Wednesday 15 December 2010

Usability test.

I gave the subject 2 tasks.
Find the picture gallery in 2 different ways.
Here's the results.

Very graphical front page, basic, simple layout not too much interactivity.
Like the text boxes on the analysis webpage.
Wonders why the animation in google map (north pole) is not starting by the zoo in copenhagen but by a random point of the map.
Also wonders why there's the google map not real life picture.

After 1.27 minutes the subject found the gallery the first way. Link from the text boxes.
Few seconds after the subject found also the second way from the drop down menu.
The drop down menu was said to be very nice and give a nice clean look to the website.

The overall comment was that the site was simple and very graphical.
Few text and many pictures. Very easy to find the links and connections at the moment since the site is small.

Validation site.

Tuesday 14 December 2010

Presentation Pictures



















Target group synopsis.

Target

The zoo being an old establishment, this means that it already have its customers. And these are the customers we have to capitalize on, without causing a negative impact on them but just a positive one.
While we were choosing our target group, we had so many positive thinking behind us. We decided to take on the family as our target group. But taking into great considerations that a family is built of different members being separated by age group, so we went for the children between 6- 12 years. Primary this is the group which enjoys more the adventuring of the likes of the zoos.
By communicating to the group without driving them far from our appeal, we chose to reach them through the media that is internet. Our primary concern in appealing to them mainly was through visual communication. By this we could get our ideas to them most especially through graphics rather than writings (texts). More text into our appealing process would actually just drive them from us as they have no time to read, they understand better visual messages than text.
One thing that we did not forget about in our communication to them was the adults. These are a driving force behind them and they are also decision makers. In our analysis to the family group, which was a random face to face process, almost all the results showed that when it comes to outdoor activities within the family, they too had a common place of searching the useful information needed and this was the internet.
Therefore we decided to balance our design but still in a simple way both to suit best the 2 parties that constitute the family without altering our message. The message was clear and crystal open. Graphics are always folding out with new amazing adventures/seens and a great story to tell. Page to page, our message is strongly and in a simple stunning way is openned. It all drives them to one goal- needing to see our graphical story in reality, and where? The arctic ring in the heart of Copenhagen is finally in the zoo. Copenhagen zoo is the answer.

SYNOPSIS.

Summary

The purpose of this project is to create a website that’s fully functional and demonstrates the knowledge that we have so far acquired throughout our studies on the Multimedia design course.
The hand out task is to develop a section to their current site with an independent design based on a strong concept and integrate it into their present zoo website. In this new section, we have to use the communication tools and methods that are in current usage in relation to New Media Culture. The project should also illustrate that we are capable of working both independently as well as collectively with designing, programming and having creative skills.
The project is divided into several parts; the development of a fully functional website that fulfills our customer and our target groups interests, and the theoretical part which deals with the problem and barriers that might arise during the development of the website.

Introduction

This project deals with developing a new concept which has never been applied in cyber space before, where a mixture of two factors - product and service - are provided by the same company.
Our project’s concept combines children and adults. The website should be easy to navigate by the users and it should illustrate the expertise and proficient technical skills that went into developing it. It should be able to attract and sustain customers as it is intended to be part of our customer’s life.
This website will be dynamic, user friendly and functional. It is intended to be interactive as well as a having a harmonic visual design.

Problem approach

How can we make a website, which can appeal to our target group as well as fulfilling our customer’s needs?
Working questions for the 4 subject areas:
• How can the dynamic part of the website be made? (Interaction)
• How should the communication between users take place? (Communication)
• How can users benefit from the concept of "The Arctic ring"? (Communication)
• How should design elements be used to make an appealing user interface? (Visualization)

Project Management

Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific (and usually) one-time effort, for example, constructing a building or designing a website. Project management includes developing a project plan, which includes defining project goals and objectives, specifying tasks or how goals will be achieved, what resources are needed, and associating budgets and timelines for completion. It also includes implementing the project plan, along with careful controls to stay on the "critical path", that is, to ensure the plan is being managed according to plan.
Here we used different tools(approach) to accomplish our project successfully without stressing ourselves too much. Among the tools used are,

1- 46h model
The first thing we did was to create a group that with people inside that would compensate each other. For example:
- Christian and Julia are good at graphics and web design
- Titus is good at creating messages and communication and target group study
- Valeria is good at coding

After setting up the team we had to read what was the task.
We had to create a website for the zoo with an independent strong design with a layout similar to the one of the zoo. We read carefully through the specifications and made sure we understood it correctly.
After setting up a time table (show screenshot), and making sure we had all the task that were set up for the project.
For this assignment was an already set up sender and product. All we had to choose was a target group and a message.
The first idea generation was actually done pretty fast. It came to us while reading the project assignment. It came out by thinking of polar bears and making some fun. We thought of making an apartment-shaped website with a polar bear sharing apartment with a zoo guardian, since its habitat wasn't ready yet.
This idea, though didn't carry any strong messages, and was to be changed. Didn't fulfill the next part of the 46h model.
So we did 3 brainstorms in which we finally found an idea that could bring together communication, interaction, company and visualization.
We got a message The arctic comes to Copenhagen, and a target group, kids from 6 to 12 years old.
So now we just had to decide the content of the webpages that would carry the message properly. For example the main page is a picture that sends the idea that the arctic wildlife is coming to the city of Copenhagen.
The second page is the study we did of the ice spreading in the city of Copenhagen and the start of wildlife spreading.
The third page is a gallery that shows the immediate changes there's been in the city.
And the last page is some funny tips and tricks on how to survive the Arctic environment.
Then we made a prototype, that went under many modification. And we also did an usability test and this are the results:
We decided to stick to our ideas even though could be worked on more.
But the main key to our project is that the content is growing as well as the modifications to the environment.

2- wbs
Work break structure helped us very much to divide tasks among ourselves. It also helped us to identify the risks involved henceforth reducing them. Among the great risks we encountered were, participants meeting. This could have put us behind schedule but we always jumped in to help were needed.

Target group

Our target groups are families. In families there are different members that make up a family. We have children say from 5- 12 years. These are the most useful group we need to extend our message to. These are active enough, and they get their messages through friends in schools, games, from children comic books and from internet as well.
Another group that constitutes the families is adults. These too are very important in that they are the decisions makers, though they do it hand in hand with children but they take the most important role. Adults can be communicated to through so many different ways. The mostly used are newspapers, billboards and internet (media).

Conclusion

Through the hardworking of all the group participants, we finally broke down the main obstacles in our project. All the areas of concern that is communication, visualization and interaction were equally and professionally worked upon. We used a very simple design with less text in order to help our target group get the message clearly. These are children who actually much text is irrelevant to them.
Visually our choice of colors, design and graphics is so appealing to our target group with first sight message, “the arctic is coming to Copenhagen”. Everything covered in snow and crystal ices cubes convey an understandable and clear message we want to deliver.
On the side of interaction we used HTML and CSS, these are powerful message systems that easily improve member’s interactivity.
Finally we thank all the stake players in this project, participants, supervisors and all those who have contributed positively for the success of our project.

Literature and sources
Bogstrøm Bo: Essentials of visual communication.
Websites
http://www.detroitzoo.org/
http://www.zoo.dk/

Monday 13 December 2010

46h model.

The 46h model Penguins and Polar Bears.

The first thing we did was to create a group that with people inside that would compensate each other.
For example:
Christian and Julia are good at graphics and web design
Titus is good at creating messages, graphics and communication and target group study
Valeria is good at coding

After setting up the team we had to read what was the task.
We had to create a website for the zoo with an independent strong design with a layout similar to the one of the zoo.
We read carefully through the specifications and made sure we understood it correctly.

After setting up a time table (show screenshot), and making sure we had all the task that were set up for the project.
For this assignment was an already set up sender and product.
All we had to choose was a target group and a message.

The first idea generation was actually done pretty fast.
Our first idea came to us while reading the project assignment. It came out by thinking of polar bears and making some fun.
We thought of making an apartment-shaped website with a polar bear sharing apartment with a zoo guardian, since its habitat wasn't ready yet.
This idea, though didn't carry any strong messages, and was to be changed. Didn't fulfill the next part of the 46h model.
So we did 3 brainstorms in which we finally found an idea that could bring together communication, interaction, company and visualization.
We got a message The arctic comes to Copenhagen, and a target group, kids from 5 to 12 years old.

So now we just had to decide the content of the webpages that would carry the message properly.
For example the main page is a picture that sends the idea that the arctic wildlife is coming to the city of Copenhagen.
The second page is the study we did of the ice spreading in the city of Copenhagen and the start of wildlife spreading.
The third page is a gallery that shows the immediate changes there's been in the city.
And the last page is some funny tips and tricks on how to survive the Arctic environment.

Then we made a prototype, that went under many modification.
And we also did an usability test and this are the results:

We decided to stick to our ideas even though could be worked on more.
But the main key to our project is that the content is growing as well as the modifications to the environment.