Digital Prototype Redo (03/26/14)

I redid my digital Prototype for the New York Tides App

Tablet App Ideas (03/26/14)

So with keeping the criteria in my last post in mind, I got back to brainstorming.

• Ask a Mechanic App that gives instructions on how to fix car problems that you type in. If you decide you can not fix it yourself it will link you to a local garage. My reasoning for this app is that there are some cases where a person with little to no knowledge of cars can fix a simple problem on their own. By typing in your car problem a video of a mechanic will answer your question and or will show you how to fix the car yourself. They can show how to change oil or a tire or spark plugs etc. Some car problems are large and require immediate attention. Recommendations can be made to where to find a reputable mechanic in your area. Reviews of the Mechanic can be viewed on the app. Rough idea of pricing can give the user an idea of what is an reasonable price of the repair. Many people have no idea what repairs should cost. This aspect of the app can save people money.  In the cases of a broken down car an app would be good to give the name and telephone number of the nearest repair station or towing company.

In my research of apps I found that they were some very similar mechanic apps to this. However I do not see that they do quite what I am designing. I did not find an app where a user could type a question and a video would answer and demonstrate how to do the repair, and make recommendations for pricing as well as repair garages.

Similar Apps:

Repair Pal app is an example of giving pricing for car repairs and mechanic recommendations.

iFixit: Repair Manual is an app with the largest repair manual with DIY guides.

Ask a Doctor- is a similar idea to Ask a Mechanic

• QU Shuttles schedule-This app will tell you exactly what time and where the next shuttle will be picking up and arriving at locations. Right now this information is on the quick links on the QU website. A quick look at this app will save the user from having to navigate through the website. This could also be made as a widget. This is a great app for QU students that rely on the shuttle to take them to Hamden and New Haven.  According the the Quinnipiac University website there is approximate 6200 undergraduates at Quinnipiac with 4000 living on campus. Taking the shuttle to shop in Hamden or to go out in New Haven many students rely on the 12 shuttles.  This app will make looking up shuttle schedule easier and will provide valuable information.

In my research I have found that there is an app for Quinnipiac but surprisingly to me, there shuttle schedule is not included in it.

Some apps to get inspiration from could be:

Amtrak

• 3 dice and your out game- This is a game I designed in one of the GDD classes I took. It a simple version of baseball using the roll of dice. It is a quick and easy game that requires a basic knowledge of baseball. It is a simple enough that you can multitask while playing which I believe will appeal to many. With the dice and the baseball theme it will be reminiscent of childhood games. Variations can be made to the game to make different and more challenging levels.

My research shows that games such as Candy Crush is very popular and is making a lot of money. Candy Crush is scheduled to become a publicly traded stock. The appeal to candy crush besides the simplicity is that it “taps into the inner child.” The board is very similar to the game Candy Land and appeals to people of all ages. It has in particular appealed to women.

Works Cited

Dockterman, Eliana. “Candy Crush Saga The Science Behind Our Addiction.” Time: n. pag. TIME. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. <http://business.time.com/2013/11/15 candy-crush-saga-science-behind-our-addiction>.

• Adobe Creative Cloud for tablet-This would be great for tablet or smartphone to be able to create some creative pieces while being mobile. I have not found this app or any one like it. This would appeal to many designers who visit clients. The tablet is an easier device to carry and to travel with.

In researching I have not found any apps that seem to be in any way similar.

App Brainstorming (03/26/14)

This week’s assignment is to think of some ideas for new apps. It seems that in a relatively short amount of time the population of apps has exploded. There is an app for just about everything you can think of.  With my phone opened to the app store in my hand I began to brainstorm. Most of my ideas led to the realization that that app and many more like it have already been created. I next decided to look for articles on app development to get some ideas. But before I get to those articles I began to read an article about Dong Nguyen and the app Flappy Bird. It was not exactly inspiration for my assignment but it is interesting. In the Business Insider article “Dong Nguyen May Have Lost the Rights to Flappy Bird”, Paula Mooney writes based on the Venture Beat article, that the 28 year old computer kid from Vietnam who created Flappy Bird may put the app back on the app store. However, Nguyen may have a problem with Apple who may now have the rights to the game. The most amazing part of this story to me is a few things. It is reported that Nguyen developed the game in two days. It is also reported that the creator was making $50,000 per day in advertising revenue. Nguyen claims he removed the game because its popularity was causing him stress. Others are suggesting that the artwork used may have belonged to another game.

Now to articles that will hopefully help me in my inspiration.

I read the appsolute genius blog entry “What Makes a Great Mobile App. It suggests:

1. Make something easier. In other words, create an app that makes ordinary tasks easier for the user.

2. Provide valuable information Example: sports scores, bus schedule etc.

3. Pushed information tailored to your interests. Example notice of deposit to your account.

4. Fun and Entertaining- Example: games.

5. Saves money-Example coupon apps.

Works Cited

Mooney, Paula. “Dong Nguyen May Have Lost The Rights to Flappy Bird.” Business Insider 23 Mar. 2014: n. pag. Print.

“What Makes a Great Mobile App.” appsolute genius. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. <http://appsolutegenius.com/blog/great-mobile-app>.

User Experience (03/19/14)

This week I retested my paper prototype. This time I had a friend who had no previous experience with my app try it. To give direction I introduced the app and gave simple instructions to my user. The feedback from my user was that the app was simple to use and appears to be useful. 

Unfortunately I did run into some or a lot of technical difficulty. It turns out that my camera had a bunch of pictures on it, taking up too much of the memory. The recording cut off mid way. It took several attempts at recording the user experience before I finally realized the problem. Once I deleted the pictures from the camera I was able to complete the video. It was frustrating but a good lesson learned.  I then uploaded the video to YouTube. 

This week I also had my digital prototype tested. Using my same friend I instructed how to use it. The feedback was very positive. One critique was that changing the day was not obvious. But I realized that is because in my prototype you can not swipe. Once the app is up and running, swiping will not be an issue. Changing the date then will be obvious. 

I recorded my user with QuickTime Player. I uploaded this to YouTube as well.

Digital Prototype (03/05/14)

This week I re-tested my paper prototype using a user other than myself.

After being satisfied with my paper prototype I began preparing to make my screen prototype. For my screen prototype, I used the app service, NinjaMock http://ninjamock.com/. This app service was a very useful and easy to use program which allowed me to make a clean looking prototype based off my paper prototype.

First thing I it did when I started the program was decide  what device was my app going to be used on. It gave me the options of iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone (not sure if anyone uses those), Microsoft Surface, www (web), and Free hand. After choosing the Android, I was then given a phone template and a set of tools in which I could create my prototype such as buttons, symbols, action bars, etc. With these tools I was able to create all the functions my app required such as locations, date, high/low tides, and submenus. The hardest part was linking each page together. To know that each button was linked to the proper page I tested the app several times just like how I had done with the paper prototype. Another issue I had was trying to make the app function so that when you wanted to go to the next day, you would make a small swipe on the screen. To fix this, I made an invisible button that takes the user to the next date when pressed.