Oh by the way...

I felt silly to write these blogs now since I get no feedback from them...

Oops...too busy on prototype developing and writing reports...

As a result, I nearly forgot about the blogs. However, I'll try to catch up and talk about what I've been doing recently.

1. Project plan.

Yup, I and my teammate wrote a 2700 words project plan which is quite amazing to me. We've presented our draft before we hand in our final version. In my opinion, if I know how to release stress during presentation, I can do a much better job than that day.

We know that we have to keep the time limit, but 3 minutes is just impossible to cover up everything. So, the trick is find a balance between content and timing, which we basically have to talk something in detail but within the time. However, I seriously doubt that it is impossible to cover up details within 3 minutes. Why? Just take a look at everybody's presentation and you'll understand. How many people actually keep in the time limit. If people can actually present bellow 3 minutes, I doubt that they worked hard on their assignment.

However, what is done is done. Seems like everybody is happy. So, I'm happy...



2. Low-fidelity Prototype

Hmm...still remember that day when most of the people just can't be bother to go to the lecture. Unlike other people who is intellgible, I'm a dumb so I attend the lecture. Yup...I've declared thata low-fidelity prototype will be done after this week.

Anyway...Flash should be shot since it wouldn't allow a rollover within another rollovered interface, which is crap and nearly killed our entire project. Luckly after a series of hardcore research, I've finally found a way to get around it. Instead of using "rollover", it use "onEnterframe" with "hittest" function (Something like...hmm...I assume is mouse collusion)

After dealing with the stupid rollover issues...the rest seems to be easy. I'm also amazed that all I need to do is to change slightly a bit of the existing non-click interface and will make people's life easier. However, I still have to prove my concept by doing user testing.

iMac site is strangely easy to modify. There are only 2 main different ways to design the interface inside the website. Shouldn't be too hard to make. I've done like 80% of the low-fidelity prototype within a few hours. After is done, I'm going to do user testing right away...

Bellow are some of my research which had been done recently:

News:

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/04/12/apple-patent-application-for-button-less-mouse-design/
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/07/04/12/next_gen_apple_mouse_may_dump_scroll_ball_for_touch_housing.html

Reviews:

http://weblensblogs.blogspot.com/2006/04/dont-click-it-interface-breakthrough.html
http://looksgoodworkswell.blogspot.com/2005/11/musings-on-mouse-hover.html

Issues:
http://board.flashkit.com/board/showthread.php?threadid=588678

Cool Programs:
http://www.altia.com/products_photoproto.php

Information scavaging

Nothing much recently, but found a really good interactive art for kids website which may related to our project.

http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/cubits.htm

The original ideas

ORIGINAL LIST OF IDEAS FOR DANCE FLOOR

Number 1 (David)
There will be a projector projecting the image onto glass flooring, activated with a pressure censor. The user will be able to interact with an interface which can make the floor into a wooden floor, metal floor or a comedy floor...etc. According to which floor type the user chooses, the other user will be able to step onto the glass(Floor) and create different sounding footsteps. For example, if user One decides to make the floor into a wooden floor, where the rest of the users walk on the glass, it will create footsteps sounding as if they are walking on a wooden floor. The same would be for a metal floor.

Number 2 (Sandra)
All ages. Users are invited to interact by stepping onto the dance floor area and dancing to the music. By dancing the dance floor tiles will light up with a different colour every time a move is made.

Number 3 (Petra)
Giggle Hopscotch is aimed at a child market. The concept is to have pressure sensors under each square of a hopscotch mat, and when children play hopscotch a variety of giggles will occur depending on the square that is activated.

Number 4 (Harrison)
Light Image involves a grid of sensors on the floor: the user is given 15 steps on the grid. Each step of which shines a light on the wall. The different combinations of steps on the grid create different lit up images. The user gets a total of 3 tries and reveal the image before the image is changed to another one. This is targeted towards all ages. The audience should get a feeling that they are personally creating an artistic piece of work.

Number 5 (Harrison)
Air drums: 5 dots on the floor represent a set of sensors that act as drums. As the user hits down above the sensor the sound is triggered. The drumming animates a silhouette person dancing as well as an animated background both of which move at a speed according to the bpm. This animation is shown on a projection. Once the user has finished the drumming they can replay the animation and the drumming that they have created. The audience should get a feeling that they are creating their own music video.

Number 6 (Dean)
The Educational Floor: there will be a grid laid out on the floor with a number of different shapes, colours or numbers. When a user comes along and stands on a particular shape or number, than an image of that shape or number will be projected onto the wall. A group of colours will be next to it, so the user will place one foot on the shape of choice and one on the colour of choice then that shape in that colour will be projected, and for the number.

Number7 (Joy)
The entire floor in the physical area we are using is covered in touch screens. As a person steps on this floor at certain points, a projection is visualised by the participant possibly on the floor itself, but more creatively; in 3d around them. The images seen by the user could resemble peoples faces, as though the user was stepping on a persons grave. At the same time, small gusts of cold air would be circulating to create a "goose bump" effect, and swishy wind sounds can be heard.

Number 8 (Diem)
Step of Dance: A dancing display that reflect from normal footsteps. When the audience walk in, the floor will calculate the speed, the distance, the direction, and the strength of each step and generate that data into a dance that is perfomed accordingly. The audience can experiment each of their own movements as a beautiful dance.