Digital Media Alice Thorpe

In terms of the design of the interface itself, I like how colourful it is which is the style that I was going for. I do feel like some older users may find this a little childlike in some cases, so I feel like an addition could be customisable colour schemes to suit each individuals user, creating an even more personal experience. If I were to spend more time on this project I would like to include this option. The Adobe XD prototype works really well and allows the concept to be visualised and put to use as if it was a working product. I like that I was able to test it out on my on phone to see how the different screens worked alongside each other. Using the phone screen recording software I was also able to create a little demo reel of the app in use to show the different screens and how they work together, I like that I have this extra element to showcase my concept.

For the promotion animation, I am especially happy with how this turned out. I believe that it looks professional and really gives potential users a good insight into the concept and how it could help them. I was very happy that I decided to pay a small amount for a pre-made template as this did save me a lot of time, allowing me to concentrate on other elements of my concept. Although I would know how to create the template from scratch I thought this would be a more effective use of my time and the resources I had available to me. The final animation looks sleek and professional, one thing that I would like to change however would be the quality of the audio just to give it that complete polished looked.

I am especially happy with how I composed the example animation, I decided to make use of the puppet tools in Adobe After Effects which I think gives it personality and sense of realism when squeezing the toothbrush, the bristles moving and the toothpaste itself. I think that the animation is clear and gets to the point without being too fussy or over the top, hopefully, this will make it easy to follow for the users. I would like to have explored the idea of having a voiceover but was a little worried that I could become a little patronising so maybe this could also be an optional extra that can be selected by the users when they personalise the application.

Overall, I believe that I completed this project to a high standard and managed to complete the core aims of the concept that I had in mind. I feel like I managed to really show how I wanted my concept to work and how it could help aid people and becoming a working application. Ideally, I would like to complete some further work showcasing the final project, such as a short video of the app in use and users feedback. However, I do believe that through the various different outputs that I have created, you can really visualise and get to grips with how the final application is intended to be.

 

 

In reflection of this project, I am very pleased with the outcome that I achieved, however, there are some things that I would like to improve on if I were to complete this again. My initial idea was to create a media product that would effectively assist both children and adults who have memory loss or learning difficulties, that struggle with everyday tasks. The aim was to create a product that could be tailored to suit individuals personal needs and record their progress. Whilst enabling them to gain independence and develop a sense of achievement. I wanted to make sure that this product would appeal and be useful to a wide range of people so that it is widely accessible. I also wanted to look at the possibility of including a rewards systems and an admin login for parents / carers to set and monitor various tasks.

Due to the topic that I decided to follow for this project, I needed to conduct significant research in order to gain enough information and knowledge before starting. I wanted to make sure that this would help people rather than hinder them so wanted to ensure that it was simple to use and offered helpful tips and reminders throughout. To do this I decided to interview some people who have contact with individuals that may benefit from this media product. From this feedback, I was able to further my development and keep their comments in mind when designing and building the interface. I decided to stick to a simple colour theme that tied in with the logo and was bright but still easy on the eye. I wanted to avoid it looking too clinical, or in contrast, too childlike. I feel like I was able to find a good balance in the design and managed to develop a simple, effective and aesthetically pleasing interface.

I enjoyed the challenge of designing the app and various different components to it as it allowed me to use a variety of different skills that I had a chance to develop in Semester A and really put them to practice in a ‘real world’ situation. When deciding on the design I wanted to use a simple layout that used symbols to further enforce what each function means. Alongside the interface design, I was able to create a demo reel of the app in use. I then integrated the demo into an animated advertisement that could be used to promote the application when encouraging users to download or when applying for funding. And finally, I was able to create an example animation of brushing your teeth, that would play as an instructional video within the app itself. Ideally, I would have liked to make a short showreel of the app in use, using real life actors and possibly using motion tracking to apply the app to their phone screens. If I were to complete this project again I would account for the time needed to complete this additional element.

Overall, I believe that I completed the core aims of my product successfully and really did manage to convey its meaning and demonstrate how it would work and could help individuals.

Research

For this in-app animation I first need to gather some ideas and look at similar existing animations.

 

After looking online for different examples I did notice that the majority of the instructional animations were directed towards children. However, because my app isn’t solely for a child I wanted to ensure that it appealed to a wide range of ages without patronising or confusing anyone.

I worked to create an asset file that would house the various different elements that I need to make my animation. I looked online for existing artwork to use as inspiration and used the pen tool in Adobe Illustrator to create my own vectors and adapt them to suit they style I needed.

 

I decided to keep the animation simple and use block colours so that it tied in with the design of my app interface.

The hand template is the same one that is used in the promotional advert. However, I added more fingers and duplicated it to give the effect of the hand making a fist to squeeze out the toothpaste. Using Adobe After Effects I structured the different elements that I had created, in the order that I wanted and got to work on animating them all to work together. I used the puppet tool to mould the toothpaste tube into the hand so that you see the effect of it being squeezed as the fist closes.

 

 

I used the same puppet tool to manipulate the blob of toothpaste as well as the bristles of the toothbrush in time with the brushing motion.

 

I added some music to the animation which can be muted if needed, I was originally going to add a voiceover to the animation too, however, I didn’t want to come across too patronising so decided to leave it out. If I decide to add this further down the line it’ll be relatively easy to add.

 

 

I wanted to create an advert that could be used to promote Assist Me and encourage users to download and give the app a go. In order to do this I sketched out a few ideas to create in Adobe Illustrator and After Effects.

Whilst searching the internet for inspiration I came across a collection of different templates for use as promotional adverts in app design. And particulalrly liked the look of one that fit my design scheme. I decided it was more time efficient to use this resource and tailor it to my needs as opposed to creating the whole thing from scratch.

http://zwelly.com/shop/mobile-app-after-effects-template/

After downloading the template I got to work on making it my own and adjusting some colour settings so that it fit the colour scheme. I also inserted the demo video that I recorded into the advert so that you can see the app working alongside the promotional animation contnent of the phone and the hand with swiping gestures.

 

 

I changed the text and font to fit the style of my brand and worked around the different timings and transitions so that it was at a suitable length and looked smooth.

 

Finally, I wanted to add a voiceover to explain the app, alongwith some uplifting music to keep the animation fun.

 

I used Final Cut Pro X to add the voiceover and music, along with some transitions to ease in and out.

This is my final animation that will be used to advertise my media concept. I really like how this turned out. It is clear and simple to understand and uses smooth movements and complementary colour choices that work well with my interface design. The voice over and music really seem to finish off this piece and bring it to life. Overall I am very happy with how this element turned out.

In order to get a feel for my design in use I wanted to include some mockups of the app being used on a phone screen.