Designer Ben Newman teamed up with scientist Dr Dominic Walliman to create a visual novel explaining everything you need to know about our planet, our solar system, and galaxy and the universe. The book is narrated my the character Professor Astro Cat, who explores topics such as gravity, extraterrestrial life and time with fun facts. Design wise, Newman adopts a very graphic, flat design approach to help clarify the information even further.
Stephen Hawking's Snapshots of the Universe
This app was selected best of 2014 for the iPad. It features 10 interactive experiments, displaying how the universe works, and the principles which control our universe. It covers complicated subjects such as orbiting planets, black holes, time, motion and gravity through simple and fun experiments. It is based on the writings of Stephen Hawking, and teaches both adults and students the basic theories that govern our lives on Earth as well as the movement of stars and planets. You can play and learn at the same time.
For the concept of my interactive book, I have decided to look at something that is usually heavily text based and complex, and turn it into a fun and interactive learning experience. My inspiration for this stems from my personal experience through NCEA at levels 1, 2 and 3. The classroom environment and educational tools are now changing, with tablets and apps being a dominant form of learning and I think visual communication design can assist this change. Not all children and students learn through reading, so why not offer alternate options such as visual imagery, audio and interaction. To refine my topic to a subject, I explored the NZQA website and went to the library to look at all the study guides available for NCEA subjects.
I then did a brainstorm of all the subjects I think are currently the most text driven and from talking to students often find the most complex and difficult to learn.
A timeline I put together to ensure I stay on track and complete the project on time. Summary by week: 1- Decide concept/topic, and establish programs needed to learn 2- Write script, plan out pages and experiment with programs 3- Design characters and choose illustration style 4- Roughed out storyboards and interactions established 5- Sound/narration testing and follow tutorials for programs 6- Follow tutorials and complete simple tests 7- Create illustrated pages (1-2) 8- Begin coding pages 9- Continue coding pages 10- Continue coding pages 11- Testing/feedback and prepare for presentation 12- Hand in and present
I have a number of options of programs to use to create my interactive book, its just a matter of which ones will offer me the best functions and cater for apple iPads and tablets. XCode & Objective C/Swift This is the most ideal combination, however the hardest to learn. XCode was created by Apple for developing software for OS, X and iOS. This would allow me to create a great solution for the iPad, however I would have to learn a whole new coding language, given time constraints is hard but could be beneficial long-term.
Quartz Composer Quartz Composer is a node-based visual programming language provided as part of XCode development for processing and rendering graphical data. This wont give me as much freedom, but it would be easier to function and comes with more built in presets which may be relevant to my interactive book features.
HTML & CSS & JS
HTML5 is one of the core markup languages structuring and presenting content for the web. This would be the most ideal option, as I have already learnt alot of CSS and JS throughout my university degree thus far. However, it is not ideal for apple devices as Apple primarily use XCode for all their software programming.
InDesign ePub/eBook
ePub is an electronic publication, specifically designed to create eBooks. eBooks are electronic versions of printed books which is what I want to create, however I would be very limited to adding interactive elements. Depending on whether I want the focus aimed towards more at the illustrations, this could be a potential candidate.
The invention of the tablet PC has created a new medium for book publishing. Interactive books are everywhere, and have revolutionized the way people consume the printed word. Interactive eBooks is a category for apps designed specifically to utilize the powers of tablets to enable users to interact with the storyline in sight, sound, and touch. I like to think of interactive eBooks as an evolution of the printed book with added interactivity in order to create an experience beyond the printed format. Examples of interactive eBooks include pop-up book apps for kids, interactive travel guides that utilize the device GPS capabilities, cookbooks with built-in timers and video recipes, or any traditional book that now uses the tablet to enhance the experience with interactivity. On a touch device, interactivity is the ability to engage with the user interface, including the ways you move your fingers on the screen, the way you to select an app, or how you browse the Web. Interactive eBooks are, by definition, an enhanced book-like experience that have a different core premise than other types of apps (with the exception of games perhaps). Whereas in most applications, interactivity focuses on menu navigation and interaction with the user interface as means to achieve a goal (view an image, find an address, read an email), interactive eBooks provide interaction with the content and storyline, and therefore offer a unique experience each time. The experience of interactive eBooks should not be confined to animations based on touch-and-response interaction, or merely flipping the page; when designing these Books one must ask what is the enhanced experience—why to move from print to digital, and how to create value and fun? Interactive eBooks are no longer just about a touch-to-animate type of interactivity, nor simply the touch interface controls. Rather, they are about adding value through interactivity by using the full capabilities of a touch device to engage the user and enhance the learning and reading experience. These engaging experiences are what I call a true reinvention of reading. Source: http://www.bestinteractiveebooks.com/2012/04/interactive-ebook-apps-the-reinvention-of-reading-and-interactivity/
In order to figure out what programs to use and languages to code, I need to know what device(s) I am creating my project for. Because I want to use this paper to further enhance my skills for my final project, I will look at New Zealand statistics as it is going to be used and accessed here. And although most eBook examples I have researched have been only available for tablet, I want to confirm that is the best option for me.
According to these statistics, majority of New Zealanders own Apple iOS devices. Although slightly decreasing, it seems to still remain much more popular than Android and Other models.
Referring to this graph, it is also clear that the use of handheld devices (laptops and tablets) is increasing, and have become more popular than desktop computers.
Taking all this into account, I believe it is best to design my interactive solution for an Apple iPad. Theoretically, majority of users will understand the Apple interface and features better, and it reflects a book size more accurately than any other digital device.
Learn
how to manipulate digital illustrations, and code them to create an engaging user
experience, ideally in the form of an interactive story book run through a
mobiletablet
device.
METHODS AND PROCESSES
-Research
ideal programs to learn for programming software on tablet devices
-Select a story topic and write the narrative
-Design characters and environments
-Decide on and test style of illustration
-Create a storyboard
-Follow program tutorials
-Conduct simple programming tests of techniques I want to implement in final
-Create 1-2 test pages
-Record narration-Test & resolve
INTENDED OUTCOME
The
desired end result is the narrative and characters of my major project fully
established, with 1-2 test pages completed.
DESIGN CONTEXT
Conduct
research into fields surrounding eBooks, interactive media, mobile devices,
storybooks and coding programs needed to code. It will also need to be tested
constantly on the desired device, and the target age group.
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore App
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is an award-winning short film, that has been adapted into an interactive narrative experience. A storybook app with an interactive twist,which allows to engage with various elements and objects displayed on each page. This reinvention of digital storytelling allows you to repair books, tumble through a storm, learn the piano and even get lost in a book while flying through a magical world of words.
SHERLOCK: Interactive Adventure
SHERLOCK: Interactive Adventure is an app which displays the stories of Sherlock Holmes in a whole new way. It takes you through a journey page by page, allowing you to listen, read, embark on a journey, conduct an investigation and discover the world of the great detective Sherlock Holmes for yourself. You are no longer looking from the outside; you are directly involved in the events taking place, and see the world through the eyes of Dr Watson.
Cozmo's Day Off
hotspots that trigger movement/interaction
Cozmo's Day Off was one of the earliest interactive eBooks produced, and became a the top-seller upon release for many months in 2010. Apps like this are often categorized as games, as the story seems secondary to the amount of interaction for interactions sake throughout every page. However it could also be considered a new type of interaction (more than just turning pages), engaging children to continue reading through.
Meet the Insects: Water & Grass Edition
Meet the Insects is an encyclopedia series, designed to educate children on insects. Unlike my previous examples which focus on fictional storytelling, it focuses more on educating and informing kids about the insects that surround them. There are elements of interaction among every page, relating to the content provided to further reinforcing and embedding these facts into their minds so they not only read it; but understand it as well.
Alice for the iPad
Alice for the iPad allows users to shake, turn, twist and jiggle their mobile device to add and extra creative digital twist to the story. The eBook is described as 'the pop-up book of the 21st century', and allows users to engage with the story in an interactive way, similar to the previous eBooks described. The pages offer features such as tilting the iPad to make Alice grow, throwing tarts at the Queen of Hearts and witnessing the Cheshire Cat vanish before your very eyes.
Suwappu
Suwappu are a range of toys that when viewed through a phone or tablet lense come to life, through speech, facial expression and surrounding environments. This concept of AR interactive design could be replicated similarly in 2D, with something such as a poster or story displaying the lifeless characters that when viewed come to life in a similar fashion.