Tuesday, March 27, 2012
CCCCs, Research Network Forum
As we continue to spread the word about the Fort Vancouver Mobile project around the country, I (Brett) was in St. Louis, Mo., last week, giving a presentation on aspects of this project at the Conference on College Composition and Communication. This conference, which attracts about 3,000 people, also offered a Research Network Forum, in which I was able to serve as discussion leader for two sessions, while also talking about the FVM project in depth to a variety of interested parties informally as well. In short, the trip was a great success, and many more people learned about the project, including some of you who might be reading this now. For those newcomers, welcome, and please let me know if you have any other questions.
Next round of FVM app slides
Lead designer Marsha Matta has created the next round of slides to consider for the launch of the FVM app in June. ... Here are the images, with issues for discussions raised below.
Typography:
We have been using typography embedded on images, which looks fine, but that approach does not allow for ADA accessibility, because the web page readers cannot determine what on the image is text and what is not. So our plan is to place the text separately on the images, through HTML, which the readers can pick up. Yet that creates a new problem, of which font to use. Here is a list of all of the universal fonts that most machines can translate directly. None of them are particularly attractive. In earlier versions, we have tested a variety of sans-serif fonts (because those are easier to read at smaller sizes), including Tahoma, Arial and Trebuchet. Here is a look at Helvetica and Georgia (a serifed font):
Of all of the versions we have seen (thanks for your patience, Marsha!), I think Helvetica looks like the best fit. Anyone disagree? Comments? ...
Launcher icon:
We continue to refine the launcher icon ideas, going from the bastion and outside views, to the more metaphoric idea of the palisade and gate as a portal through which visitors will walk.
I'm thinking that the launcher icon should lead to the opening screen, which are developing below. ... I have mixed feelings about the open gate versus the closed gate. I like the idea of an open gate as welcoming, but I also like the closed gate image as something that needs to be opened and stepped through, so that's the place in which I lean at this moment. Thoughts?
Opening screens:
Although we only show a static image below, these opening screens actually are quick animations of the gate swinging open, with other details in movement as well. I really like the textures and colors that Marsha has developed in these images over time. What do you think of them?
Kanaka module:
New images developing the look of the Kanaka module
Kane module:
Alternative opening screens for the Kane module
New Twitter-like screen alternatives:
Again, a typography question ...
And one other integral screen under development, to show prompts:
Comments on any of these are encouraged and appreciated. Just post below.
Typography:
We have been using typography embedded on images, which looks fine, but that approach does not allow for ADA accessibility, because the web page readers cannot determine what on the image is text and what is not. So our plan is to place the text separately on the images, through HTML, which the readers can pick up. Yet that creates a new problem, of which font to use. Here is a list of all of the universal fonts that most machines can translate directly. None of them are particularly attractive. In earlier versions, we have tested a variety of sans-serif fonts (because those are easier to read at smaller sizes), including Tahoma, Arial and Trebuchet. Here is a look at Helvetica and Georgia (a serifed font):
Of all of the versions we have seen (thanks for your patience, Marsha!), I think Helvetica looks like the best fit. Anyone disagree? Comments? ...
Launcher icon:
We continue to refine the launcher icon ideas, going from the bastion and outside views, to the more metaphoric idea of the palisade and gate as a portal through which visitors will walk.
I'm thinking that the launcher icon should lead to the opening screen, which are developing below. ... I have mixed feelings about the open gate versus the closed gate. I like the idea of an open gate as welcoming, but I also like the closed gate image as something that needs to be opened and stepped through, so that's the place in which I lean at this moment. Thoughts?
Opening screens:
Although we only show a static image below, these opening screens actually are quick animations of the gate swinging open, with other details in movement as well. I really like the textures and colors that Marsha has developed in these images over time. What do you think of them?
Kanaka module:
New images developing the look of the Kanaka module
Kane module:
Alternative opening screens for the Kane module
New Twitter-like screen alternatives:
Again, a typography question ...
And one other integral screen under development, to show prompts:
Comments on any of these are encouraged and appreciated. Just post below.
Friday, March 23, 2012
XID plant identification app on the market
FVM content partner Dr. Richard Old recently released his independent plant identification app XID (Expert Identification System) in Google Play (formerly known as Android Market; have to say, by the way, that I like the Android Market name better). ... Anyway, our goal in working together is to eventually bring a Fort Vancouver version of this system to the site, maybe integrated into a gaming format, that helps visitors to learn of the flora in the region in fun and engaging ways. Richard is off to a great start with XID. Congratulations!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
More draft screen shots
More draft screen shots by Marsha Matta:
These three are part of animations, splitting the initial experience into two main paths (one for people at the site and one for people away from the site; for those away from the site, the gates don't open, so those users see that they cannot reach the geolocated media gold, but they still can use the menu buttons to reach off-site material, or the haversack; we are calling this section of the app the FVM geo-fork):
The Tobiason turntable is reached through the "paths" button, in which swiping screens lead to different modules, one of which is the Kanaka (or native Hawaiian) module. Here is the opening path screen, the Kanaka turntable screen and a mock Kanaka search screen (showing users how to reach the next point of geo-gold):
Marsha also sent over these suggested tool bars for the bottom section of the app:
Comments, feedback, ideas, criticisms? What do you think of these?
These three are part of animations, splitting the initial experience into two main paths (one for people at the site and one for people away from the site; for those away from the site, the gates don't open, so those users see that they cannot reach the geolocated media gold, but they still can use the menu buttons to reach off-site material, or the haversack; we are calling this section of the app the FVM geo-fork):
The Tobiason turntable is reached through the "paths" button, in which swiping screens lead to different modules, one of which is the Kanaka (or native Hawaiian) module. Here is the opening path screen, the Kanaka turntable screen and a mock Kanaka search screen (showing users how to reach the next point of geo-gold):
Marsha also sent over these suggested tool bars for the bottom section of the app:
Comments, feedback, ideas, criticisms? What do you think of these?
Next iteration of the launcher icon ...
We like the way the Fort Vancouver palisade and gate could symbolically open up the app to visitors, so lead multimedia designer Marsha Matta has created this array of potential launcher icons. What do you think?
Friday, March 16, 2012
Getting Out the Word in Las Vegas & Washington D.C.
This past week, I (Greg) had the honor of attending and presenting at the 2012 Annual Partnership Convention for the Association of Partners for Public Lands (APPL) in Las Vegas.
APPL is a membership-based association of nonprofit organizations operating under formal agreements with government land management agencies, including including the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, and many state, regional, county, and municipal parks and forests. The mission of APPL is "to foster stewardship and appreciation of public lands and historic sites through effective partnerships."
John Tobiason, the NPS' talented social media specialist at the Harpers Ferry Center, and I presented a session on social media and partnerships. To our excitement, we had overflow attendance, despite our late afternoon time slot, and folks kept us an additional hour and a half with engaging questions and discussion.
Although our presentation focused primarily on best partnership practices via social media tools Twitter and Facebook, I was able to discuss briefly the benefits of agency/university partnerships (as differentiated from agency/cooperating association and non-profit partnerships) and use the Fort Vancouver Mobile Project as a nontraditional model of sustained collaboration benefitting the public good.
From the unsolicited comments and feedback I received from attendees -- including members of the NPS Directorate in Washington D.C. -- the FVM project and partnership is on radar screens and fast becoming a national model for mobile interpretation. The FVM was even recently discussed at the White House, as part of the national Let's Move! initiative. Good times!
--Greg Shine
APPL is a membership-based association of nonprofit organizations operating under formal agreements with government land management agencies, including including the National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Bureau of Reclamation, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Geological Survey, and many state, regional, county, and municipal parks and forests. The mission of APPL is "to foster stewardship and appreciation of public lands and historic sites through effective partnerships."
John Tobiason, the NPS' talented social media specialist at the Harpers Ferry Center, and I presented a session on social media and partnerships. To our excitement, we had overflow attendance, despite our late afternoon time slot, and folks kept us an additional hour and a half with engaging questions and discussion.
Although our presentation focused primarily on best partnership practices via social media tools Twitter and Facebook, I was able to discuss briefly the benefits of agency/university partnerships (as differentiated from agency/cooperating association and non-profit partnerships) and use the Fort Vancouver Mobile Project as a nontraditional model of sustained collaboration benefitting the public good.
From the unsolicited comments and feedback I received from attendees -- including members of the NPS Directorate in Washington D.C. -- the FVM project and partnership is on radar screens and fast becoming a national model for mobile interpretation. The FVM was even recently discussed at the White House, as part of the national Let's Move! initiative. Good times!
--Greg Shine
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Digital Storytelling class from WSU Vancouver on site, beta testing the app
Another WSU Vancouver class came to Fort Vancouver recently to beta test the FVM app. DTC 354 Digital Storytelling, co-taught by Dr. Dene Grigar and Greg Shine (chief ranger at Fort Vancouver), has been focusing its work on making mobile media for the FVM app, related to women's issues and gender.
This is the second DTC 354 class to have such a focus. The first, which I taught in the fall of 2010, worked in two teams to generate production plans for independent modules. One of those, Kane's Wanderings, is nearly complete and will be included in the app launched to the public in June. The second, about the story of the Old Apple Tree, also is under production. Our hope is that the DTC 354 class this time generates more potential modules and ideas for this kind of work. The students are using Jason Farman's fantastic new scholarly book, "Mobile Interface Theory," as a foundational text.
Here is a photograph of the group with the book and the app (all images courtesy of Cassie Anderson, National Park Service):
And a couple of individual images of the students on site, using the beta version of the app:
This is the second DTC 354 class to have such a focus. The first, which I taught in the fall of 2010, worked in two teams to generate production plans for independent modules. One of those, Kane's Wanderings, is nearly complete and will be included in the app launched to the public in June. The second, about the story of the Old Apple Tree, also is under production. Our hope is that the DTC 354 class this time generates more potential modules and ideas for this kind of work. The students are using Jason Farman's fantastic new scholarly book, "Mobile Interface Theory," as a foundational text.
Here is a photograph of the group with the book and the app (all images courtesy of Cassie Anderson, National Park Service):
And a couple of individual images of the students on site, using the beta version of the app:
Guest appearance at the National Park Service's second Digital Media Webinar
Greg Shine, Chief Ranger at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, talked at length in August about the Fort Vancouver Mobile project as part of the National Park Service's first Digital Media Webinar, which I joined asynchronously through blog posts here and synchronously through Twitter. This time around, in late January, the National Park Service was kind enough to invite me to participate directly via a webcam presentation, asking me to talk about the project and on the subject of mobile media. Another 60 or so employees from throughout national parks in the U.S. & territories (such as Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam) joined the Webinar, looked at clips of the project and talked about its potential as a model for mobile media interpretation at historic sites throughout the agency's system.
Some of the comments from the chat stream included:
* "I like that the ranger is learning along with the visitor!"
* "It really gives the visitor the idea of being there as the archeological discovery is made."
* "I like that the visitor is part of the discovery"
* "good catchy intro to get you to want to watch more"
* "it's great how much is conveyed without narration"
* "Without the use of much audio there is still a lot of emotion, the quality of video makes a big difference too. This is not homemade-Waynes world made"
* "Great way to interpret"
* "great for kids"
* "the students would not only be empowered to put their own expression into it, but they would also make their own connections to the resource"
* "save trees"
* "people are asking way more for app creation!"
* "Inspiring brett"
* And, best of all: "Wow!"
Thanks again, NPS, for asking me to participate. I really enjoyed the experience.
Some of the comments from the chat stream included:
* "I like that the ranger is learning along with the visitor!"
* "It really gives the visitor the idea of being there as the archeological discovery is made."
* "I like that the visitor is part of the discovery"
* "good catchy intro to get you to want to watch more"
* "it's great how much is conveyed without narration"
* "Without the use of much audio there is still a lot of emotion, the quality of video makes a big difference too. This is not homemade-Waynes world made"
* "Great way to interpret"
* "great for kids"
* "the students would not only be empowered to put their own expression into it, but they would also make their own connections to the resource"
* "save trees"
* "people are asking way more for app creation!"
* "Inspiring brett"
* And, best of all: "Wow!"
Thanks again, NPS, for asking me to participate. I really enjoyed the experience.
NEH Lightning Round presentation by Dr. Grigar
As part of the NEH grant funding, Dr. Dene Grigar went to Washington, D.C., to present information about the Fort Vancouver Mobile project to other grant recipients and NEH staff. Here is a video of that presentation:
Excellent work, Dene! ...
Excellent work, Dene! ...
Saturday, February 25, 2012
More redesign slides for consideration
Lead multimedia designer Marsha Matta has submitted a variety of slides for consideration in the upcoming FVM app redesign.
We are starting to dig down into the overall flow of the app, from launcher icon to common transition screens. What do you think of these?
Using the gate as the opening metaphor:
A screen to explain a particular aspect of the situation ...
A general context screen ...
Picking a module ...
Triggering a GPS hotspot ...
Kanaka intro screen ...
Kanaka prompt screen ...
Kanaka keyboard input screen ...
We are starting to dig down into the overall flow of the app, from launcher icon to common transition screens. What do you think of these?
Using the gate as the opening metaphor:
A screen to explain a particular aspect of the situation ...
A general context screen ...
Picking a module ...
Triggering a GPS hotspot ...
Kanaka intro screen ...
Kanaka prompt screen ...
Kanaka keyboard input screen ...
Thursday, February 16, 2012
The National Park Service messenger bags have arrived, more gear on the way!
Fort Vancouver's Chief Ranger Greg Shine just let me know that the 25 waterproof messenger bags the National Park Service donated to this project (valued at about $700) have arrived and are en route now to WSU Vancouver. Those will provide a portable and durable way for a full studio class (of 24 students and an instructor) to work together on mobile media production at Fort Vancouver at one time, while keeping the equipment organized and safe. Greg also let me know that the federal agency will be lending us several other pieces of media production equipment to be used during the next few months, as part of the continued development of the interpretive content within the app and the growing partnership between WSU Vancouver and Fort Vancouver. What fabulous news! Thanks again, Greg!
Please welcome Sola Adesope to the FVM team
At our core, we are studying with this Fort Vancouver Mobile project the ways in which people learn best through mobile technology. So I have been searching for a while to find a pedagogical researcher with a strong interest, expertise and background in new media technologies to join our team. Turns out, this ideal person was closer 
than I imagined, after a conversation today with Dr. Olusola Adesope of Washington State University in Pullman.
Sola, as he likes to be called, studied computer science as an undergraduate and through his graduate studies has migrated to the "intersection of educational psychology, learning sciences, instructional design and technology." We still are working out many of the details of his participation in the project, but at this point, he and I are eager to get our research agendas overlapping in important places and to see what comes of that synergy. ... Welcome, once again, Sola!
Sola, as he likes to be called, studied computer science as an undergraduate and through his graduate studies has migrated to the "intersection of educational psychology, learning sciences, instructional design and technology." We still are working out many of the details of his participation in the project, but at this point, he and I are eager to get our research agendas overlapping in important places and to see what comes of that synergy. ... Welcome, once again, Sola!
Initial opening screen designs
Lead designer Marsha Matta is continuing to work hard on the redesign of the Fort Vancouver Mobile app, in preparation for the app's public launch on June 9. Note here that we are transitioning from a fixed horizontal design, to a mixed-orientation design, in which the mobile device primarily will be held in a vertical orientation but that users also will have the opportunity to turn the device horizontal for some activities, such as watching videos.
Marsha wrote today to say she also is considering a new variation of this design, using the stockade gate as the primary symbol, instead of the bastion, but those designs will need to be posted later. Right now, what we have is three variations of the opening screen (the one users reach when they press the launcher icon on their home screens). ... Look carefully at the button/menu placement, appearance, icons, etc., as we also transition into a carousel effect, suggested by John Tobiason of the National Park Service. With this approach, users will be able to enter a module selection arena and swipe the screens, to carousel through interactive narrative options.
By the way, lead web developer Joe Oppegaard, also has been working very hard to make this new design possible. He simultaneously has been building the coding framework for such an approach, incorporating Sencha Touch, and we are getting close to publishing a prototype code design to house this new work by Matta.
But for now, let's focus on the designs below. What do you like? Not like? Suggestions for improvements? Please post below.
Opening screen 1
Opening screen 2
Opening screen 3
Kanaka 1
Kanaka 2
Kane 1
Marsha wrote today to say she also is considering a new variation of this design, using the stockade gate as the primary symbol, instead of the bastion, but those designs will need to be posted later. Right now, what we have is three variations of the opening screen (the one users reach when they press the launcher icon on their home screens). ... Look carefully at the button/menu placement, appearance, icons, etc., as we also transition into a carousel effect, suggested by John Tobiason of the National Park Service. With this approach, users will be able to enter a module selection arena and swipe the screens, to carousel through interactive narrative options.
By the way, lead web developer Joe Oppegaard, also has been working very hard to make this new design possible. He simultaneously has been building the coding framework for such an approach, incorporating Sencha Touch, and we are getting close to publishing a prototype code design to house this new work by Matta.
But for now, let's focus on the designs below. What do you like? Not like? Suggestions for improvements? Please post below.
Opening screen 1
Opening screen 2
Opening screen 3
Kanaka 1
Kanaka 2
Kane 1
Monday, February 13, 2012
More button designs
Lead multimedia designer Marsha Matta has submitted another round of designs for the primary app button, as we continue the FVM app redesign, in preparation for the public launch in June.
Marsha noted that by including the black bar and National Park Service logo, the design inherently gravitates toward a boxed shape, yet a more dynamic button could be created without the frame. Any suggestions for getting around this issue? Any comments on a design preference? Please post below.
Dene Grigar sent back the suggestion of stylizing the fort even more, with less detail and more visual punch. ... Here are the rough images Marsha made in response:
Response to those?
Marsha noted that by including the black bar and National Park Service logo, the design inherently gravitates toward a boxed shape, yet a more dynamic button could be created without the frame. Any suggestions for getting around this issue? Any comments on a design preference? Please post below.
Dene Grigar sent back the suggestion of stylizing the fort even more, with less detail and more visual punch. ... Here are the rough images Marsha made in response:
Response to those?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)