Ages

Ages since I touch this blog again.
I tried to sway away from the design design this time round.
CSS is not a programming language.
Coding javascript now.

Some points to write later:
- Team takes time to get along and then get into the correct gear.
- Loner phantom. Get a life bro.

Case Study 1

Since most of the stuffs have been answered during class, I cannot help but having my thoughts stray to relate this case study to my latest assignment.

I think this case study should be presented before we start working on the assignments. I really like the lessons learnt (sorry I looked at the solutions :P) Many of them I kind of know intuitively and have applied them in the assignments. But I have not phrased them so nicely:
Lesson 1: Too many choices and aesthetics cause confusion:
I think web/ app design is steering more and more towards simplicity. Even for facebook, I rarely use or even bother to look at all the functions given there. Same applied for most of the websites.

Lesson 2: Users need guidance:
This is a great lesson. We should have more prompts for users in our assignment 2 application. I have started to hear from the users about being unclear on the intention of the application. We should have put some nice slogan next to love, me at least.
I have used the tactics of setting a clear number as a target for user. In my case, I asked my friends to help me send postcards to 3 other friends. However, it would have been integrate a prompt to encourage people to send postcards to friends right in the application.

Lesson 3: The Cold-Start Problem
We need early-adopters. That applies for all products I guess. In our case, it's very much us. I have also spotted friends who are most willing to help me send out postcards.


Just a few things that I want to add on the list of problems in the answer file:
1. Usability vs Aesthetics (Is the interface attractive? Is it functional?)
I really think color is very important. Because it's a contrasting color the most obvious things that I notice and very likly the thing that will direct my attention.
I wonder why the emoticons have not been made more obvious. Because if the intention of the developers is to direct the attention of the users to those emoticons (as said in the brief), they should have been made more obvious.

3. Cycle of interaction & incentives (Are the elements of the app engaging?)
I think the incentives in the game appeals the most to young users. However, I think for this app to make a difference in creating a habit of helping out other people, more thoughts should be paid to crafting the incentives. Also to make the action of helping out last, there must be some way to convert the extrinsic motivations (the incentives that is given to the user) to intrinsic motivation (the incentive that the user creates for himself/herself). But I'm really not sure how to do it since I'm pondering upon that for my other project as well.
Probably this app can be developed to be customized for an actual physical locus. Let say like to have a helping system within a HDB block/ within a school. That is if the app is intended to extend to all sorts of help/ favours. As it is said in the case, the help can be in terms of comments/ advices. If that is the products focus, then the app should be reshaped to focus on assisting that kind of help (may be in terms of easily categorize the comments/ advices etc.. the type of incentive may change also)

Case Study 2

Case study 2:

1. Lanh said, “It would be really bad if we have a great idea but are unable to execute it successfully”.
What are your views? Which is more important - the idea or the execution? Why?

Before I actually joined CS3216, I thought idea is the most important component for the project. "The idea is not good enough" tends to be my constant thought when discussing a project. I found the need to wrestle with myself mentally in order to finalize the "idea" before saying it out loud.
However, I set the resolve for myself this year to start getting my hands dirtier. And I think that's the right way to go:
a. Start with a vision, an inspiration and not an idea. Talk it out. Many times I realize what I can articulate easily to myself does not seem easily understood by others. That's the sign of an idea that needs polishing.
b. The idea should center around the users. So it's better to get a prototype/ some rendering of the UI, UX out first. The "idea" is not a definite thing. It can very well be a complex set of intricacies that need to refine over and over.

So I believe that I need an inspiration to start execution, but I need execution to help me realize, understand, reinforce and materialize the inspiration/vision into a definite idea.

2. What have you learnt about Facebook so far?

It's a good way to waste time. Especially for loners, narcissists.
It's a good distraction, which is a need for everyone. So it hits the need of people. But I don't know if it is the initial intention of Facebook.
Facebook is great at creating reciprocity. Every user's action leads to someone else's actions.

3. Comment on the ideas for Another Life and Fan Gang.
Both ideas don't tick with me so I don't really have anything to comment. My impression for Another Life is that the graphic assets must be really really immense and impressive to make it work.

4. Should the team have changed their idea for the Final Project mid-way or stuck to their original
idea? Why, or why not?

For the purpose of the course, I think the team should have stuck to their original idea. So much time has been wasted on the planning. Maybe someone should be more dictatory, have a stronger voice and just set things on course.

5. List the major problems (obvious and non-obvious ones) in faced by the team? How could they
have done differently and better?

There should be a dominant voice. And try to tone down the expectation. Set easier targets to hit.

6. What did the team do right/well?
I guessed to put in so much time with the planning phase. If the team would have turned those precious hours into actual execution, that may have helped them a lot.

7. What would you do if you were Jeremy on the evening of 24th April (and the deadline for the
final project submission was the next day)?

I would try to get all the team together. Talk to everyone as friends. Eventually after the project I would hope everyone remains friends rather than become like awkward acquaintances.

8. How would you handle a situation where one of your team members is unable to deliver on the
work he/she promised because of personal problems?

I would try to ask him/her out privately but frankly. Like a friend. Again, I value friendship beyond the tasks (at least while the work is still considered a school project by me)
9. What, in your opinion, are the key learning points from this case study?

Talk more. There should be more talk beyond the group meetings.
Set the expectations in each other right from the start.