Monthly Archives: February 2014

Graphic Design Student placement with DRD

GRAPHIC DESIGN UNIT – 51 WEEK SANDWICH COURSE STUDENT

REF:                            IRC190121

SALARY:                    £16,300 per annum

DEPARTMENT:         DEPARTMENT FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 LOCATION:               ORCHARD HOUSE, 40 Foyle Street, Londonderry, BT48 6AT

 For more detailed information and to apply, please go to www.nicsrecruitment.gov.uk

Alternatively, an application pack can be requested by contacting:

HRConnect, PO Box 1089, The Metro Building, 6-9 Donegall Square South, Belfast, BT1 9EW. Telephone: 0800 1 300 330. Email: recruitment@hrconnect.nigov.net

All requests must include your name, address and reference number IRC190121.

Completed application forms must be returned to arrive not later than 12:00 noon (UK time) on Friday 14th March 2014.

The Northern Ireland Civil Service is an Equal Opportunities Employer

ALL APPLICATIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT ARE CONSIDERED STRICTLY ON THE BASIS OF MERIT

KOFAX Placement Opportunity

Dear all YR 2 students

There is a placement opportunity in KOFAX. It will last for one year and can be taken as part of a Diploma in Industrial Studies.

Please apply to the details below

https://kofax.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&id=23&jobid=216846&company_id=15973&version=1&source=ONLINE&JobOwner=966428&level=levelid1&levelid1=45704&parent=Internships&startflag=2

DES134 Suggested use cases

A good variety of use cases were suggested for the Navihedron

  • Animation methods – stop motion
  • Storage navigation
  • Tattoo artists
  • Food websites – take away menu’s
  • Score system for games
  • Tourist office
  • To do app
  • School – history
  • Business owner – manage finance
  • Twitter trends
  • Games series navigator
  • Video game website
  • Allergy advice
  • Movie data for actors
  • Menu for restaurants
  • Styles of digital art
  • Communication system
  • Museum
  • CV
  • Sales tools for cars

DES134 Assignment schedule

Assignments list

  1. Navihedron                              10
  2. Use case scenario                  10
  3. Interaction storyboards        20
  4. VIIM – A                                    30
  5. Project proposal                     15
  6. Reading presentations           10
  7. Attend                                        5

Navihedron

–       zip file with models/3d max file

–       word doc describing progress

–       URL

Use case scenario’s (x3)

–       PDF

Describes the envisaged use case scenario (x3). Who uses the Navihedron site and why? What benefits do they get by using the site?

MIIV-A

Document (illustrated pdf) describing

Visual – what does the final piece look like? (pdf with high finish visuals x 2)

Interface – What do you touch? A list of all the buttons, sliders and interface elements with a short functionality explaination beside each item. Upload, edit, save, move, copy, add text to navi, choose colour. (PDF).
How do the user group complete those tasks (power point paper prototype)

Interaction – What do you do when you use or read the navihedron? What are the main functions of the site – what tasks are achieved. This could build upon the Interface spread. A short explanation beside each function: Create element, add element, edit, browse, search?

Motivation – What is the the use case for your Navihedron. Explain the benefits for the person who makes the Navihedron and the people who read the content. why would the user group (from your scenario) use the Navihedron?

Project Proposal

  • Description of steps required to finish the project and launch.
  • What team would be required to complete the project?
  • How would first 100 customers be acquired?
  • How much do you think it would cost to build?
  • How might the project be monetized?
  • tbd

 Reading

Jenny Preece, (Sylvian Ng, M. Campbell)

Don Norman, (K Singer, L McClay)

Gitta Salomon, (N McClenghan, P McCaliion)

Terry Winograd, (A Corbett, M Henry)

Brenda Laurel, (J Clarke, E Murray)

Edward Tufte, (N Moore, E Quinn)

Jon Kolko, (M Thorpe, M Hull)

Accurat, (Jasper J, H McClean)

Davis Neable, (C Devlin, J Greer)

Jesse Schell, (A McShane, G McGrinder)

Skeumorphism. (S Emerson, H Mallon)

Internet of Things (unassigned as yet)

Google Robotics (unassigned as yet)

2013 DES310 project briefs: “The Future of Security”

HOMES/POCKETS/BAGS/KEYS/COMPUTERS

The student authored project briefs (outcomes of DES310 module) could be summarised as follows:

Homes: I constantly worry about my personal belongings in my bedroom and house and therefore find it necessary to lock the door every time I enter and exit.  When out and about I still think to myself “have I locked up?”  Sometimes I would ring someone at home asking if my door was locked just in case I forgot. Maybe it’s an app for your mobile that analyses the house and tells you what is opened?  Maybe the door itself has a handle that changes colour depending on if it is locked or not.  Maybe there’s is a light above the keyhole that is on when the door is locked?  Maybe a card that gives you access to your bedroom with an automatic locking system.

As well as the potential for loss it is the sense of doubt is what irritates. This is the problem of not knowing if doors, windows, cars etc., are locked. People need to continually double back to check. A device or system that would eliminate the need for users to continually check whether or not everything is locked would at once provide a greater sense of security and reduce time on unnecessary activities.

Other possibilities regarding the putting tags on items you need when you leave the house, like keys and phones and wallet or bag. You could set up a home-zone, alarm when leaving the home-zone without registered tags/items.  *Beep-tags: When missing an item, press a button to make the tag beep and simplify the search. *GPS-tags: If you cant hear the tags, take a look at their current GPS-coordinates. [Ryan Davidson, Emma McKnight, Felicity Smyth, Alexander Mersdorf]

[Lauren Smyth] highlighted a different problem. She points to the tripping hazard caused by electrical cables. Lauren suggests a system of retractable cables spring loaded from the place where plug sockets normally are. Instead of plugging the lead into the plug socket on the wall you extend the lead from the wall and plug it into the device. Trip hazards are a particular concern when older people are living alone.

Pockets: When on the move I am constantly putting things in and out of my pocket.  To ensure that they are safe I zip the pockets but what happens when I forget to zip up?  The loss of my personal belongings would be a terrible thing.  (Mobile phone, wallet, money, etc.)  Surely there is some way I can be reminded to zip up and protect my personal belongings.  If I fall when out and about things could fall and break. Already there is hoodies with earphones built in and some that light up with your movement. Could technology be included in the design of our pockets so we don’t lose anything? Can we make zipping pockets more secure?  Maybe there’s a way to combine technology with clothing.  Perhaps a product that reminds people to zip up their pockets.  Maybe after a period of time an alarm goes off or a little buzzer to remind you to zip the pockets up?  Maybe the zip locks itself at the push of a button?  [Ryan Davidson]

Bags: I tend to leave my bag open whilst paying at the tills or taking things out of my bag such as keys etc. which is a very high number of times a day.  I noticed that if I were to pay for something at the till I would normally quite quickly take out my purse in a hurry and a scuffle and never remember to close my bag so my bag. This leads to a habit of constantly checking her handbag for her purse, her mobile or just forgotten to close the bag. The fear of the consequences is strong: What happens if I were to lose a very important item?  My purse? What if I were to get robbed? What if I were to lose my keys to my apartment? What if I were to lose my USB pen with all of my work? In a matter of seconds this incident could occur without me even noticing. Huge sense of risk contrasts against such an easy to make mistake.

Could there be a noise detector, which triggers if my bag is open for a certain amount of time? Could there be a time limit on how long my bag can be open for? Could there be an automatic closing flap or zip? Could we have a voice app if we say close bag it could close it for us?  Maybe there is some way to combine technology with a fashion product make it have a quirky design but safer overall?

Smart bags – what is in the bag, what out? Is the bag open, where is it? A device that will help provide protection and/or tell you where your belongings are e.g. an app, a piece of equipment or even a material object such as handbags etc. The object is to create a situation so that the person knows they have got everything without the hassle of double-checking.

The problem is increased in importance due to the presence of an expensive smartphone, holding most of their contacts, business as well as private. Important digital and identity information is also held in a wallet, holding IDs, credit cards and cash. A robbery twenty years ago was bad enough but now, because we carry so much information, it could be much more serious than the loss of cash money. A “Pack Check” device could combine with a wristband. It would be simple to attach one a small tag to your valuables and register its ID with the smartphone app (or wristband). The next time you want to check if you have everything on you, you just need to check your phone or wristband. Using Bluetooth (or similar services) the phone or wristband will check a surrounding of 1,5m of its position for all registered tags.

Constant checking of phones has become an interesting habit. Phones ring or buzz when a text arrives but still people check them.  Could this habit become part of a solution that would give a status update for all possessions? [Amy Milligan, Shauneen Mallon, Kirsten Querna, Alexander Merdoff, Natasha Nortje]

Keys:  To find a solution for the everyday loss of personal belongings such as
your keys, this can also be extended to a wallet, handbag or any other commonly misplaced items. I used keys multiple times in 24 hours for common tasks such as locking up the house, front and rear doors, opening and locking car door and also opening and locking work premises. I also noticed when I was doing this that I would sit the keys in places
which I hoped would be easy to remember such as in a zipped part of a handbag, kitchen counter or living room table. [Laura McFadden]

IT/Computers: Colm has a security problem with his email account. Every time he log’s on, he does his normal task of checking his emails, replying and composing a new email. Once he has read an email, he does not delete it but lets them gather up in the hundreds within his inbox. He is easily distracted and can walk away and forget he is still logged on to his account from the computer.

There is also the risk of loss of the computing device. Risk in this scenario is high because there is a very potential for serious loss of data and loss of high value device. If the computer gets stolen or breaks due to a fall or a virus this will cause a big problem. Solutions to reduce this risk are sought. Affordability and ease of use is key. [Aine McKinney, Colm Whyte]

Overview:

The problems and opportunities above could find solutions in the development of two major current ideas: The Internet of Things, Wearables. At the recent CES trade show in Vegas huge attention was given to these two areas from smart socks to connected toothbrushes:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/ces/10552160/Smart-socks-and-the-connected-toothbrush-CES-2014s-wearable-computers-unveiled.html

The idea of the smart handbag has been tried but so far no real success or traction: http://www.gizmag.com/pervasive-computing-produces-smart-handbag/3465/

Also see Calm technology and AOMO for example this promotional video from Hyundai

Interaction Design Techniques – DES134

Approach

In this module the idea of Interaction Design is introduced. There are a number of possible approaches to this. The approach that we will pursue is one where we dive straight into the problem of building something. By building something and developing skills we will develop the tools and skills to think about Interaction Design. The idea behind this is that you need a certain amount of skill and technical ability to be meaningfully able to design and work in Interaction Design. Once some building skills are gained then we will start looking at broader design problems.

So back to 1965 via 2000

Icosahedron

In 1998 Roy Stringer promoted the idea that an icosahedron (12 vertices’s, 20 edges, 30 surfaces) could be effectively used as a navigation system to present non linear content. Each point of the icosahedron which Stringer called a Navihedron would be a subject heading. Each point can be clicked. Two things happen when a point is clicked; 1. The Navihedron animates bringing the clicked point to the frontal position, 2. content relevant to the clicked point subject heading appears in a frame or content area located adjacent to the Navihedron.

Its a very pleasing effect. The animation is engaging. The viewer can revolve the Navihedron exploring the 12 points. They can click on the point heading they are interested in. That point is the start to their story. Each point has five geometrically related points that offer the next step in the story. The viewer can create their own path through the story. It allows users to browse and gather in a natural way and yet remain within a cohesive story. In comparison linear presentations seem rather boring. The key to it may be that the reader can select their own entry point rather than the start of a linear story. Once they have selected their start they can control their own story rather than being directed through numbered pages.

When Stringer first presented the Navihedron he used Shockwave. By signing on to the site user could build their own Navihedron and edit the headings. The finished Navihedron could be exported and then used in a stand alone website.

Stringer was inspired by Ted Nelson who in 1965 first used the term “hypertext” to describe “nonsequential text, in which a reader was not constrained to read in any particular order, but could follow links and delve into the original document from a short quotation”. Nelson says that HTML is what they were trying to prevent in project XANADU. “HTML has “ever-breaking links, links going outward only, quotes you can’t follow to their origins, no version management, no rights management”.

Great ZANADU one liners: http://xanadu.com.au/ted/TN/WRITINGS/TCOMPARADIGM/tedCompOneLiners.html

Ted Nelson talking about ZANADU and Transclusion

Roy Stringer died very young in 2000. Although his work had huge impact, somehow, Stringers Navihedron Site has disappeared from the web, actually it has fallen victim to what Nelson quips as a world of “ever-breaking links”. In fact I could not find any working Navihedron. Perhaps there is something in Stringers Navihedron work that has been superseded by the all pervading paradigm of web based navigation. Menu at the top, sub menu down the side or dropping down. Top nav bar, side nav bar, drop down, floating palette has become dominant. Stringer was one of the co-founders of AMAZE. In Amaze today it is hard to find any particular reference back to any alternative navigation method other than the dominant.

websitedesign

Perhaps the finished website could look a bit like this.

Project Brief

Rebuild Stringer’s Navihedron site. That is to say build a website that allows user to edit their own Navihedra and accompany content. To do this:

1. Build Isocohedron

Build an Isocohedron in a 3D software package. Export it so that it can be manipulated in 3D on a web page. Autodesk might be able to do it: http://3d.si.edu/browser. Swift3D might also: Shockwave almost certainly does: I guess step one is to build a cube and try to export it so you can view it in a web browser

2. Labels and Animation

We will need a method to annotate each of the vertices’s with a label. Each label should be linkable to a content area. Ideally the isocohedra should be drawn and animated so that the foremost pentagon is emphasised. The vertices points behind the foremost pentagon should be faded and or smaller.

3. Edit-ability

Each Navihedron needs to be editable according to an account or folder. How can each Navihedron be made editable?

4. Content space
When the editable animated Navihedron is made we need to link it to a content display area.