Flash Project: Toronto Skyline

The Toronto skyline icon was something I created using Illustrator for a project in my Graphic Communications class this semester. Because I had spent so much time on it and was really happy with it, I didn't feel like I got enough use out of it so I thought I'd use it for this project as well. My concept for the rollover was Toronto "dying" at the end of the day with the sun setting and then "coming to life" at night.

To create my images, I used Photoshop - mainly gradients for the skies, fills for the negative spaces, crops of real photos for the lake and lens flare rendering effects for the glare of the sun and shine of the moon. I would rate my comfort level with Photoshop as 3 out of 5, and 1 out of 5 for Flash as it was my first time using the program.

Congrats again!

Hi there, great news, our class was awarded a trophy from Jesse Jackson's class.

Jesse says:
Our class would like to congratulate the Canvas Cake group for making it to the top 3 of our favourite experiences presented at Activate: Experiments in Experience Design. Your experience was without a doubt very interactive, fun and delicious! Our class would like to give you this prize which symbolizes the power of teamwork because it is strong teamwork that lead your class to create one of the most compelling experiences at Activate.

Well done!

Flash Britney

I would have liked to spend much, much more time on the Photoshop, i've used it before in high school, but i don't have the program at home to practice with so i'm not very experienced. I choose these images really quickly because i got into class late and needed to spend time on learning how to use Flash! (which i've never used before). So, unfortunately the quality/subject matter is not the greatest, but under the circumstances i think it will do. In doing this quickly, i decided to do something funny, who doesn't enjoy laughing and cringing at Britney Spears? The effect is supposed to be both humorous and startling. I replaced the backgrounds, cut out the figures and put makeup on her face in the second image. I wanted the first to look beautiful and the second to be really frightening, i would have done much more to their faces, perfect/dripping makeup, twinkle in the eyes/eyes turn red, and found much more effective backgrounds. 

Manet

Cake Slicer 2: The Revelation

well, listen up, Joe, It's annoying staring at a cake all day and not even getting to eat any in the end. I've decided to call in the best of the best to take care of the kind of business that no one nowadays has the guts to do. Why? well, who wants to ruin a perfectly good cake anyways? But its about time things return to their natural balance and so things must be sliced just in time.

My idea was to have a picture of a cake and have it sliced in half by someone once the mouse cursor rolls over it, but I didn't have enough time to add any actionscript. Its not that I have any trouble with actionscript, hell I even made a whole game with it once, but I am a little rusty having not used flash in more than 3 years. It was also hard for me to remember the basics of timelines and keyframes and that I'm supposed to add a motion tween to get things to move right.

I originally wanted a fancy looking flash when the cake gets sliced, but I couldnt figure that out in time either. I probably would have had both the cake and the stage dim slightly, and then would have used the line tool to draw a line animation diagonally across the stage to represent 'slicing'. And after it was done, the whole image would get really bright, really fast, and before you know it the two slices of cake would move apart. but unfortunately that couldnt be done so now all we have is two slices of cake just being randomly pulled apart.

I manipulated the two images, by making the ninja character a little shorter to make him just a little sillier looking, and I cut the cake from another photo which originally had a very busy background. I also changed the colours of the cake slightly so it would appear flatter and a little more clip arty.

BRING E! (Budget)

Team leaders, bring your envelopes with your left over money and receipts.

Can I not stress this enough? I already wrote this on the blog last week and it went ignored....so I'd quite appreciate if you could get your stuff together and give it to me so I can finish my job.

Bring it...I'm serious.

Congratulations!

Just wanted to say how proud I am of our class project and all of your hard work!

I received several emails from Experience Design faculty, Sara Diamond our President, Doreen Balabanoff our Assistant Dean, people at the Media Arts Department, Jim Ruxton, Integrated Media Instructor and many more with great feedback about our event.

They said things like the enthusiasm from you was infectious, that we "raised the roof", and that the designs would be on our minds for the days to come.

Thanks for making our wonderful project come alive! I look forward to talking about it next class!

Teresa

Dossiers & Scenarios to hand in next week

Hi class, first of all, thanks for all your hard work with Activate!

This is just a reminder in case I don't get a chance to talk to each of you during the event tomorrow, to bring in your dossiers (worth 25%) and scenarios (worth 5%) for next class (week 12). All the information is in the project description. For the front cover of your dossier, download the online assessment form. Both these documents can be found under the "Course Materials" link through the blog. Please email me if you have any questions.

In addition to handing in your dossiers and scenarios, we'll also settle out budgets and have fun watching the documentation team's work.

Looking forward to tomorrow!

Teresa



--
Teresa Ascencao tascencao@faculty.ocad.ca

Testing

Hello, this is Young-eun Kim from material team.

I tried to make several decoration things.

1. syrup + food colouring (for brush)

2. syrup, syrup + food colouring (for sprey)

3. icing + food colourig (for squeezebottle)

Our team already decided to use #2, and 3

but...I am nor sure about brush...(#1)

we will use some colour powder, and more colour syrup.

dims from Const team

This is the latest post from the construction team. We actually finished assembly of the frame, and it simply needs to be taped into it's permanent place (it is still a bit adjustable). We also had time to set up the tables to see if everything would go alright, and so that we're not scrambling to fix minor mistakes in the morning. So whatever part of the construction group is actually showing up in the morning, has decided to show up at 9:45am, since most of our work is done, and we will simply be assisting other groups throughout the day.

NOTICE: to the productiion or project leader, i have been told that you are acquiring the tablecloth, instead of Mara, if this is true, just letting you know that we need it there in the morning, it's sort of the next step. BUt if you can't get a hold of one please let post, so that it can get resolved instead of flying around in the morning. And, maybe email that person directly.

Professor: here is the plan of the layout including dimensions, which we have concluded is the best interactive layout.

Edible Canvas PROTOTYPE

And here is a prototype sketched out in our space in the Great Hall (far right corner)!

Edible Canvas Logo & Colour Scheme

Happy Easter everyone! Here is our event logo. If anyone needs it in EPS format, let me know. Please try to stay within the colour scheme (below) so that our look is consistent as faculty wanted projects that were aesthetically pleasing.

good work everyone!

First, thanks for all your wonderful postings and your hard work!

Marissa, thanks for summarizing the critical items. I just have a couple of items I'd like to add:

You can use the Great Hall as of Monday 6pm to setup/build. I'll be around the event area on Monday from 10am-noon and Tuesday from noon until 2pm. So please come and find me if you have questions or need help with anything. Most likely I'll be in the Great Hall or the Design Faculty office, but maybe also in the auditorium or lobby etc.

I agree with Marissa, if the baking teams need help, please post to the blog as soon as you can. Also, please be careful when piling your cakes into the fridge so that they don't crush each other. Not sure how to save this from happening, but perhaps some kind of shelving device you can insert along with them? I would imagine that five cakes piled on top of each other may start getting heavy.

As for hanging stuff, like the paintings, there will be dividers we can use if necessary. Note we can't put double sided tape onto the Great Hall walls.

Here is the high res version of the logo as other one I had was low res...

Looking forward to working with and having fun with all of you. I'm checking email on a regular basis, so please let me know if you need anything.
Teresa

CAKE MISSION SCHEDULE UPDATE!!

Cake Mission Schedule Update!

Hey class, so here is the updated schedule for next week. We only have a week left after our next class. If you have not brought your money in PLEASE do so by the 25th. Remeber if you don't pay, you will NOT get a mark for this project.

Tuesday March 25th- So I talked to all teams last week. If you have forgotten what you need to do for next week please check the blog. Also all teams were given money so go out and buy your materials.

Baking-Buy all your baking supplies. Good job on finding a fridge, make sure you have enough bakers so you arnt struggling the night before.

Materials-All materials should be picked out and purchased by the 25th. Also you need to bring these materials to class. Please don't forget.

Construction- Buy materials, remeber to pace yourself team. Building this may take a while. Take pictures of your work so far and post them on the blog so we can see the progress of the table and frame.

Advertising- Great logo team! Get everything you need printed and start the advertising process. Great work guys!

Documentation-Bring in cameras and video cameras. Please teams wear your shirts so its easy for them to document each team.

Managers- Get together and make the canvases to put around the cake and some more decorations.

Tuesday April 1st- Week Before! We will have discussed more on the 25th so make sure you’ re there and I will continue to update the schedule.

Baking- Cakes should be made and ready for wednesday!!

Construction- You should be done and making the finishing touches on your work, bring it in for tuesday and set it up.

Materials- Should be fully purchased and brought in and ready for wednesday
- Will be discussed in class on the25th

Documentation- will be discussed in class on the 25th

Project Managers- will be discussed in class on the 25th

Material team

Hello, This is Young-Eun from material team. we bought several materials yesterday.

We want to check these materials together.

Gaarbage bag- 1, Glove-1

Condiment dispenser -5 sets,

Spray bottles - 5 sets,

Plastic cups - 4,

250 napkin - 4.

If we have to buy more, please tell us.

nanitong@hotmail.com

we will buy icings, food colouring and colour sugar for decorating.

Table design sketches

Good news

Hey team, I have found a fridge on the 3rd floor that we can use.

Its for staff of OCAD but it should be ok since I know the people who run the computer store.

So if storage is a problem, let me know and I can guide you to the room.

Again my phone number is 416.939.5563

wristband prototype

Here's the prototype for the wristband, please let me know if anyone suggest to add/take away flavours to/from this list:

Caramel
Coconut
Cheese
Cherry
Chocolate
Strawberry
Mint
Vanilla

Some more potential flavours:

Mango
Mousse


The budget for this will be approx $5-8 for 220 wristbands (44 per page on 11''x17'').
They can be held in cups of some sort, or can be kept in our cake supervisor's apron pockets on the day of.

My email is diajiao@hotmail.com

Budget/Finances

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE HAVE NOT PAID THEIR $15.

Shawn Cain
Jung-Hyun Kim
Tina Amouzgar
Manet Nivision Dykes
Albin An-Ke Ma
Yang (Leo) Wang

Irina Braginsky owes $2

The cake budget is $405

As of today the money was dispensed as follows:

Baking Team - $150

Marketing team - $30

Construction team - $20

Materials team- $70

Project Managers team - $10

* Remember to keep all receipts in your envelopes. They are to be returned on the day of the event along with any remaining/unused funds.

The budgets for each team have been carefully considered, and allowance for additional funds can be requested; granted you have an explanation of the object(s) you need and why it is important for the event.

faculty meeting results

Hi there, I got us a great space and more info, but before you read on, please make sure to read the other two posts below mine as they are important. The baking team needs help and see info on health and safety.

Prototype
First and foremost, we need to post our selected prototype to the blog. Marteting, can you do this? We need it so that teams can focus on the design.

Space
Ok, the good news, I got us the far right corner in the Great Hall (closest to the coffee counter). I tried to find a space with all the criteria we wanted, i.e. corner, view from a balcony, preferably the lobby, but all the criteria did not exist together in one option. For example, there are no balconies overseeing a corner. I figured we needed a corner more as we're going to be projecting the bird's eye view through a projector anyway. Our space has lots of white wall around for the projection and we got our desired 16' x 20' area. The floor plan is at the bottom of this post.

Hanging the art
We can't damage the walls or use double sided-tape in the Great Hall, so if we want the paintings to hang around the cake, we might need to use the dividers being offered to us. They come in black or white and are 48" wide x 96" tall and can be strapped together to form a linked barrier to hang paintings. They'll be available as of Wednesday morning.

Live Projection
I reserved a projector for us and will bring it down on Wednesday. I noticed you've done well and already reserved a camcorder. Now, all we need is some IT help to set up the live feed, unless one of us know what software to use and how to do the live feed. I believe Marissa offered her laptop, but we have to make sure she's got the software we need. Can someone from the Construction team look into this and let me know if you need me to reserve a laptop should the one we have not have the reqs.

Tools
If we have our own tools it would help, but if we need to borrow any they are in the tool loan section of 100 McCaul 1st floor.

Trolly
If for any reason we can't get a trolly for the decor items, there are some pedestals which we can use from the Student Lounge. They are 3' high x 19" x 19".

Logo
Here is the event's logo so we can put on our marketing materials as appropriate...

A show a hands please....

...on who can be there on Wednesday to help set up.

The party starts at 2 and lasts until 4. Its going to take time to set up and put together the cake.

Myself, Teresa and Derek spoke to Chef Mick and he warned us about the frosting becoming too hard too quick if we are not fast when appling the frosting.

I have class until 11:30 on Wednesday and can help. Most likely I'll be running around collecting the cakes with my team but we can use an extra hand as well, the construction team could properly use a few extra hands to make sure we get this thing all together.

Its best we know asap since a few people properly have class around that time or may not even be at school that day.

Cheers.

Food Handling and Personal Hygiene

Food Handling and Personal Hygiene

Just some common sense stuff guys but you might want to check this out if your going to be helping out around the cake table.


Thoroughly wash and dry hands before handling food
and after:
- visiting the toilet.
- blowing your nose or coughing.
- smoking.
- handling raw food or waste.

The stations for washing equipment and hands should be kept separate.

Before preparing any food, you must clean the kitchen or food preparation area and clear it of all unnecessary items.

Work surfaces and cutting boards should be thoroughly washed and disinfected before food preparation begins.

Wear clean outer clothing when handling food.

Use clean disposable gloves when handling food.

Long hair must be tied back or a cap worn.

Cover cuts, sores or skin breaks with clean
waterproof dressings.

Avoid coughing or sneezing over food.

Surfaces that are used for food must be made of smooth, impervious
materials and must be cleaned and disinfected frequently.

Bare hands should ideally not be used to handle
ready-to-eat food, although they can be used
providing hands are clean with no bare wounds or
sores. It is better to use tongs, other utensils or
disposable gloves. Disposable gloves need to be
changed regularly and will only remain clean if you
don’t touch anything that might be contaminated.

Food handlers must inform employers if they have
any skin, nose, throat or bowel infections. If suffering
any of these conditions they must not handle food.

Storage
Improper cooling that allows food to stay at the
ideal temperature for bacteria to grow for extended
periods of time.

Inadequate transportation and storage
temperatures, that can allow the growth of
bacteria.

Cooking foods too far in advance which increases
the chance of food becoming contaminated with
bacteria and food being stored incorrectly that allows
growth of bacteria.

Avoid Cross Contamination
Ensure raw food is handled separately from ready-to-eat
food to avoid cross contamination with bacteria. Where
possible, use separate equipment and utensils (knives,
tongs, cutting boards etc) for raw and ready-to-eat food,
or clean and sanitize thoroughly between use. A chemical
sanitizer is needed for sanitizing utensils. A separate
container may be required for rinsing.

All items used by students decorating the cake must be wiped clean.

space, materials, marketing, setup

Materials
Great news (hopefully :). I found a potential space for baking and/or baking resources. Liaison College Culinary Arts (in the 501 Richmond building we're now studying in) is interesting in helping us out. I realize the Project Management team is also looking at sponsorship, so should you think you need to be involved in this, please coordinate with the leaders of marketing and baking who are in the process of discussing this potential with the school. There should only be a couple of leaders communicating with the school as we want to keep it smooth as possible for them. Let's hope this works out (fingers crossed)!

Please bring your $15 for next class. If you have major money issues, please talk to me so we can figure something out, but please note that any unused money will be equally divided and returned to all of you. Please keep all your receipts.

If you think we could use some dividers (can't be damaged or marked), the school can loan some white core-plast 4' x 8' panels which can be put together in various ways. Let me know. In plan-view, they look like a triangle with concave curved sides held together at the tips of the triangles with wood strips bolted together, which run from top to bottom vertically along the three apexes of the triangle. Also, there are pedestals (can't be damaged or marked), currently in the 5th floor student lounge area, made of mdf, pre-drilled/screwed together.

Marketing
The faculty has a logo coming our way soon, which the marketing team will be able to use.

Space
As for the display space, faculty is meeting this Tuesday night (Mar 18) to layout the 17 projects into the lobby, Great Hall and auditorium (and park if you wish, but will be more isolated from event). The other areas mentioned before have not been confirmed. I'll try to get our first choice of space, but I'll need to know our second and third option in the case we don't get our first.

Setup
We can use the Great Hall to set up or build as of 6 pm on Monday the 24th, as well as all day and evening of Tues the 25th. During these times we can start bringing in materials or make things in this space. I'll just have to know a bit ahead of time to arrange it for us. Also, there may be some available storage in rooms in 113, so let me know if your group needs storage.

Leader emails
Project Management: Sam SC07OM@student.ocad.ca (class leader)
Baking & Food Safety: Alan AT07LE@student.ocad.ca
Construction: Leo YW07KG@student.ocad.ca
Marketing: Derek DE07MI@student.ocad.ca
Materials: Irina IB07IG@student.ocad.ca
Documentation: Manet MD07KI@student.ocad.ca
for an updated list of team members see:
http://ocadexperiencedesign.blogspot.com/2008/03/project-3-term-project-instructor-notes_08.html


Teresa

Schedule for the Next couple of weeks!

Cake Mission Schedule
Hey class, This is the schedule of things to do for the next couple weeks. This is rough and I will continue to add more to the blog as we discuss things in class. Try to keep posted! We only have a couple weeks left. Have Fun!

Tuesday March 18th- Every team should have their budgets and prototypes ready. Also have objectives solidified for next week.

Baking- should have samples, and researched safety precautions ect. Also size of cake
Construction- know what materials to use and sizes worked out
Materials-have materials chosen look into dollar stores and try to look for bulk ex. Costco
Advertising- design layout and ideas should be done
Documentation -bring camera and anything else that you need to document
Project Managers- Call to get sponsors, make schedule, try to get things organized

Bring in your 15 dollars! This is really important if we don’t get the money we cannot start. Dale Koa will be collecting the money!!!!All research should be done for next week.

Tuesday March 25th- This is halfway guys!! Teams should have ideas finished and the work begins.

Baking-Pans, icing, cake mix, decorations anything else you need
Materials-materials should be picked out and hopefully purchased
Construction- should begin construction and finish with rough ideas
Advertising- start doing what you do best! ADVERTISE US!
Documentation- Continue to work with your ideas
Project Managers- Collect all money, finish with all final ideas

Tuesday April 1st- Week Before! We will have discussed more on the 25th so make sure you’ re there and I will continue to update the schedule.

Baking- Cakes should begin to start being made and the location is picked
Construction- You should be done and making the finishing touches on your work
Materials- Should be fully purchased –will be discussed on the 25th
Advertising- Will be discussed in class on the25th
Documentation- will be discussed in class on the 25th
Project Managers- will be discussed in class on the 25th

time line

hey everyone so i just noticed now that this project is due on the 26 of march so that means the we have just over two weeks to complete it - saying that it would be great if every one could be as detailed as possible when it comes to budget and prototype- bring in picture and example so we can make decisions as quickly as possible and get working on our individual work asap

also because we have so little time please remember you money so that we can divide up the funds and start buying supplies!

some cake news

okay everyone before i get started i just want to say how excited i am for this project and i think that everyone had really great ideas and effort in todays class so thank you for that

i've been doing some research about cake yeilds and serving sizes and it is suggested by betty crocker that each box of mix serves 10 - 12 people. what does this mean foe our cake ?... well if we make a cake that is 8 by 11 it will be enough cake to serve over 1000 people !!! i think that may be too much i did some calculations and if we wanted to serve say 500 people we could make a cake that was 6 by 8 feet which would require aprox. 46 cakes - i know we really want o make it as big as possible but i think we need to consider how many people we want to be serving

on a side note i think there will be a great possibily that we could get some donations from companies i've looked into a few and in paticular sobeys is very interested in supporting the arts and community an have a link on their website to contact then about donations as well as other companies like walmart and dr.orker. in the past i have had success getting donations for various high school events from walmart and other companies so that is a option to look into for keeping our cost down. at 46 boxes + the white icing it should aprox be 230 plus tax ect so that would leave us with aprox.190 for other suplies again it is due able but never hurts to ask

Willy Wonka Meets Art!

Willy Wonka Meets Art Budget

Class,
The current budget for the cake creation is $153.49 (plus or minus a few dollars). For the exact budget we need to further elaborate on the details of the project like EXACTLY how large this cake will be and its proper dimensions etc. We need to create a plexiglass barrier around the cake but the details were very vague so I estimated about $20 for this barrier.

Please check over the quantity of items I have in the budget. I estimated about 48 people would be eating this cake when I considered the forks, knives, plates. If the cake is supposed to feed more than 48 then the budget should be recalculated to accurate figures.

I was a little confused about what the dixie cups were for? This is why there is a question mark on the budget.

I also didn't incorporate the costs of the signs into the budget because I am not quite sure how to give an estimate for that.

If anyone can find cheaper prices; by all means inform the class. Since we're all paying for it out of our own pockets I am sure we all went to spend the least amount possible. Print out the list and if you find something cheaper then inform us on the blog or in class.


Dale


PS: WE STILL NEED THOSE ITEMS HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW. IF YOU FIND THEM INFORM US.

Willy Wonka Art

Thanks for your posting Sam. I like many of your ideas about involving the class in taste tests.

This week we'll be able to hear all the team project elaborations (revised scenario, budget, prototype/s) which will give us even more ideas in addition to what you've come up with.

After the presentations, the class will brainstorm to refine what the team roles will be and break the roles down into team member tasks. So much of what you've suggested will come alive during class and we'll work together to facilitate this.

Also, I like your idea of Willy Wonka meets Art. We should also discuss this as a possible title.

Teresa

my cake story

oh sorry about the confusion everyone here is my story ......

in the distance a table full of bright vivid colours catches my eye, it is emphasized by the large white space beside it. As i came closer i realize that the large white area is actually a canvas like cake! The cake is so large it seems like it can only be from a childhood dream. i investigate closer and see that there are palettes, cups, and spray bottles full of colourful liquid and creamy colourful icing. The sweet comforting smell of confectioners sugar fills the air like a vanilla cloud. i grab for the bright yellow bottle and begin to spray, splashes of bright colour fall upon the cake and my creativity is intrigues...."what other colours can i create?". blending the little bottles of colourful dye i mix it with the icing to create my own custom colour- i squeeze, throw, and squirt it on to my edible canvas. amused with how much fun colour can be i decide to be bold, thrusting large hand full of bright candy sphere across the cake adding to the texture and colour of my abstract confection. finally after playing for what seems to be hours ... i am satisfied and put down the spatula and grab some cake!!

okay so i was think for a need to do list here are some things to start:
sourcing- we are going need a large amount of icing and probably 12 cake mix boxes... does anyone have a costco membership?
as well as rubber gloves, forks, knive, plates, napkins, icing spatulas, sprinkles, candy, dixie cups, popscicle sticks, spray bottles, eggs, butter, table cloth, alluminum foil,3 packages or more of food colouring, plexiglass, hair elastics, clingwrap, garbage bags, signs,

if anyone has any suggestions for pricing, where we can find the best price or bulk purchasing ideas please lemme know

also i was thinking that make we could do amini tast test to see which icing is prefered as well a class poll on cake flavours. due to the size and construction of the cake it is possible to have both chocolate and vanilla or any other flavour that is also something we can brain storm

though i have alot of idea on possible decoration mediums it would be cool to add to them if anyone has any suggestion

i'm really excited about this project and i really do hope that the final peice is truely something out of willy wonka.... meets art

Obe said...

This is Alan. Can the members of the baking team please take my email address; obe101@hotmail.com and send me a quick note on your ideas, thank you.

Important: Brainstorm first

Hi there, I just wanted to let you know your team should brainstorm before taking a stab at the revised scenario, budget and prototype/s. You need to get a better sense of the what's, how's, who's etc. Consider the food safety and fun issue and how to build around that too. When writing the scenario, try to imagine how it will feel if you were a visitor within the context of the whole Activate event that contains 17 other projects from the other classes around you. Have fun!
Teresa

Interactive Cake Scenario

Hi there, I emailed Sam, but not sure if there was a miscommunication as she is supposed to post her winning scenario here. If someone hears from her, please let her know asap. For now, especially for those who were not in class, here's an idea so you can revise the scenario for next week. This one's very short and simple, so you'll have to imagine and elaborate into a more descriptive two paragraph story.

Cake Scenario:
As I enter the space I hear lots excitement and smell a sweet vanilla scent. I get closer and see a bunch of people hovering around plastering a giant cylinder with a creamy substance. I join in and start spreading some of this stuff all over and realize its a gianormous cake. After a while of plastering, I hear lots of excitement around me, so I leave to explore other things going on around me.

I return to the giant cake a while later and notice people laughing and squirting colours onto the cake. I feel like I'm missing out, so I go over and pick up a plastic gun with yellow liquid and begin working my way around the cake. I join in on the fun for a while and make a few brilliant marks before I leave.

Later on, as I'm walking by, I notice the beautiful cake is shorter and people are stabbing at it and taking it apart, but all the sudden someone hands me a plate with a piece of the sweet smelling masterpiece. My stomach and my eyes are very happy!

Project 3 (Term Project) Instructor Notes:

Hi there, I'll be using this post to consolidate updated information on our term project. Please check this post regularly as it will contain current information throughout the entire project period.

You can get the project description (under "Projects"), scenario form (under "Exercises"), and scenario slideshow lesson (under "Slideshows") through the "Course Materials" link on the left side of this blog.

These links can also help:

Prototyping:
http://www.guuui.com/issues/03_05.php
http://www.deyalexander.com/resources/uxd/prototyping.html
http://inventors.about.com/od/prototypes/a/prototype.htm
http://www.guuui.com/issues/01_07.php

Budgets:
http://www.genv.net/en-us/do_it/event_planning/budget_template
http://www.genv.net/en-us/do_it/event_planning/budget_template
http://www.builderau.com.au/strategy/projectmanagement/soa/Creating-your-project-budget-Where-to-begin-/0,339028292,320265341,00.htm
http://www.e-projectmanagers.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=40

Teresa

______________
Posted Thur Mar 6:

Below are the teams. If you were not here this week, I placed you into the Documentation Team and you have to bring a digital video camera to class next week. Essentially, you'll be creating an edited video document of the entire design process. I'll give you more details next class. Please email each other using the list below to arrange a camera for next week. Also, I'm going to ask two of you who were not here last week to go into the Baking & Food Safety Team. The first two to email me will be placed into this team. Everyone who was not here last class must contact their new teams asap as you have a presentation due next week. If you are in the Documentation team, here is what you have to do: Once the selected scenario is posted to the blog (Sam, can you post it by tonight?), you must refine it into a richer two-paragraph scenario, create a project budget outlining how much money it might take to create the entire project ($10-$25 per student), and create a 2D or 3D prototype of how you visualize the design to look and function.

Project Management:
Sam SC07OM@student.ocad.ca (Studio Head / Class Leader)
Marissa MC07TK@student.ocad.ca
Dale DK07GE@student.ocad.ca

Baking & Food Safety:
Alan AT07LE@student.ocad.ca (team leader)
Katherine KC07HE@student.ocad.ca
Katie KL07TM@student.ocad.ca
Luo Dan LX07JM@student.ocad.ca
Tasha TM07TP@student.ocad.ca
Jung Won JP07JM@student.ocad.ca

Construction:
Leo YW07KG@student.ocad.ca (team leader)
Zoro ZA07PJ@student.ocad.ca
Joanna JN07GL@student.ocad.ca
Gabe GS07QK@student.ocad.ca
Albin AM07EJ@student.ocad.ca
Mara MO07DG@student.ocad.ca

Marketing:
Derek DE07MI@student.ocad.ca (team leader)
Shawn SC07SJ@student.ocad.ca
Dia JJ07MB@student.ocad.ca
Daren DM07KG@student.ocad.ca
Charissa CR07JF@student.ocad.ca

Materials:
Irina IB07IG@student.ocad.ca (team leader)
Tina TA07KN@student.ocad.ca
Young-Eun YK07FH@student.ocad.ca

Documentation:
Manet MD07KI@student.ocad.ca (team leader)
Dayna DB07SJ@student.ocad.ca
Jung-Hyun JK07PH@student.ocad.ca
Stephanie SG07NO@student.ocad.ca

______________
Posted Wed Mar 5:

Location:
Faculty met yesterday night and decided "Activate" (the new name) will take place indoors at 100 McCaul, so this is good news for our project as there was concern over manipulating food outdoors. The available spaces will be the Great Hall, the lobby (to be confirmed), Lambert Lounge (to be confirmed), the auditorium, and connecting hallways (to be confirmed). There will be a faculty meeting to determine where the 17 classes will display their projects, but for now, please include in your refinements for next week where you envision it to be. You can also include a second and third choice.

Refinements:

All teams (regardless of their official role for later on) will brainstorm and present the following to the class next week:
1) revised scenario: broaden the scenario to be longer and more detailed. think about the space it will be activated in, what users roles will be, how the size and shape of the cake will affect this, how the users will interact, tasks, actions, objects, environment etc.. Use the form and slideshow I gave you to prompt further thought. Use the scenario form and project description to provoke further thought. Please see the blog's "Course Materials" link to download these documents. The form is under "Exercises" and the project description is under "Projects"..
2) prototype: create a drawing or 3D model to show how the cake could look. Consider the space it will be activated in, how the tasks, user role, actions, objects and environment will affect the way the cake will look and function
3) Budget: create a budget based on 27 students contributing $10-$25 each. Consider all the relevant items which may include: materials, rentals, transportation, services, etc.

Kitchen Aid (stand mixer)

Kitchen Aid (stand mixer)

I bought my mixer few months ago. I always enjoy baking. This kitchen helper allows me to mix my ingredients in better way and faster. I can save more time and energy. It has different accessories that I can use for different ingredients. I reserved a recipes book with the mixer that gives me more option to make my favourite recipes.
1_ Safety: The manufacture has provided a safety massages that helps customers to be aware of everything about the product.
2_ Guaranty: I’ve e been using these brand products for a long time and I’m been comfortable with their quality. I know that if my mixer fails within first year of ownership, the will identical or comparable replacement. I won’t pay any extra charge for it.
3_ life time usage: This is some product that I will need it always and is so simple to use.
4_Speed Control: The mixer has speed different speed between 0-10. I can change the speeds manual depends on how I need it
5_Accessories: Also I can use different accessories for each work. This allows me to have more than one benefit from my mixer. You also have this chance to buy more accessories for your mixer.
A- Flat Beater for normal and heavy mixer: cakes, biscuits, creamed frostings quick breads, etc...
B-Wire Whip for mixtures that need air incorporated: eggs sponge cakes, heavy cream mayonnaise, etc...
C-Dough Hook for mixing and kneading yeast doughs: beads, coffee, rolls buns, etc...
Link: http://www.kitchenaid.com/assets/pdfs/product/ZUSECARE/9709785.pdf

Biometric Fingerprint Door Locks

http://www.fingeraccess.com.au/
http://www.fingerprintdoorlocks.com/

A door lock that works by using your finger print to unlock and open the door. Never worry about losing your keys again. A good solution against Lock Bumping and Bump Keys

Trustworthy - People might seem a little skeptical at first since its so easy, but I think after some time they will feel better about the product after some use.

Appropriate - In this day and age, it seems that there's a greater need for home security.

Smart - Extremely smart. A lock that will only open for the people that live in the house or for who ever you program it for. Some models track when the door was locked or unlocked, so you can keep tabs on who's coming and going or even anyone who attempts to unlock the door. Its very pratical.

Responsive - In a matter of seconds the lock reads the fingerprint and a beep is hear when the door unlock. Faster then looking for your keys and placing them in the lock.

Clever - Very clever and makes a lot of sense. Its one of those products that make you wish they came out with it years ago.

Ludic - Sounds easy and I think people will get a kick out of it when putting it to use and seeing how easier it is to get into their house. It takes only minutes to install, you can set it up with the website that sells it and you can add or delete users on the lock its self. Not much to learn.

Pleasurable - They come in many different styles, some with different options and functions so its opens up what you can do with it. Its easy to install and set up and use.

Portals ~ Video Game Innovations (Software)

2007 was a huge year for video games, and at all major video game conferences since this past year, videos such as "The Orange Box - Portals" have taken center stage in what is recognized as video game innovation. "Portals", a side element to the popular "Half-Life" video game series creates a trouble-shooting environment for players, where they are required to problem solve and analyze situations using the games "Portal Gun". This sparked a lot of inspiration in the video game world as it seemed to re-vitalize and re-create both the puzzle and platforming genres on gaming while still utilizing the FPS (First-Person-Shooter) dynamics that are popular today. This made for interactive, responsive, 3-dimensional environments that enable a variety of situations and challenges.

1) trustworthy- The standard trust for any game first comes from how trustworthy the hardware is first of all. After a series of trials and tests the gaming platforms it's available on are considered trustworthy now after the bugs have been worked out. An advantage is that this game is available on the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, so there are a variety of options available to any gamer in terms of hardware. The game itself provides various forms of trust, whether it be in the in game hints and guides or the responsive AI that assists the player.

2) Appropriate- Portals is an appropriate game for its genre - but it can be argued to be a game of many genres as it utilizes the fundamentals of puzzle, platform, and FPS gaming. This has made it both innovative and recognized in it's field.

3) Smart- I must have used the word innovative at least several times now... Of-course the game is smart. It's that creativity and dimension that have made it so appreciated. The smart design in both simplicity, graphics, and it's physics system have made for a smart design ~ breaking boundaries but not going over-board.

4) Responsive- The responsive action of the game comes from the games AI. Programmed to be highly responsive and sensitive to such actions as: when a player enters a room, moves object, moving towards things, or interacts with the computer AI that has earned the game awards for the best in-game character.

5) Clever- The clever-ness of the games mechanics are make categorize it as a puzzle game. Utilizing physics, dimensions, and the one weapon at your disposal you are required to survive and solve a variety of puzzles and situations.

6) Ludic- The in-game colors are simple, and environmentally responsive (in relation to light and position). White is dominant and the black and grey that is constant to most objects and items simply furthers the mechanical/robotic environment of the game.

7) Pleasurable- Being a video game it has to be pleasurable/fun or else it destroys the purpose.
In the end, The Orange Box - and more specifically Portals has won awards in video gaming this past year as well as many nomination and has receive ratings of 9.5 out of 10 ~ what more can be said.

Bel-Air

Bel-Air is an air filtration system that uses living plants to purify the air indoors. Using the behavior of plants, the system filters the air by capturing the noxious particles and transforming them inside. Bel-Air can be purchased as a prototype and it is currently presented at the Le Laboratoire exhibition.



When I first discovered the product, I was amazed by its high quality in its appearance and expediency. However, as I approached the design with wider perspective, it seemed somehow selfish the fact how it utilizes a life for our own convenience. Plants involved in the design, simply becomes true objects of service.

1) trustworthy- The design offers people the feeling of trust by its appearance. By creating part of the capsule transparent, the appearance of the plant inside is actually visible.

2) Approperiate- Approperitate except the fact that criticism may possibly arise from nature-lovers.

3) Smart- Using plants as air-filterer is a smart choice. From using this, no more filters need to be changed and no more clogs will appear.

4) Responsive- As all other air-filters, as it turns on, the filteration starts. The inside of the filteration system is soon filled with foggy gas, which people can detect right away.

5) Clever- The fact how an air filteration system uses living plants is actually very clever. People’s knowledge of plant’s respiration system offers them the trust that the system would actually Work.

6) Ludic- The colours of the design is quite favorable and symbolic.

7) Pleasurable- It is both functionally and asthetically pleasurable. However, I personally find it more asthetically pleasurable from its clean and favorable design


If I were given a chance to choose a role in design team, i would be more interested to be a part of the brainstorming team, for that I find it more fun to create formats and basis in most designing process.

Reference- http://gizmodo.com/328342/bel+air-filtration-system-uses-plants-to-purify-our-environs
- http://www.dezeen.com/2007/11/29/bel-air-by-mathieu-lehanneur/
-

Podcasts

A podcast is a collection of mp3 files that is distributed over the internet. Although they are usually available for download from a website, they differ from other internet audio files in that they can be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when a new one becomes available. They were originally created so that individual, average people could create what are essentially internet radio shows, and while this is a common use there are now many more. They are becoming very popular education tools. Official and unofficial audio tours for museums have been made which can be used on a portable mp3 player while walking through the building. Classes are being turned into podcasts for absent students. What attracts me to it is the ability to find an enormous amount of audio content of all different kinds. It makes the hours I spend drawing on a regular basis more enjoyable if, along with music, I also have fiction or documentaries to listen to. I listen to podcasts where a new short story is read every week - and not crappy ones, really really good ones. There is also a trend in making podcasts in the style of old radio dramas, with actors and music. Naturally there is a lot of non-fiction out there too, including many interesting shows on science and politics. As well as being great for me to have all this content available, it also creates wonderful opportunities for writers to get their work out there, or for people more clever than I am to spread their ideas.

TRUSTWORTHY - Since they're usually made independently by people who also have jobs and other things, I suppose it's possible that some podcasts that you're subscribed to might miss a week here and there. However I haven't had a problem with that yet, and the technology itself has worked perfectly fine.

APPROPRIATE - I've managed to find many things that I enjoy, but the range of content is so wide that someone with completely different tastes from me could also find something. It's just a way of distributing content, the content itself is completely versatile.

SMART – The technology and the idea behind it is extremely smart in my opinion, as it allows for so many possibilities. The content of course varies in intelligence.

RESPONSIVE – One of the interesting things about a podcast is that they will sometimes alter content based on positive or negative feedback from listeners who email or discuss it in forums. In some cases they seem to have a strong internet community around them.

CLEVER – Having something set up in such a simple way where once you've subscribed it downloads automatically, this is a great way for people like me who are lazy and forgetful to get ongoing content.

LUCID – It varies somewhat from website to website, but generally I've found them to be very clear. It's a bit more complicated for the ones you have to pay for.

PLEASURABLE – Yes! Unless you subscribe to crappy, boring podcasts. Don't do that.

INTERESTING AREAS OF DESIGN PROCESS:

I would probably be most interested in brainstorming, creating and editing the content for a podcast rather than dealing with the software. That's what appeals to me so much about the system, the way that it can be used as an outlet for ideas and creativity.

Inspiring Interaction Design

The design I have chosen is "MSN Messenger". It is a very well known software which can make people communicate with each other though internet easily. When I first read the exercise sheet this is the design pop into my head. A very smart design that I use everyday.

Trustworthy:
MSN Messenger is a very trustworthy service, it won't send any of your personal information to anyone else.

Appropriate: I think MSN is appropriate, because any age group can use this service and it is also very easy to learn.

Smart: MSN is a smart design because everyone in the world can connect through this service, there are also mini games for people to play.

Responsive: It may take time of you to wait for the other person to reply your message, or if sometime your internet is not working the MSN will disconnect too.

Clever: This service is very clever, because if you use this service you can communicate to your friend that also have MSN and it can also do conversation with more than one person within one window.

Lucid: MSN is very lucid, but it will still take a little time to learn how to use it.

Pleasurable: It is very pleasurable, because first of all you can communicate with friends that you might not see that often, and second it is free!!

Image taken from http://www.goolge.com/

Amazing Website Allows You To Buy Books! Online!!!

Hello, and welcome to tonight's edition of Royal Masterpiece Design and Designer. I see a few of you have just posted your inspirational designs. I congratulate you and would like to begin with a design that I personally find intriguing. Let me first ask you all a question: what would you think if there was a website where you could buy a book, but...without ever having to go to a bookstore? Or what if you could buy a book without even leaving your home? You may think that sounds crazy, but I assure you it's very much real. Not only can you buy books, but also movies, dvds, and games and the people that sell you these things will even know everything about and can recommend titles to you next time you visit them. This may sound like something straight out of a science fiction novel, but it is in fact, not.
All you need to buy books without ever having to leave the home is a personal computer, an internet connection, and a credit card. The website to visit is http://www.amazon.com/ or .ca if you are living in Canada. Once you are there you can do a search for just about any book that's been published in North America, or if you can read a foreign language you can search for a book in German, French, Japanese, Chinese or even British English. The search works fairly well and is especially accurate when inputing an author's name. For advanced users there is also an advanced search that can be accessed by clicking on 'advanced search' next to the regular search. Here, users can input things such as a book's ISBN number narrow their search down exactly. After a book is found, there is all kinds of useful information about it such as its publisher, isbn number, price, some user reviews, and occasionally viewers are allowed to view the first few pages of a book. There is also a picture of its cover and a list of similar books.

You're probably thinking: "If I buy these books online, won't it cost a fortune in shipping and handling like on those stupid informercials?" Well, no because amazon's books are often sold used or discounted making them much cheaper than buying them at a store and its possible to locate some fairly rare ones too. If a user wishes to buy a book they can click on add to shopping kart which is list that keeps track of all books the user wishes to purchase and then they can finally purchase them by clicking on 'proceed to check out'. The user will need to log in or register if they don't have an account. Accounts are fairly easy to register for and only require information such as a mailing address, name and password. Once a user has registered they can now proceed to the checkout! At that point a screen comes up asking what kind of shipping and payment methods are preferred and there's a huge variety of options. Once these things are decided, a bill showing how much has been paid comes up and an email is sent to you to prevent any purchases made in error.

Well Amazon doesn't distribute credit card information, unfortunately they store it on their system.That way anyone who has a user's password can use their credit card to buy books. If a user is logged in its also very easy to buy books accidently by clicking on buy with one click which doesn't show a sales receipt.

One of the nicer features of Amazon.com is that everytime a user logs in they are shown a list of books they might be interested in based on their previous purchases. From my experience these titles are actually worth a look or two.

I'll admit, Amazon may not be the newest or most interesting service, but its become successful over these years for a reason and that's that it works from a design that's remained fairly simple and functions well. Its efficient and always provides confirmation emails so users know that they've bought something and won't accidently do it twice. It may be a cliche to say this, but Amazon gives people what they want.

IRING

IRing:
With a stylish design and wireless Bluetooth connectivity with your iPod and iPhone, the iRing allows you to control playback and volume on any of your Apple media devices. iRing features a bright OLED status display with touch-sensitive function strip, and a rechargeable battery life of up to 2 days. Conveniently recharge your iRing using the included cradle. Its minimal size and unique ring-lock mechanism make it an ideal companion for charging and storing your iRing.

First reactions:
When I first look at this piece of design, I notice it’s a Mac product automatically, because of its apple sign, the name and the design style. Secondly, I realize it’s an interesting design. The color and details are quite futuristic, which would suit any customers who are already using the Mac product. Then I started to question what this thing is for. As I know, Apple is a company that sells electronics, and this product seems to be a little different. That’s where I find this thing inspiring, and makes me want to learn more about it.

1. Trustworthy

as a good design, this ring seems to be really stable due to its metal outside circle. Also, the ring is round, without many additional features, which astatically pleasing and structurally secure to use. The Apple sign and the surrounded dots suggest the way of wearing clearly, people could use it without any hesitation.

2. Appropriate

design like this is really appropriate to the younger customers. Mac is a company which sells simple and futuristic design products. The design style is suitable for this company and the current culture background of North American. The idea of being cool, and outstanding, is one of the main themes of every new product designs.

3. Smart

as the aspect of being smart, the ring has only simple signs that normal electronic users would understand easily. It’s really easy to control, so that people doesn’t need to open their pocket to use their IPod.

4. Responsive

Iring is a sub product of IPod and IPhone, the responses are presented from IPod and IPhone, not the IRing itself. As using the technology of Bluetooth, the reaction would be made automatically, as the using pushing the buttons.

5. Clever

the idea of having the ring itself is really creative. It jumped out of the idea of changing, and redesigning the IPods or IPhones, and started a new way of thinking. Although remote controls are designed many years ago, but by having it in the form of a ring and nice looking is very unique and clever.

6. Ludic

Ludic is the main concept for this design, because other than using IPods normally, using a ring to control is very interesting. People would like to play with their nice looking rings, even if it has no function.

7. Pleasurable
The idea of this product is that if the ring designed pleasing enough, that people will wear it everyday, and also, uses them as a remote control to their already existed IPods or IPhones. Many features in this piece have this characteristic, such as its aesthetic of combining metal with plastic and the nice shining blue apple catches people’s eye. Only as a ring, the product is pleasing, and so will the useful purpose within.

Design process:
If I am in the design team, I would like to be involved in the testing and troubleshooting stage, because it will be quite nice to see the product finished and working. Also, the biggest challenge in this design is how practical it is, and those processes are focused in these stages.

Credit:
http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2007/09/04/iring-controls-your-ipod/

Jung W Park

APTERA Typ-1

Nowadays, gas prices are extremely rising; as a result, fuel efficiency has become one of the most important considerations of purchasing cars. Therefore, worldwide car companies are struggling with developing high fuel efficient cars and spending so much money for it. However, the most developed high efficient car so far was able to run only 20 to 30 km per 1 liter of gas. Many car companies in the world have been now suffering for developing cars which can go more than 100km with only 1 liter gas. Finally, one small car company in US, called Aptera, has developed one of the most fuel-efficient cars in the world which is able to spend only 0.8L gas per 100km, Aptera Typ-1. Its weight is only 635kg which is 100kg lighter than Smart Fortwo which has been considered as the smallest car in the world. Even though it is small, its maximum speed is 153km/h while its safety is also guaranteed by using rolling cage that is usually used in F1 racing cars. Unfortunately, it is sold only in California with about 29,900 US dollars.

Trustworthy: Aptera is trustworthy because Aptera Motors. Inc. is actually working with designers in Eleven which is one of the biggest motorcycle companies. It also contains many safety systems such as airbag-in seatbelt technology, a front subframe and a firewall that redirect energy around occupants. It already proves its surprising systems through crashing testing, safety testing, and speed testing which show its absolute trustworthiness.

Appropriate: Aptera is definitely appropriate in these days which are struggling with extreme high fuel prices as well as air pollution by cars. Aptera goes as far as it can with least gas; therefore, it helps us to save money. In addition, it can also go with electronics in close distance so that it will decrease air pollution that is full around the city. Therefore, its gorgeous fuel-efficiency system is absolutely appropriate.

Smart: Aptera is such a smart designed car which concerns about the serious pollution issue in the world. It clearly demonstrates smart idea by designers which considers not only efficiency of the product but also serious worldwide nature issues.

Responsive: Aptera is responsive because it responds consumers’ or drivers’ problems with rising gas price. The company directly provides a suggestion by developing high fuel-efficient car which is able to solve the problem with high price of gas.

Clever: Aptera’s design is greatly clever as it is directly showing to the viewers. It not only grabs viewer’s attention with its futuristic design but also attracts viewers with its extraordinary shape. Interestingly, this dynamic design also considers passenger’s safety as well as car’s efficiency. It contains strong but lightweight shell, exceed rollover and other safety systems.

Ludic: Aptera is ludic with its funny shape. As it is told above, its design is strongly futuristic. The car itself reminds us lots of science fiction films which many fiction futuristic cars are shown. The design of Aptera is interestingly similar to our imagined cars that we once had thought about when we were young.

Pleasurable: Aptera is definitely pleasurable with its dynamic shape and extraordinary system. It is totally brand new car which breaks down common sensed cars. Its toy-like design will definitely attract children, and its special efficient systems will affect car manias. Therefore, it will give much pleasure to all viewers as well as consumers.