Thursday, May 30, 2013

Project #3 Statement

Application Definition Statement

Our idea is to do an application allows a person to take a picture using an Android of a car part. Example would be a window on the door. Taking the picture that was taken the person will be able to search for junkyards or part shops that have the part. The screen will show how many they have of the parts and how much they want. Option on the page will have a section saying if the part is new or used. On the screen there will be a option that allows the person to compare prices with competitors.

This app would be promoted by the companies that deal with parts on a daily basis. Application will be a non profit application meaning no money is required to make it run.

Application Definition Statement

Features:

Creating a list
instructions manuals
viewing demos
comparing prices

Users:

Average person to a car enthusiast would use this application. Men and women but a bit more men would use this app. Someone who is tight on money would use this.

Filter List:

Comparing prices
Creating a list
Contacting the retailer

Suitability features:

Simple streamlined style with a themed user interface that includes images of the part they are searching for as well as the nearest location to purchase that part.

Proj #3 Research

This was interesting...

These are the larger screen shots to show a bit more about the specific site:

Unit 8 Reading

Finishing the book...

Guideline for Accessible & Usable Web Sites: Observing Users Who Work With Screen Readers.

Personally, I have always tried to include a text statement on every link for my feeble website - keeping the disabled in mind. Also, if somehow, there is a problem with a picture, I try to have a descriptive title there. Blind or not it is best to be able to read a title with the cursor.

I found it very intriguing that blind people are more impatient than most seeing people when looking over a site: If the opening statement isn't catchy - they leave & you lose!
A good thought to keep in mind with any article or site.

Cascading style sheets!
Greater control of formatting, flexibility, Consistency

- Alternate text to every image
- Make Forms work with screen readers
- Have a link to skip to Main Content
- Make all content accessible by Key Board
- Don't use Java Script - for now
- Use Client side image maps

Then - The perils of asking for too much personal information & data.
Most people are private - some VERY private - even secretive.
They do not like it when a site or business is overbearing, pretentious & demanding.
This is offensive to visitors/subscribers. If it takes too long or asks too much they will leave.
They are also likely to spread bad rumors about the site or business & never to return.

Flashy is annoying. There has to be a balance between looking good & working well.
"Sizzle" doesn't work on a business site.

I love, "Never say Never."
It reminds me of Fine Art: "Nothing is Cast in Stone" & even if it is it can be carved, cracked, chiseled or sand-blasted!

-------------
The Practice of Creativity looked very familiar to me...
Very interesting sample of a test study for a site - rather eye opening:
http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/imprint_downloads/peachpit/peachpit/videosampleclips/krug/SteveKrugUsabilityDemo.m4v

This was interesting & practical:
http://www.nngroup.com/

Interesting observation:
http://www.formsthatwork.com/

Project #3 Sketches

It was very interesting testing & researching a title. There were organizations & businesses using several that were close to some of the main ones on the list.

Even one that was set for rescuing neglected horses! [I joined them on Facebook. Good cause.]

The thought is to have the indication of recognizable auto parts in a decorative manner.

My husband was listing common parts for second hand use.

I selected decorative/recognizable ones to illustrate with.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Smart Phone Layout Sketches

Sketches for smartphone application showing different layouts from what the log in page could look like to what the compare prices screen can look like.

Personas

Smartphone Personas

Adam is a college student at the University of Washington studying to be a Psychologist. He lives on the waterfront in Seattle with his fiance Sammy and their three corgi's.

Adam is a very independent person in life, he doesn't like asking for help. He likes the challenge in solving how to fix something and finding the best solution to fix it. Adam was working in the garage and accidentally hit his mirror on his old 1949 Five Window Ford.

Adam is looking for an application for his Android that allows him to search the nearby part shops to see whether or not they have the part he needs without having to travel there and finding out they don't. He hates going to a shop and finding out they don't have the part, he feels that he just wasted time. He wants a simple application that also tells the prices of other part shops so he can find the cheapest place.

Sara attends the University of Washington and is studying to be a English teacher. She loves to read and loves to pretend she is a famous writer. Sara lives in Snohomish with her boyfriend, Charlie.

Sara is a independent person but when it comes to anything with cars she relies on her boyfriend to help her. Sara wants to find an application that allows her to find parts for her worn out Toyota.

She would like this application to be easy to use and for her to see if the part she needs is carried by the surrounding part shops. Sara wants to find this kind of application so she doesn't have to keep asking Charlie for help. She would like to learn about cars more and feels this application could help her.

Unit 7 Reading

It makes a lovely flow! I understand the format - but not exactly where in the basic program to put it.
Working on the project - due today- has pushed my time.
But this is a nice idea & a wonderful layout.
I far prefer it over the popups.

It also looks far more sensible for iPods, etc.

I will definetly take a little more time to look over this later.

Thank you.

- adrienne

Thursday, May 16, 2013

App?

Ideas to fit the templates for the iPhone 5, Android or Windows phone style guide.

An app:

Idea 1: for wine enthusiast that shows all the latest wines & where to find them for the best prices.

Idea 2: that lists the best pubs in your vicinity.

Idea 3: that shows you a new recipe every day, with a link to form a shopping list for each ingredient.

Idea 4: to show a car enthusiast the latest parts & accessories for specific makes & models.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Unit 6 Reading

Well now, another tangent!
I am afraid that I am not an iTunes person.

What is an App?

[I bring a small wind instrument with me wherever I go, practice singing hymns & opera. Do artwork on ProCreate. I do not rely on electronic "others" for entertainment.]
This aspect has no true meaning or merit to me - BUT it is obviously essential to most others.

So be it.
Widening my ranges is imperative as well.

Lead me Lord!
[NOTE: I have an iPad - not an iPod - a bit different. I just visit websites, as I do on the computer.]

How To Create Your First iPhone App by Jen Gordon

I do understand beginning & goals - that applies everywhere.
I love "Jim."
Quite a variety of project goals - very good.
In Art, I have found it impossible - rather - impractical to forecast the results.
Dream - Yes.
Expect - NO.
I am a positive pessimist - don't expect anything.
Therefore, you can be VERY pleased when success, cooperation, sales & positive results come your way.
It is always best to determine the merit of your idea.

Does your app solve a unique problem?
Does the app serve a niche?
Does it make people laugh?
[My favorite thought – perhaps this is how I could “Get Rockin”!]
Are you building a better wheel? There is always room for improvement – just be the first & best.
Will the app be highly interactive?

Action item: Have your idea evaluated.

I definitely need an expert to critique & advise. Outside evaluation is very helpful.
Competition is fierce.
So tighten the belt & come on in!
It is best in any project to have a goal. It can always be expanded or updated.
Expectations are always difficult. Overhead, popularity, staff expenses (& dedication) are very hard to predict, but you have to start somewhere. Basing expectations upon other successful profitable apps “documented proof.”

Step 1: Develop A Monetization And Marketing Plan – determine how your thought can & will create a profit. The more successful apps are planned well.

Step 2: Sign Up For A Developer Account

Step 3: Sketch Your Application

Step 4: Identify The Work To Be Outsourced

Step 5: Hiring Your Team

The trinity to be covered:

Design, Development, Marketing/Promotion

She has some great links to assist – this is a keeper!

Conclusion – Good luck & have fun! – I like that.

iPhone App Icon Design: Best “Practises”

[I have difficulty when there is such a misspelling in the title… this is probably a translation – yes, he’s Danish. Okay – quite a few great Danish advisors.]

Very helpful guidance.

Designs must be appealing & simple – but not plain.

They still have to be catchy - unique.

“Stand out from the crowd!”

In Tips
The Flat Design Era

[[ skeu·o·morph

[skyoo-uh-mawrf] Show IPA

noun

an ornament or design on an object copied from a form of the object when made from another material or by other techniques, as an imitation metal rivet mark found on handles of prehistoric pottery.

Origin:
1889; < Greek skeû ( os ) vessel, implement + -o- + -morph (cf. zoomorphic)

Related forms

skeu·o·mor·phic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013. ]]

For me – Flat Design is too simplistic

Almost unattractive.

Saturday, May 11, 2013

It is an Issuu...

Well... I will try to update with the entire recommendation - but it keeps saying that the Adobe Flash has crashed.
So, here is the general link:

http://issuu.com/adriennemas/docs/adriennesproj1revised?mode=window

much easier than another program that I have tried - once.

Nice book format.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Unit 5 Reading

Chapter 8. “The Farmer and the Cowman Should Be Friends”: Why most web design team arguments about usability are a waste of time, and how to avoid themChapter 9. Usability testing on 10 cents a day: Keeping testing simple—so you do enough of it

Well now, How to get along... Yes we all have differences. Listening to each other may be difficult -but it shouldn't be. As a former Girl Scout Leader & Service Unit Manager it is easy to understand how to work together & earn respect for your foundation & views - showing respect to others. We have to be able to "step back" & take an outsider's point of view - with merit. Designers, developers, programmers can be a difficult camaraderie in figuring out what people like, want or need. Yes, nothing is simple. Do not debate about what people like. Research & direct testing shows much more of what is needed to know. Testing should be quick & to the point, getting through the sites "imperfections" one layer at a time. The other main point to keep in mind is not to wait until the last minute. Let outsiders, who have not had the chance to have their brains muddled, test it out. They should approach it fresh, with no warnings or explanations. In that way it will be easy to observe their reactions, positive or negative. Usability is the main concern, therefore it should be the main focus. Testing is imperative. Test early, test often. Conquering each challenge opens the door(s) to see the ease of the next page. It takes few users - one is better than none. It is best to use a variety of recruits - experienced & not. Beginners can be even more helpful. Reach outside the box. [Unless the sight is only for an exclusive audience that would be very particular about precision.] Offer a reasonable incentive to inspire enthusiasm & cooperation. Review the results right away - immediately.
Simplicity is better. Do not overload the site. "Resist the impulse to add things."But, "Don't throw the baby out with the dishes." Think very carefully before a change should be made. Avoid muddling the ease of the sites flow with tossing in afterthoughts.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

The Book... ... ...

as I ask The Lord for challenges - so I receive.
It a very good thing that I am working with men. Although this book has a very jazzy cover, it is not anything that I would want to read - even though I love mysteries -I HATE the "F-word" - profoundly.
It takes away from the writing. It is absolutely unnecessary. It shows a lack of skill, talent & intelligence. Thus making the project very challenging.

But, I will persevere!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Book Selected!

Luis, Manny & I - with Doug's advice - selected Bloodland: A Novel by Alan Glynn
I have loaded it onto my iPad

KIRKUS REVIEW

A plot-twisting, page-turning humdinger in which collateral damage gets a murderous spin.
Alive, actress/model Susie Monaghan snagged her allotted 15 minutes of fame and then some. Dead, she became an absolute sensation. She was gorgeous, yes. Talented, maybe. A head case, no question: a beautiful, outrageous flake who did drugs unabashedly and went through boyfriends carnivorously. A fatal helicopter crash off the coast of Ireland rocketed her to the top of the A-list, where she hovered indefinitely like some headline-hungry ghost. People couldn’t stop talking about her, which is OK with a certain young Dublin journalist. Jimmy Gilroy, recently downsized, has received an unexpected and most welcome book deal. He’s charged with immortalizing Susie Monaghan, an assignment he’s prepared to take very seriously given his straitened circumstances, plus the attractive added inducement of Susie’s lovely sister, whose input he deems integral to the project. But then the worrisome phone calls from longtime friend and benefactor Phil Sweeney commence, suggesting ever more forcefully that he back off. Other voices join in. It’s from an obviously unnerved and deeply depressed former prime minister of Ireland, however, that he hears the phrase “collateral damage” applied to Susie. Five others died when the helicopter went down. Jimmy knew that, of course, but now he gets his first sulfuric whiff of something rotten being covered up.
His prose spare but spirited, Glynn (Winterland, 2011, etc.) spins an all-too-likely tale of secrets, lies and power corrupted. Chilling.

Pub Date: Feb. 1st, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-312-62128-5

Page count: 352pp

Publisher: Picador

Review Posted Online: Feb. 5th, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15th, 2012

He is on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AlanGlynnBooks?ref=ts&fref=ts

Glynn, Alan - 'Bloodland'
Trade Paperback: 432 pages Publisher: Faber and Faber ISBN: 0571275427
Jimmy Gilroy, a unemployed journalist following the collapse of the newspaper he worked for, is scratching a living in these desperate times in Dublin. He grabs a lifeline when he is offered the opportunity of writing the biography of a tabloid star who was tragically killed in a helicopter crash at the peak of her fame. He starts researching and generally checking out sources to prepare for the book but is surprised when a one time close contact who learns of his new job is not supportive but rather tries to persuade him to drop it. This former colleague talks him into helping a former Taoiseach (Prime Minister) instead, to write his memoirs, but when Jimmy calls on the ex-prime minister to discuss the new post with him he finds him very inebriated. In this drunken state the ex-prime minister tactlessly, says something indiscreet about the deceased tabloid star and the circumstances of her death which sets Jimmy off in a new direction completely and to get background on the sensational lead he has been given, he is obliged to journey to Italy and then to New York. In a separate strand to this multi-layered story, problems in the Congo feature.
The story is indicative of our times including suspected complicity between large multi-national companies, corrupt financial dealing and billionaires thinking they are above the rule of law. It is a thrilling, well-plotted story reaching into the depths of humanity in several countries and coming to a breathtaking but unpredictable conclusion.
BLOODLAND is an absolute sensational read, which after a slow start was incredibly tense and I did not want it to end; the last 100 pages of this novel just flew by. This is an author I was unfamiliar with before but he has two other titles to his credit including the one that resulted in the film Limitless starring Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro which was released in Spring 2011. I will certainly look out for his earlier titles and for his future books as his already excellent writing skills, should only get better. I highly recommend this book which was one of the best I've read this year.
Terry Halligan, England

Bloodland

by Alan Glynn

Review: A young investigative journalist takes on an assignment to write about the tragic death of a celebrity aboard a helicopter that accidentally crashed off the northeastern coast of Ireland three years ago, only to learn that it might not have been an accident after all, in Bloodland, a stand-alone thriller by Alan Glynn.

Susie Monaghan was as much a tabloid star as a television star. Her death, together with five others who were accompanying her, is now several years old but a publisher believes the time is right to revive interest in her. Jimmy Gilroy is paid a handsome sum to write a book about Susie Monaghan, and begins by investigating her traveling companions. Susie had texted her sister the day before she died that she feared someone who would be on the flight with her. Jimmy has barely started his work when his old friend and mentor, Phil Sweeney, offers him an even larger advance if he'll stop writing about Susie, and instead do a political memoir about Larry Bolger, a former Irish Prime Minister. Jimmy reluctantly agrees, but it may be too late to stop a sequence of events he initiated by asking questions about what really happened the day Susie Monaghan died.

What seems to start as a local interest story expands in scope to become an international tale of greed, corruption and murder in Bloodland. Jimmy Gilroy is a strong and convincing lead character, but equally compelling are the immoral men he seeks the truth about. The twist-filled, tautly written plot takes a number of unexpected turns that keep the reader alert for what might happen next. This is a very good thriller, one with simmering tension that threatens to boil over at any point.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Bloodland.

Acknowledgment: Picador provided a copy of Bloodland for this review.