tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.comments2016-10-01T11:23:10.791-07:00CS3216 BlogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13498449560079356032noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-3037858875952063332016-10-01T11:23:10.791-07:002016-10-01T11:23:10.791-07:00Haha, great to see the idea on anonymous chat bein...Haha, great to see the idea on anonymous chat being picked up by your group. I think this is definitely a better approach to execute the idea, without tying it to a particular platform. I image it would something like a mix of Quora, facebook and old-style IRC. Very interesting.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02901252024039804433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-60899316878903949192016-09-23T23:40:04.876-07:002016-09-23T23:40:04.876-07:00It's also possible that people are resistant t...It's also possible that people are resistant to change and that contributes to part of the pain when adopting a new solution. Over time, when people are used to it it might be better instead.Yangshunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072705119463751915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-84963275612822620352016-09-11T09:08:19.088-07:002016-09-11T09:08:19.088-07:00Uhm... I think external pitching is for the final ...Uhm... I think external pitching is for the final assignment (assignment 4) not assignment 3. Or is the mobile interface for NUSMods your assignment 4 idea?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02901252024039804433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-65242867006845864822016-09-04T07:43:57.420-07:002016-09-04T07:43:57.420-07:00Weighing in on this topic, I think that as Singapo...Weighing in on this topic, I think that as Singaporeans, many of us are very price sensitive (especially poor uni students like us :/). I feel that there would definitely be a market for free printing and delivery services, if not among professional artist, but among not as well-to-do people who want to try this craft, or even users who want to dabble in design like us.<br /><br />Imagine if you are able to draw some stuff on paper and get it printed for free (with free shipping), how cool is that!!!Kai Yihttp://kaikaiyi.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-6999551895279548732016-09-04T07:23:10.293-07:002016-09-04T07:23:10.293-07:00Hello Zhang, thank you for responding to my commen...Hello Zhang, thank you for responding to my comment and for providing me with the opportunity to clarify my proposal.<br /><br />I have done my research, and I am aware of Book. There’s no question that it is a premium product that would not be compatible with Spark Asia's advertising model. My suggestion, however, is not about integrating Spark Asia’s advertising model with existing Book prints.<br /><br />My suggestion is about introducing a free option which caters to budding/up-and-coming artists, as well as those who are struggling to make ends meet in freelance work. In this alternative, users will receive a hard copy of their drawing with advertisements printed on the back of their drawing (the formalistic integrity of the work will be left undisturbed.) This provides young artists with the chance to have hard copies of their amateur/experimental work without burning a hole in their pocket.<br /><br />This could be an option alongside the premium Moleskine print. Seeing their work in print might encourage artists who are on the fence about paying for prints to eventually want a Moleskine for the drawings they like the most. I find it important to create accessible services which are available to young or lower-income users, especially if it might provide them with the opportunity to advance their craft.<br /><br />I encourage you to offer your thoughts if you still find my suggestion patently ridiculous.Chua Yao Huihttp://superburrito.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-62409878253023039042016-09-04T06:51:48.670-07:002016-09-04T06:51:48.670-07:00Hi Michelle!
I like that you mentioned the move t...Hi Michelle!<br /><br />I like that you mentioned the move towards productivity apps. This is only my opinion, but I think that the initial target of artists and designers are a lost cause for Paper and Pencil.<br /><br />I follow a few digital artists, mostly from web comic fame(julia lepetit and jake young from dorkly are some of my favs, also drawfee by nathan yaffe and caldwell tanner on Youtube is pretty awesome), and they mostly use Photoshop with bamboo.<br /><br />The problem with Paper and Pencil isn't their product, but rather their competition is not only more established, they also have a more complete product. When people digitize processes, they usually do it for greater efficiency and convenience. Having features such as layers and lasso in the case of Photoshop make it a very good platform for digital artists. Furthermore, the community around Photoshop with the brushes extension is so well established, trying to go against them is a tough uphill battle.<br /><br />Pencil was pretty good at the time of its release. However, unlike the Apple Pencil, they had to work around the technology limitations of the iPads, since that was something they could not upgrade. This means that while they had the first mover advantage, they need to make a better product if they want to compete with the Apple Pencil.<br /><br />Changing course towards being a productivity app might actually be the correct choice, as I've not yet used a good and intuitive productivity app on the ipad, and this includes Evernote(which is facing financial difficulties), as well as notability. The competition currently is weak and as Bjorn taught us during the seminar, choose battles you can win. Given Paper's intuitive UI design, I am certain they can be the productivity app that Evernote wish they were.<br />Ten Zhi Yanghttp://tzyinc.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-3667753848695362592016-09-04T05:20:46.063-07:002016-09-04T05:20:46.063-07:00Hi Michelle :D! I had the same experience of being...Hi Michelle :D! I had the same experience of being the only one in a full-developer team who has design experience. Many tech people want to concentrate more on solving the tech problems rather than consider about the user experience, and some of them are just like what you say, thinking design is something can only be done by those who have talents in it, but this is really not the case. From my personal experience, I can tell that drawing and design are completely different things. It’s fine that you are not able to think like an artist when designing. Design is more about thinking, about analysing, about organising and about coming up with solutions. Of course a good designer needs creativity and aesthetic, but logical skills are more important here. Therefore, looking at other’s designs and thinking of the reason behind such design is a good way to learn about designing. Paper is definitely an app that takes design seriously, as I can tell from its beautiful UI and smooth UX. A good design encourages users to use the product more. Suppose there is an app is so awesome that it has tons of amazing features, without an appealing design, users may not even want to take a closer look at what is inside.<br /><br />And I like your idea of being brave to change. It may sounds simple, but everyone knows it is far more difficult to do than to say. There are so many examples where a faulty change leads to a big failure. Before making a big change, it is important to prepare fully and be cautious. There are few cases where a sudden change results in a sudden huge success, therefore it is also very important to observe the changing circumstance and to adjust the changes in time. For example, a successful business decision should be adapted according to the changing marketing needs. And Paper did a great job in doing so. It evaluates constantly and change constantly, and the result turns out to be successful.You Jinghttp://yucca3217.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-66403581501442396592016-09-04T04:29:05.088-07:002016-09-04T04:29:05.088-07:00Hi Michelle,
Nice evaluation on Paper and Pencil...Hi Michelle, <br /><br />Nice evaluation on Paper and Pencil. Personally, I did try Paper when it was released in 2012 because of its nice graphics and tools but I was no serious artist, and the app ended up being nicely parked in my iPad mini since then. I'm pretty sure that goes for a lot of non-artist users who wanted something hipster looking in their device. Hence, I think the point brought up by you in the evolution of Paper in terms of business model and target users really brought up the essence of how businesses have to keep improving and testing new grounds to capture new market share. <br /><br />Nice read :D<br /><br />NicholetteAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09741819801909783518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-27390077326841077502016-09-03T22:56:02.637-07:002016-09-03T22:56:02.637-07:00Nice analogy to OCIP! You guys can check out this ...Nice analogy to OCIP! You guys can check out this thing called Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) if interested. <br /><br />But also, just to provide a bit of balance on the idea of totally changing the approach to user testing - Henry Ford also famously said that, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Ng Xu Jiehttp://thedreamyfactory.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-36622803636300417962016-09-03T11:48:01.402-07:002016-09-03T11:48:01.402-07:00It doesn't necessarily have to be printed on M...It doesn't necessarily have to be printed on Moleskine notebooks. ;) I think Yaohui meant in general, rather than specifically replicating Book.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13498449560079356032noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-50543610109452462052016-09-03T08:55:30.801-07:002016-09-03T08:55:30.801-07:00I will have to strongly disagree here.
If you ac...I will have to strongly disagree here. <br /><br />If you actually did your research, you would have found out that Book was a premium product aimed squarely at artists. The printing is done on Moleskine notebooks (their tagline: Legendary Notebooks) at USD29 for 15 pages. <br /><br />I think you can see how patently ridiculous bringing advertising into this would be. Zhanghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04452280236715820998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-88197783143415134892016-09-03T05:57:49.632-07:002016-09-03T05:57:49.632-07:00Liked your takeaways, Michelle! Think I'll rol...Liked your takeaways, Michelle! Think I'll roll up my sleeves and actually try doing design for assignment 3.<br /><br />On your point about the company printing artworks created on Paper for its users: Spark Asia is a Singaporean-based app which prints photographs *and* mails them to its users for free. The business model remains a viable one because the app targets the younger demographic, and product companies that are aware of this pay Spark Asia to include their advertisements on the back of the printed photographs. Perhaps Paper and Pencil can do something similar. Doing so does not compromise on their vision, in fact, it enhances the user experience as it translates what is created on screen into something physical -- entirely for free! Looking forward to greater things from this company.Chua Yao Huihttp://superburrito.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-11276709422738338302016-09-03T05:44:20.964-07:002016-09-03T05:44:20.964-07:00"It might be scary to think of learning how t..."It might be scary to think of learning how to design."<br /><br />I'm always the first to admit that my design sucks. My drawing skills fall into the category of stickman. It'll be great to learn some design tips from you during our 3rd assignment (:<br /><br />Having said that, I do feel that design is really important in the success of a product. Two tips that really stand out in your blog post is to design with the platform in mind and design with the people in mind. Perhaps the harder one to achieve is designing with the people in mind. As builders of an application, it is easy for us to feel like we know what is the perfect application we want to build and work towards it. But doing so puts us in an elevated position whereby we think that we know better. In a way, this is very similar to the 'voluntourism' work done by many Overseas CIPs. During these trips, volunteers think they know how a toilet should look like (from there experience of using great toilet facilities) and go happily to some village to build this toilet. But imagine a nice toilet with clean white tiles surrounded by an area with damp soil. Immediately, the clean white tiles look horrible and actually can be hazardous as they become very slippery very easily. Hence, notions of participatory volunteer work have been created whereby the villagers themselves decide on what action should be taken.<br /><br />Participatory volunteer work may sound simple but it actually isn't. It requires an entire shift in power from the volunteer to the villagers themselves. It flips the entire hierarchy of the developmental work. It means that instead of the United Nations deciding on how best developing countries should develop, developing countries themselves decide on how best to move forward. I believe that a similar concept could be applied to application development. Can we try to flip the entire hierarchy around? Can we ensure that the people who will eventually use our apps be the ones who actually develop our app? In such a situation, app developers and designers would play a supportive role - a role of encouraging future potential users to design what works best for them and then integrating these ideas together to form the application.<br /><br />I believe that this notion is different from our current notion of user testing. User testing does involve future potential users in the process of application development, but in showing users an application that has already been half-developed, testers of this application are likely to be anchored down to this idea and it might be difficult for them to think out of the box. Perhaps the better way to approach this is to simply ask users, imagine an app that can solve xyz? How do you envision it to be like? Perhaps this process would help in ensuring that the eventual design is really by the people, for the people.Patrick Chohttps://blog.nus.edu.sg/patrickcho/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-58303901613918081752016-09-03T04:57:16.002-07:002016-09-03T04:57:16.002-07:00Hi Michelle! I liked your point regarding Paper th...Hi Michelle! I liked your point regarding Paper that they are not afraid to change. You mentioned how Paper pivoted their product even after getting a working business model and product market fit for their application, and I agree that that is not only a courageous step, but also arguably the right mindset for people running companies to adopt. Arguably, only companies who do this can eventually stand out from their competition.<br /><br />I also liked how you talked about building products for people, and crafting user experience for people. After working with you for assignment 1 (and hopefully rubbing off some design skills from you LOL), I saw first hand how adapting designs to suit your purposes can be done. As we ultimately want to create products that will impact people, we have to put equal thought into both design and developing ideas, not only in this class, but also when designing new products in the future.Kai Yihttp://kaikaiyi.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-88392711201273359852016-09-03T02:24:40.601-07:002016-09-03T02:24:40.601-07:00Hi Michelle! Thank you for such a thoughtful revie...Hi Michelle! Thank you for such a thoughtful review of out group's critique:) Actually it is more than just a review, you have packed it with many original thoughts, and have extended the scope to how we can apply what we have learned through reviewing Apps. I think the first point of capitalising on the mode of user interaction on smart phones is very applicable to assignment 3 haha. Also I do agree that 'the knack for design can be learned', when we care more than just the codes.Jun Kehttp://ashley-si.github.io/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-45724711935643913392016-09-02T23:14:23.323-07:002016-09-02T23:14:23.323-07:00Nice post, Michelle!
I tend to struggle when I’ve...Nice post, Michelle!<br /><br />I tend to struggle when I’ve to build front end/back end for a feature at once. Especially when its time for me to make a decision about where to position an element on the screen. I find that I have to clearly separate the back end and front end. Usually I'll just ignore ux totally until someone complains. <br /><br />Good user experience is definitely more of a priority now than in the past. I dare say it will be the norm as user expectations increase over the years. Anything less than good UI will be relegated to the bottom of the list of applications with similar functionalities. <br /><br />Will follow your advice "The knack for design can be learned, if you put enough effort into it. Just copying good design and applying common sense can already create a better user experience in your applications."<br /><br />Thanks!Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13914324851441624879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-83143998136872527352016-08-15T21:38:54.499-07:002016-08-15T21:38:54.499-07:00Hence the module name has "Evolving Platforms...Hence the module name has "Evolving Platforms" in it. What works before might not work in the following year, and this is very evident in tech industry too :P<br /><br />Glad to know that you enjoyed the workshop! I think Prof Ben and Jonathan Low's talk yesterday was highly inspiring (I actually Google Hangout-ed in) and I learnt some stuff from it too. I'll let Sam know about the good choice of pizza :DYangshunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072705119463751915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8223732618733781743.post-80103639611544240402016-08-07T05:55:54.666-07:002016-08-07T05:55:54.666-07:00Having tutored CS3216, CS3217, CS3226 (CP3101B the...Having tutored CS3216, CS3217, CS3226 (CP3101B then), I can safely say that CS3226 is the most forgiving of the lot. One of the key differences of CS3216 compared to the latter 2 is that there's almost no individual component in the class. All assignments and projects are team-based, which effectively simulates real-world situations. Wish you a great learning journey in CS3216!Yangshunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072705119463751915noreply@blogger.com