S3366404 Tammo Winkler MC184 Master of Communication Design GRAP2495 Professional Practice Internship at Far East IDL Interactive

Project Report - The Digital Plus Factor

Development of a timetable app for people with intellectual disabilities

S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

This is the documentation for the Professional Practice program in semester 01/2013 GRAP2495 Professional Practice at RMIT University Melbourne. All texts and images if not referenced otherwise are the original work of the author. All photos published have the consent of the persons or their legal guardian. more info: www.digitalplusfactor.weebly.com

S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

content 01 introduction 02 research 03 project development

page 4 6 9

04 gaps 10 05 analog methods 11 06 concepts for digital methods 12 07 prototyping 08 project realisation 09 references 16 19 21

S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

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01 Introduction
The internship in Malaysia The company: 'Far East IDL Interactive Sdn Bhd is a Kuala Lumpur based, full-service (interactive) agency with dedicated professionals, supporting clients from strategy development to creation, conceptualisation and technical realisation of multimedia and mobile services.' print: books for European publishers (UK, Netherlands, Belgium & Germany) 200,000 pages per year from educational books to corporate manuals weekly and monthly magazines mobile and tablet apps websites, social media core activities: pre-press production, interactive, branding strategy, consultancy, concept & design, content, development branding: brand/corporate identity, logo development, communication design

EAST MEETS WEST

During my internship I worked mainly as desktop publisher for printed learning books. I learned valuable skills and got experience in the day to day business of this job and did research on business opportunities for the agency on the global and local digital market. Some of the advantages of digital publications compared to print are the possibilities of interactivity, easier updates, additional content and multimedia integration and the general manager explained to me that he wants to expand the agency's business in this field. To do this I suggested to make a prototype of a digital magazine or learning book to demonstrate the possibilities of interactive content to potential clients.

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The agency is working on a lot of learning publications. There are many possibilities to enhance the content and learning experience by clever integration of interactivity. A couple of existing clients might be interested, but are put off by the upfront costs. Developing a working dummy magazine or book and a marketing strategy might convince them to do this step. During the time I was not working on print jobs I researched the different business models and publishing channels that are available these days. This is a wide field and for different publications different business models might work better. Far East Interactive wants to expand more into the South East Asia market and needs to offer more to their clients than their competitors do. Looking into the possibilities of digital publications and demonstrating them with an interactive example could convince existing and potential new clients to publish digital and not to miss out in this fast growing business. The key is to choose the right business model to succeed. The goal is not to develop a fully functional and working app, but to have one pitch package showing potential investors and customers how the app is going to work.

I gave it the name The Digital Plus Factor because it symbolises that interactivity can be an additional asset to already existing publications. The logo was designed in relation to the corporate colours of Far East Interactive to make a connection.

Photoshop exercise

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02 Research
My research is concentrated on digital publishing of magazines and books, their different distribution and business models, the South East Asian market and online learning concepts. Today, publishers see that the future is in digital magazines, but most consumers expect to get online content for free. Getting users to pay for it is the main issue of direct monetization of content for publishers. Due to the decline of ad revenue it is almost impossible to produce quality content with a free access model. This leads to diverse business models which need to be balanced according to each particular publication. It is hard to find actual statistical information about the digital magazine industry; it is either complicated to decode due to the multitude of different sale models, outdated or simply not available. Despite the hype about the digital tablet market, magazine publishers are making more money on the web with browser-based editions at the moment, but consumer time spent on mobile apps is about to exceed desktops and will soon overtake TV.

picture by Magzter

Recently several magazines and newspapers have made the step to abandon their print publications and to go completely online. The magazine publishing sector is getting reshaped by the rise of new technologies and network possibilities. This effects the industry in several ways. Costs The highest cost factors in the production process of print or digital magazines are in development and design. Usually print magazines have been packaged into issues delivered on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis, because physical production and distribution is expensive, time consuming and single articles cant be distributed separately. In digital format the costs for printing, warehousing and shipping are omitted and installments of single pages online is no problem.

S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

Cycles Because physical distribution doesnt apply to digital, publishing cycles can be shorter and more frequent. Smaller intervals of smaller editions means smaller single file sizes, which makes the individual download and the whole cycle process faster. Consumer behaviour Users prefer smaller packages or progressive downloading of magazine pages instead of waiting for the download of a full magazine. It is easier to handle single articles or a magazine with only a few articles on a mobile device than handling extensive magazines. Long download times or slow apps need to be avoided, because the user does not like to wait and will switch to other content. The expectations of the consumer are driven by the overall digital media experience and not by the physical experience of browsing through a printed magazine. Timeliness Shorter cycles mean that the content can be more up to date and digital publishing also allows to make the actualisation and correction of already published editions easier. Distribution Multiple reading devices, platforms and different file formats and business models make it more difficult to build a consumer base and to reach the audience for the product. Also the visibility and the management of revenue streams is critical when using multiple publishing platforms. While traditional revenues are getting challenged, new streams emerge and rights and permission income, direct-to-consumer and third-party sales need to be be controlled. Business models Many traditional consumer magazines offered discounted print subscriptions, because the primary source of revenue has been advertising and their digital presentation was merely built as a marketing vehicle for print subscriptions and online ad revenue. Since online ad revenue is declining, the most successful business model at the moment of writing is to install paywalls for ad-free magazines. Because of the many digital distribution channels most publishers are using combinations of multiple models which makes the auditing and reporting of sales and licensing complicated. To satisfy the consumers demands, different flexible subscription models must be available like single item sales, purchases of fragments, rentals, pay-per-view, samples, tiered access, data access and archive access. The most successful paid content sites experiment with the different options and combine them with each other to suit costumers demand. Copyrights Digital publications often involve more than one author and are more accessible than print, which results in a bigger potential for fraud, plagiarism or theft. Intellectual property laws are currently tailored to printed publications and publishers are trying to change this. Work flow There is no standard work flow of getting magazines on digital platforms. This requires workarounds for the different systems and constant updates of the material. New desktop programs and online apps help to digitize content without the need to know programming. The market is not quite settled yet and companies are trying to find out how to measure tablet editions and consumer behaviour.

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Research conducted during internship

Mainly smartphones are used for apps, email and social media updates.

54% of employees do basic work tasks on smartphones.

Tablets are considered luxury itmes and too expensive for the average private user.

33% of employees do basic work tasks on tablets.

publishing tools
The use of mobile devices for business is rising faster in Malaysia than globally.
Visibility and management of all revenue streams is critical. Rights and permission income, directto-consumer and third-party r(e)tail sales must be controlled as traditional revenues are challenged and new streams emerge. The expectations of consumers are no longer driven by physical bookstores but by the overall digital media experience. Purchases of fragments, rentals, pay-per-view, flexible subscription models and samples must be supported to satisfy everchanging consumer demands. Technology Vendor Services Adobe DPI (woodwing) Aquafadas Business modell/price http://www.woodwing.com/en/qu ote_request/tablet Need to contact for quote

EAST MEETS WEST

Conclusion: It is more likely that tablets will get established in Malaysia through the workplace, as businesses implement more apps to change their work processes.

Eastgate Systems

References: Avanade, global survey: consumer technologies and business process changes Ubergizmo, TabTimes

publisher and software company publishing hypertext electronic literature Emeta

offers applications in the field of digital publishing for magazines, newspapers, book and comic book publishers, agencies, and enterprises for Apple iOS or Android or Web Tinderbox, a content assistant for $250/$295 for first single license managing, analyzing and mapping notes in a hypertextual environment. Storyspace, a hypertext writing environment. unclear

South East Asia market research

provider of Software as a Service content delivery for (academic taken over by Atypon 'Literatum' and commercial http://www.atypon.com/ 'RightSuite') publishers. solutions/overview.php Consulting, subspriction management, hosting etc. InformIT online book vendor and an electronic publisher of technology and education content.

Content systems, audience development, content delivery. The system supports royalties, permissions, editorial, production, online sales and marketing, digital and print distribution. Ingenta technology and associated services Different pricings for different to the publishing and information business models: pay-per-view, (scholarly portal of industries subscription, free trails and Publishing Technology) document delivery options Uberflip Digital publishing software and $1.500/month for pro version interactive marketing software http://www.uberflip.com/compare (formerly Mygazines) provider, converting PDFs into pagehttp://www.uberflip.com flipping digital editions, with the option to enhance with links, videos and other features. Publishing Technology

software enables scholarly, financial and business publishers to make content available to online institutional and individual end users, under a variety of business models. Very diverse models/pricing strategies.

provider research

publishing software and platforms

The technology constantly improves and more multimedia options become available to integrate interactivity and additional content into a digital magazine. Print Magazines are not going to be extinct, but research studies show that digital publishing will dominate in the next few years. Since barriers to enter the market (media costs, distribution) are reduced, more independent publishers will launch digital-only publications specifically for tablet and mobile devices. App Store competition is fierce, and dozens of new high-quality apps are being launched every day. This competitive environment means that ideas must be evaluated and refined to achieve maximum success in the App Store. 8

S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

03 Project development
From my work experience in disability in Australia I know that a lot of issues and problems in human interactions occur because of bad communication. I worked for two years with a group of young intellectual disabled people and observed several reoccurring issues in this time. Main focus of my work is to promote independent living skills and most clients are very willing to learn and made great progress so far. But in daily life there might be simple things that lead up to frustration, just because they couldnt be communicated accordingly. This is where I see the chance to make an app that helps with daily tasks by explaining them step by step and by reminding about what tasks are next and need to be accomplished. This project involves the development of a prototype of a timetable planner, but it has the potential of integrating more functions to become a very handy productivity tool for people with intellectual disabilities. THE GAP: People with intellectual disabilities often need support in daily life tasks. THE GOAL: Development of an app that enables them to have more independent and meaningful lives. Background For a long time I wanted to use the iPad with clients to promote independent learning, but never really had the time during the day job to find the right apps and set ups for a proper learning environment. The iPad is very easy to use and self-explanatory, but its getting mainly used to watch youtube videos and to play games instead of learning. The tablet has more potential for teaching than we actually use it for.

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On the photo above you can see Muhamet and me on a day out in the city. He is my main inspiration for developing this app and to put it into practice.

picture by Victorinox

In my free time (besides studying for RMIT) I started an online course at coursera.org called 'Human-Computer Interaction' by Scott Keller of Standford University. This helped me to focus on user needs and to work on the first prototype, because I wanted to integrate more interactive elements in a practical application. Im aiming for an app like a multi tool: one single tool performing many tasks, support in daily life situations, reliable, quality made, ease of use, self explanatory and user friendly. 9

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04 Gaps
10 gaps or subcategories identified from the perspective of a support worker and designer for people with intellectual disabilities: poorly designed communication aids lots of different communication aids that could be combined in one app communication issues between teacher, client and parents which could be resolved by better designs need for visual explanation of concepts; communication support organising/storage of learning material place for important things; daily reminders what to bring to work? timetable system weekly planner for non-verbal people task reminder (visual) progress documentation, score board, recognition, rewards ... I decided to concentrate on the visual explanation of concepts and to make a timetable system for the tablet in form of an productivity app for people with intelectual disabilities. The app needs to be based on pictures and simple designed pictograms.

Many analog communication aids could be replaced by one app.

pictures by Scope Australia and Apple Inc.

From working with young adults I know that they are highly motivated using computer and interactive learning tools. The self-explanatory concepts of the most successful apps for the tablet make it the ideal device to support people with disabilities.

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S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

05 Analog methods
For every new school term I put up pictures and photos of the activities on a wall and together with the clients we work out the new timetable. Afterwards I type the result down and send the weekly programs to their parents. The disadvantage is, that it is static and short notice changes are hard to communicate.

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Inspiration

Daily experiences and observations.

Proloquo2go - Text-to-speech application that convinces with simplicity.

My first AAC - Augmentative Alternative Communication app for young children promoting self-expression.

Planner Guide - Organisational system for individuals with ASD, intellectual disabilities and other disabilities.

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06 Concepts for digital methods

Sketches for a digital timetable app:

In the weekly view the particular weekday can be selected by tapping in the middle of the screen. The icons on the side are organised into categories according to personal preference and goals of the person.

By tapping on a day the app moves to a new screen where the daily routine is visualised. Displaying routines gives a sense of safety and the times promote time management. 12

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By tapping on an activity the app moves to the next screen, where the activity is explained in detail. This is a kind of task manager where daily tasks like chores, shopping lists, cooking instructions, personal hygiene routines etc. can be visually explained step-by-step. Needfinding: list of ideas for further development
no long waiting (loading) times instant rewards personal feedback (like a voice praising the work with mentioning the persons name or some certificate to print out and take home to show parents) easy handling/usability not too much multitouch or complex gestures settings/profiles for different skill levels measuring of progress (over the different apps) always the option of returning one step back help options visual instructions/explanations/tutorials (not just written word) a workflow with different tasks - daily routine good separation of different content (e.g. when to read/listen to instruction and when to actually start on the task) integration of sounds/music automatic breaks (maybe stopping all performance on the tablet for a short time and playing an instructional video for a physical exercise instead) to enhance concentration small rewards in form of personal preference (games, youtube videos, particular songs, sport videos etc.) integration of learning life skills, daily tasks, appropriate behaviour through playing real life reward (McDonalds-, ice cream voucher?) the need to finish one tasks, before doing the next one or something different on the tablet dashboard not too cluttered, not too many options to choose from repetition of important learning steps finding a balance between learning tasks and entertainment. people can still watch their youtube and play their favourite games, but also put more focus on their learning goals. rating/category system for apps, so already tested apps with one person, which did/didnt work out, might be more suitable to the abilities and needs of another person.

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Storyboards

Muhamet loves to come to the service. Every day he packs his bag by himself.

Sometimes he forgets important things, but with his task manager he gets reminded.

He ticks the accomplished task.

Next task...

The app shows Muhamet the exact amount of money to bring for entry fees. He learns to count, to identify coins and to handle money responsibly.

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S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

Storyboards

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Muhamet loves the Footy. Last year we went to a game of his favourite club Hawthorn.

He had a great time.

Muhamet takes a photo with his tablet.

Back home he shows his family what he saw.

The integration of camera and calendar function into the app will be the next big step in the development process. At this stage I focus on the timetable system, the development of simple pictograms, testing prototypes and to learn basic programming skills. With this additional functions significant improvements can be achieved: Communication between client, parent and staff Negotiation and execution of tasks Monitoring of learning progress Documentation for the Department of Human Services (all relevant information is stored in chronological order)

All photos, reminders and messages are stored on the tablet.

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07 Prototyping
Wireframing with Balsamiq (limited interactivity/design)

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S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

Prototyping with JustInMind Prototyper (limited interactivity/design)

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Prototyping with Adobe InDesign 5.5 (limited interactivity)

To see the interactive version, click here.

clip art: Clickr.com

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S3366404 Tammo Winkler - Project Report - GRAP2495 Professional Practice

08 Project realisation
The intention of this project is to foster communication and independent living skills of people with intellectual disabilities. The use of the tablet offers a multitude of possibilities to integrate more useful functions, so this is just the starting point. The main barriers for me at the moment are: Complexity of programming Funding Privacy laws (legal advice) To realise this project I need professional programming to ensure a flawless wireframe that is able to handle the planned functions. That means I have to look into financing options and develop a business plan.

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Development Plan
Stage 1 (April - June) - research - project development - timetable prototyping Stage 2 (June - July) - business plan - funding - further prototypes - testing Stage 2 calendar camera detailed task pages Stage 3 (July - ?) - programming - marketing

Integration of Additional Functions

Stage 1 timetable Benefits reminders, messages, documentation documentation of individual progress, communication aid to do lists, instructions, step by step explanations

Financing options: 1. Funding from DHS with a communication grant 2. Funding through crowdfunding and programming through crowdsourcing 3. Development of a commercial solution with an agency I would prefer to keep costs for the user as low as possible and strive for option 1 or 2, so the app can be available for free for download. I have spoken to the manager of a software publishing company in Germany, who was interested to work out a monetization plan. Because I also have an upcoming presentation of my project to the management of the nonprofit organisation I am working for, all options are open at the moment.

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Development Plan Item Phase 1: The Basics

Final Deadline: Time Estimate: Time Estimate (Mins) Time Actually Taken Deadline: 0 Hrs

Status

Create iPad template page Timetable icon, which when clicked, will start the app Add Toolbar with graphics (top) Create home screen icons: - Home (holding page for now) - week days (holding page for now) - tasks (holding page for now) - Settings (holding page for now) Create Navigation (bottom buttons with links) Add back button to top of screen template Add home screen 'offers' carousel Duplicate 'Home' to create basic navigation framework: - tasks list (holding page for now) - week day (holding page for now) - Settings (holding page for now) - My Account (holding page for now) - Inspiration (Search, with three sliders & options button) - Results (for beginning of Phase 2) Create links between all these screens using UI button Upload all existing files to workspace for public viewing Testing Time Estimate: Item Phase 2: Timetable Time Estimate (Mins) Time Actually Taken Deadline: 0 Hrs

Status

Timetable and categories: - Categories List with fees, filter, images - Selected Result (SWIMMING - with image and description) - Drag and drop function - Detailed task page Create links between all these screens using UI button Upload all existing files to workspace for public viewing Testing Time Estimate: Item Phase 3: Final Polish Create the Timetable in the 'My Account' area Create subsequent screens for week days Add shared examples and quick links to the 'tasks' page Add a 'settings' menu to the 'settings page' Add a few offers to the 'Home' page Test all links between areas Add welcome page with introduction Add descriptive tool tips to timetable selection process Final check / run through Upload all existing files to workspace for public viewing Testing Time Estimate (Mins) Time Actually Taken Deadline: 0 Hrs

Status

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09 References
Bibliography
Adobe Systems Incorporated, 2011, Managing customer entitlement with adobe digital publishing suite, viewed 31.05.2013, <http://wwwimages.adobe.com/www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/ products/digital-publishing-suite-enterprise/pdfs/dps-entitlement-wp-ue.pdf.>. Andreopoulos, A 2012, Designing a new magazine for the changing world, individual research paper, GRAP2075 Considering Design, RMIT, Australia. Buchanan, R, 2001, Design research and the new learning, Design Issues 17:4 (2001): 323. Canetti, P 2013, Five trends shaping digital publishing in 2013, Econtent Magazine, viewed 22.03.2013, <http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/Editorial/Commentary/Five-Trends-Shaping-Digital-Publishing-in-2013-87845.htm>. Christensen, K 2012, Dont steal this book: digital publishing isnt as cheap and easy as you think, Library Journal, 15 June, p.104, New York, USA. Duygu Bedir Eristi, S 2009, Factors in web design, Journal of Theoretical and Applied Information Technology, Vol. 19 No. 2, Islamabad, Pakistan. Goodwin, K, 2009, Designing for the digital age: how to create human-centered products and services, Wiley Publishing Inc. Indianapolis, USA. Graff, R 2013, Its a great time to launch a new publication, interview with Former Facebook ME Dan Fletcher, viewed 31.05.2013, <http://www.pbs.org/idealab/2013/05/former-facebook-me-dan-fletcher-its-a-great-time-to-launch-a-new-publication140.html>. Hazard-Owen, L 2013, As e-book sales rise, viewed 31.05.2013, <http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-31/as-e-book-sales-rise-apple-ipad-bests-amazon-kindle>. Koller, D 2012, What were learning from online education, TEDGlobal, viewed 31.05.2013, <http://www. ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education.html>. MacArthur, A 2013, The 2013 mequoda tablet study, viewed 20.05.2013, <http://www.mequoda.com/ free-reports/mequoda-tablet-study/>. Mauro, C 2013, User interface design and ux design: 50 important research papers, viewed 20.05.2013, <http://www.mauronewmedia.com/blog/important-peer-reviewed-and-informally-published-recentresearch-on-user-interface-design-and-user-experience-ux-design/#more-590>. Mod, C 2012, How magazines will be changed forever, CNN Special, 21 October, viewed 20.03.2013, <http://edition.cnn.com/2012/10/21/opinion/mod-digital-magazines/index.html>. Mod, C 2012, Subcompact publishing, November, viewed 18.03.2013, <http://craigmod.com/journal/ subcompact_publishing>. Pfeiffer, A 2013, Tablet user experience research, The Pfeiffer Report, viewed 31.05.2013, <http:// www.pfeifferreport.com/v2/essays/7-inch-tablets-what-the-user-experience-benchmarks-show/>. Rosenblatt, B 2010, The new content monetization opportunities for publishers, GiantSteps Media Technology Strategies, viewed 18.04.2013, <http://www.giantstepsmts.com/whitepapers.htm>. Selby, T 2013, How many magazines are being sold on tablets? , viewed 31.05.2013, <http://www.pubexec.com/blog/how-many-magazines-being-sold-tablets#>. Selby, T 2013, A conversation with Zinios Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer Rich Maggiotto, viewed 30.05.2013, <http://www.pubexec.com/blog/a-conversation-zinio-s-co-founder-chief-innovation-officer-rich-maggiotto>. Vega, T 2012, Magazine guidelines for tablets, New York Times, 1 April, viewed 22.03.2013, <http:// www.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/business/media/magazine-group-offers-guidelines-for-tablets. html?_r=0>.

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I used the resources and teachings of Scott Keller, Standford University, USA via coursera.org, <https://www.coursera.org/course/hci>. 21