and users which erases the border between work and play. The difference in functionality and cost between professional and amatuer programs are not huge as it was with old media. Marcus also discusses this and mentions the open source software being made available for free. To put this all in perspective - film equipment in old media did cost a fortune in comparison to what is needed today to create new media.
Compositing versus montage
Compositing is mentioned as one type of operation used frequently in creation of new media. Digital compositing is the process of combining movie image sequence and stills using many layers into a single sequence. Operation is used in a lot in movies like Star Wars 1, Spiderman etc with the use of blue-screen.
Seeds of this type of operation can be found in movies made by Jean-Luc Godard when moving from one image to another by slowly and gradually switching between the two. Images flickering back and forth until continuing the story. Godard also mixed two, three images that gradually fade in and out, but never disappear completly. Compositing is often described as the opposite to the montage operation. Whereas the goal of compositing is to create a seamless, virtual space and perceive it as a whole even though it consists of hundreds or even thousand of layers, the aim of montage is to create visual, stylistic, semantic and emotional discernment between different elements. Although digital compositing often is used in the described way it does not always has to be the goal. Borders between different worlds dont have to be erased. The effect can be very significant when not merging everything together smoothly. In a new movie "Public enemies" by Michael Mann the scenery takes place in the 1920s. Mann sometimes uses compositing withouth making it seamless and thereby giving it a older feeling. Ontological montage is another example of not putting all elements in a seamless whole. It advocates the coexistence of incompatible elements within the same time and space. This creates a variety of perspectives in a scene, which lets the user interact with their chosen perspective without clashing with the other perspectives.
Continuation or not
Further discussing the operations montage and compositing, though in another perspective - how the different operations creates different flows. Much of new media has a flow of continuation. Looking at computer games with their smooth composites, morphing, uninterupted navigation creates an aesthetics of continuity. First-person shooters e.g. Quake, Doom move from beginning to end through a 3-D space. Virtual media has the same type of flow without cuts. Old media relied on montage with instant changes in time and space both in litterature and cinema. The flow is totally different with cuts in time and space creating a narrative that lets the user get into story more hands on. Deciding which one is the best is irrelevant since they both serves their different purpose. The specific context is what should decide which type to choose. Creating a feeling of being in the present time as well as getting a realistic feeling - the flow of continuation could be a better choice. When focusing on the story or wanting to give the user/spectator many perspectives through different scenes - the flow of the old media is problably a better choice. Even though we're getting the narrative of continuation more and more with the development of virtual spaces, the narrative of old media will always be an essential way of presenting media.
New media relying on old media
Even though Manovich sometimes is criticizing the new media and putting old media on a pedestal, his interest of the new is always fresh, and often relates new media to great art and technology of the past. Per-Henric discusses in his blog how we can be able to make the users actually take action in interaction design and not only making her understand and feel the possible actions. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in Manovichs explanations on how new media relies on older cultural forms, techniques, methods, logic. It gets one to understand the importance of building new interaction media design with the old media in mind to be able to connect with its users.
Lev Manovich (2001)
Prolouge, Introduction, Chapter 2 and 3
Manovich refers new media to computer media which consists of web sites, virtual worlds, multimedia, computer games, interactive installations, cinema and human-computer interfaces. The book examines in which ways the new media relies on older cultural forms and languages, and in what ways it also breaks with them. It's interesting when Manovich is examining media of our present time through the lens of a movie enthusiast of the old school. He surely understands the birth and development of cinema and its impact on the culture. The author also takes on other perspectives to create bridges between old and new media.
Man with a Movie Camera
The avant-garde film Man with a Movie Camera (clip 1 of 9 on youtube) made by the Russian Vertov in 1929 is mentioned throughout the book. The film had no well-definied language of that time with neither story or dialog. It is instead filled with an endless use of techniques. Normal footage morphs into manipulated footage, new techniques appear one after another creating 'effects'. A new language is born in cinema. We start to realize all possibilities that exist with the movie camera. The film is an eye-opener in all types of media, letting us understand the possibilities offered by e.g. web sites, multimedia, interactive productions as long as we are willing to try out new ways in the medium.
Cultural interfaces
In 'Interface culture' Stephen Johnson claims that all culture, past and present, is filtered through the interface when the web browser made such an impact with the growth of internet in the 1990s. Manovich elaborates on the interface as a crucial part in the culture by using the term 'cultural interface' to describe human-computer-culture interface. Manovich means that as all forms of culture becomes computer-based - texts, photographs, films, music, virtual environments - and we are now interfacing to a culture encoded in digital form. He also discusses how interface plays a crucial role in todays information society as work and leisure not only involve a lot of computer use, but they also converge in the same interfaces. Erasing the border between professional and amateur, creator and user has propelled a lot of users to become culture producers. The interface isn't the only cause for this development. Software programs like web browsers, search engines, word processors, media editing applications are used by both producers and users which erases the border between work and play. The difference in functionality and cost between professional and amatuer programs are not huge as it was with old media. Marcus also discusses this and mentions the open source software being made available for free. To put this all in perspective - film equipment in old media did cost a fortune in comparison to what is needed today to create new media.
Compositing versus montage
Compositing is mentioned as one type of operation used frequently in creation of new media. Digital compositing is the process of combining movie image sequence and stills using many layers into a single sequence. Operation is used in a lot in movies like Star Wars 1, Spiderman etc with the use of blue-screen.
Seeds of this type of operation can be found in movies made by Jean-Luc Godard when moving from one image to another by slowly and gradually switching between the two. Images flickering back and forth until continuing the story. Godard also mixed two, three images that gradually fade in and out, but never disappear completly. Compositing is often described as the opposite to the montage operation. Whereas the goal of compositing is to create a seamless, virtual space and perceive it as a whole even though it consists of hundreds or even thousand of layers, the aim of montage is to create visual, stylistic, semantic and emotional discernment between different elements. Although digital compositing often is used in the described way it does not always has to be the goal. Borders between different worlds dont have to be erased. The effect can be very significant when not merging everything together smoothly. In a new movie "Public enemies" by Michael Mann the scenery takes place in the 1920s. Mann sometimes uses compositing withouth making it seamless and thereby giving it a older feeling. Ontological montage is another example of not putting all elements in a seamless whole. It advocates the coexistence of incompatible elements within the same time and space. This creates a variety of perspectives in a scene, which lets the user interact with their chosen perspective without clashing with the other perspectives.
Continuation or not
Further discussing the operations montage and compositing, though in another perspective - how the different operations creates different flows. Much of new media has a flow of continuation. Looking at computer games with their smooth composites, morphing, uninterupted navigation creates an aesthetics of continuity. First-person shooters e.g. Quake, Doom move from beginning to end through a 3-D space. Virtual media has the same type of flow without cuts. Old media relied on montage with instant changes in time and space both in litterature and cinema. The flow is totally different with cuts in time and space creating a narrative that lets the user get into story more hands on. Deciding which one is the best is irrelevant since they both serves their different purpose. The specific context is what should decide which type to choose. Creating a feeling of being in the present time as well as getting a realistic feeling - the flow of continuation could be a better choice. When focusing on the story or wanting to give the user/spectator many perspectives through different scenes - the flow of the old media is problably a better choice. Even though we're getting the narrative of continuation more and more with the development of virtual spaces, the narrative of old media will always be an essential way of presenting media.
New media relying on old media
Even though Manovich sometimes is criticizing the new media and putting old media on a pedestal, his interest of the new is always fresh, and often relates new media to great art and technology of the past. Per-Henric discusses in his blog how we can be able to make the users actually take action in interaction design and not only making her understand and feel the possible actions. Maybe the answer lies somewhere in Manovichs explanations on how new media relies on older cultural forms, techniques, methods, logic. It gets one to understand the importance of building new interaction media design with the old media in mind to be able to connect with its users.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Computers everywhere!
Designing for interaction
Dan Saffer (2007)
Chapter 1, 3 and 9
The author emphasize that the first computers were engineered, not designed. Humans had to adapt in using them not vice versa. 1960's saw a focus change from computers to software, during the same period as ergonomics and cognitive psychology pushed forward and covered new usable findings. More consideration to the user was taken and has evolved more and more up to our time. The author predicts, as many of us, significant changes over next two, three decades in interaction design. Interaction designers will take big part in how digital devices are developed.
The author predicts that 'ubiquitos computing' (or ubicomp) will take place in the future. As microprocessors and sensors become cheaper and more powerful, computers will be embedded in all the products we buy. These ubicomp systems will be everywhere we go e.g. from the mirror in the morning to to the bus seat going to work to meeting room in office that sense the prescence of each person in the room and adjust accordingly. The author predicts that these ubicomp systems will interact with each other and know what the person needs and wants in different situations. For example the room would know your mood and play music accordingly. This future isn't at all impossible. With regard to how mankind has developed their surroundings making it more comfortable through this century this future is very possible. The question is merely about how these systems will be designed. What the author is forgetting, when predicting how these systems will be designed, is two folded - firstly peoples need for integrity. All people don't want their whole life displayed in various surroundings. Getting on the bus and receiving offers with regard to personal data can be a real intrusion on the private life. Secondly the humans mind is unpredictable, and we know mood changes, taste changes as well as peoples goals differ from one time to the other. With a unicomb system that lets the 'computers' interact with each other without the peoples input would not take the peoples true need into account and often be somewhat close to the needs but yet so far away. It's important for people to be able to interact consciously with digital devices in order to not becoming slaves to preconceived thoughts held by the ubiquitos computers about each person.
Dan Saffer (2007)
Chapter 1, 3 and 9
The author emphasize that the first computers were engineered, not designed. Humans had to adapt in using them not vice versa. 1960's saw a focus change from computers to software, during the same period as ergonomics and cognitive psychology pushed forward and covered new usable findings. More consideration to the user was taken and has evolved more and more up to our time. The author predicts, as many of us, significant changes over next two, three decades in interaction design. Interaction designers will take big part in how digital devices are developed.
The author predicts that 'ubiquitos computing' (or ubicomp) will take place in the future. As microprocessors and sensors become cheaper and more powerful, computers will be embedded in all the products we buy. These ubicomp systems will be everywhere we go e.g. from the mirror in the morning to to the bus seat going to work to meeting room in office that sense the prescence of each person in the room and adjust accordingly. The author predicts that these ubicomp systems will interact with each other and know what the person needs and wants in different situations. For example the room would know your mood and play music accordingly. This future isn't at all impossible. With regard to how mankind has developed their surroundings making it more comfortable through this century this future is very possible. The question is merely about how these systems will be designed. What the author is forgetting, when predicting how these systems will be designed, is two folded - firstly peoples need for integrity. All people don't want their whole life displayed in various surroundings. Getting on the bus and receiving offers with regard to personal data can be a real intrusion on the private life. Secondly the humans mind is unpredictable, and we know mood changes, taste changes as well as peoples goals differ from one time to the other. With a unicomb system that lets the 'computers' interact with each other without the peoples input would not take the peoples true need into account and often be somewhat close to the needs but yet so far away. It's important for people to be able to interact consciously with digital devices in order to not becoming slaves to preconceived thoughts held by the ubiquitos computers about each person.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
mediahit.se - an online media planning & buying agency
The main business idea
Media Hit offers free media advice for specific projects to the customers. You just choose your targets groups, type of business, media targets, budget and other parameters. The system will give you a recommended media mix, estimated cost and result within a wink of an eye. We have a certain numbers of profiles that you are matched into. These profiles are getting more intellegent every day, since more data is linked into the system via our analysis, blog, ratings from customers etc. Advices include offers to buy spots at media houses where we work as an aggregator between the media houses and our customers.
Extra features
The web site will also consist of many extra features. One feature is "The media school" where you can find the basic info from all major media and sites. We have a guide of how to measure and set goals. Another feature is a blog where all people intrested in media, and invited specialists, are able to discuss current issues, rate medias, sites, campaigns etc. We also list the our favorite digital campaigns, media choices etc.
Premium offer
Media advise, training and recommendations from our media specialists. We're especially strong within digital media consisting of various interactive solutions and social media. The customer receives a tender with estimated hours and resources depending on the customers specific situation and goals.
Target group
Mainly small and medium sized companies and organisations with an ambition to develop in digital media.
Revenues
- We aggregate all the small media buyers into larger posts and thereby get a 10% discount from the media owners. This discount is distributed between us (5%) and our customer (5%).
- Sponsorship agreements
- Banner revenues.
- Hourly fees for premium offer.
Office
We will work from places that offer free internet like the lobbey in Hotel Anglais, the top floor restaurant in the PUB house and from home.
Marketing
- Social media.
- PR in the big sites and e-newsletters in the advertising community, like Resumé and Dagens Media.
- Annonsörsföreningen.
- Presentations at the local marketing associations, MIS.
Risks
- The automated service have to be smart enough in order to generate enough intresting results.
- The risk taken is the time put into the project and some very small expenses. The programmer will be paid with shares. The media specialist will be hired by the hour, when a customer commits to the premium offer, thus lowering the cost risk.
Design
A sketch on paper has been made for the site.
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