Well, it is getting down to the pointy end of the semester, where every component has to be fine tuned, and looked over with a critical eye. I have gotten everyone in the group to look over the website and give their opinions, and have changed components accordingly. This is the week where we all set deadlines to have the videos and audio edited and ready to put into the app and website in the middle of the week, this way it wasn’t all being left to the end. This week was all about getting everything into the website, making sure all of the links are working, such as social media links, and also links to the different pages.

I had a couple of issues with the website when I was designing elements in Illustrator and then exporting them for the website, they were going pixelated and I could get the sizing right. The timeline was my biggest issue surprisingly as it was only a 3-D photo gallery, however I designed all of the individual items, and getting these to work was quite a task, however after researching and experimenting, the images fitted nicely into the gallery, the background images and also the images throughout the website. It was all about the exporting details when saving them out of Illustrator, as I had to change the resolutions, the art board sizes and the quality of the image. After this was overcome, I went straight into fine tuning the rest of the website.

Last week I had a design that I was happy with but it wasn’t 100%. After critically examining and dissecting the website as a group, I redesigned the website (only some of it – such as colours, font etc), so that it was mirroring the goal at the beginning of this project. Once editing the website it was all about making sure all of the components were ready to go for when the videos and audio were given to Brontae and I. It was in this new design that I thought about the website in some more detail and took on board some of the feedback from the presentation earlier on in the semester, where the guests suggested having a “little spirit” following the user on the journey or driving them along to the different components. In the time frame that we had, I had to think of something simple yet interactive, so I decided to have an image of JMC throughout some of the pages – and beside these images would be him talking to the user, sharing his thoughts about the page or the content, or where they should check out extra information. This way it is like he is speaking to the user himself and guiding them through his own story. This element adds a personal touch to the website, along with a bit of fun, as you are always on the look out for when he might pop up, and the user is more invested in what he is saying (as it is coming out of a speech bubble), then what has just been typed up on a page. The website is all about managing all of the content as it is the central hub, and making sure there are quirky elements like this to keep the user happy and intrigued.

This week is FULL ON – the website and app are both underway and the filming and recording of footage and audio is happening later in the week/early next week. With the website I have gathered some of the content I need for the specific pages, gradually just teaching myself how to create a website. I have been experimenting with different designs and trying out their features, some that will work great for our story world. Those being – news feeds, social media feeds, google maps, contact us features, video components, audio components, interactivity and more.

I had this idea that would be great if we had more time – but it was to treat the user like they were the detective, finding clues about the different cases and putting it all together themselves, working out who did what and when. This would make it more interactive and more of an adventure, while still being truthful to the history components. It would be great to have them follow the map as if its a treasure map, going to the locations to find more clues to unlock further content. Actually allow the user to become invested into our story world, and to get a feel for what JMC did. The user could even follow a red dot on the map around the city, finding clues, going on a journey throughout the past. The red dot could even be JMC himself, telling the user where to go next or where he might have gone to. It is all about working out his character and learning about his history. When you go into a museum you are hammered with boards and boards of facts, sometimes it is overwhelming, and I hate to say it, but a little bit boring, just because you can get sick of reading the exact same text on every historical person or event. There are no elements of interactivity and nothing making you want to learn more. The idea for the app (to me) is to change the way history is told, not only for adults, but for all ages. You can connect with your past, move around the spaces, watch videos, listen to audio. However, due to the lack of time, it isn’t even an option.

With this still in mind, Brontae and I were brainstorming ways to make the content on the website less “boring”, and make different in some way. We came up with the idea to use case files for each of the stories. It is a way to document the story and facts without just typing them onto a page. With the approval of fellow group members, we went through the selected stories and Brontae took out the main components and wrote out the info, while I designed them. We went away and with this in mind, I was experimenting with WIX and found they had a book option, and I thought to myself, PERFECT! So I created the book covers in Illustrator along with the case files. I researched old case files from that time period and tried to mimic them. I had all of the info for each criminal on there, and with the help of Brontae she came up with the headings to include (e.g age, job, crime committed, etc). I used an old font, and to make it more realistic I found fingerprints and the Royal Stamp to put at the top of the page – making it look official. With all of components finished, I started creating the mini books for each story, each one with a cover, the case file and then the story. This idea means that the user is literally reading a story, and it is an interactive way of viewing information, which is more likely to be read.

There were so many big ideas floating around this week, one of those being the overall design for the App. This included having the one central app that was specific to Pocket Museum itself, and then within that app the characters and their stories sit. This means that if their was ever future progress with this history App and we wanted to include more historical characters then it would mean that the user wouldn’t have to download multiple individual apps, instead it would be just the one. In the App you would click on the desired character, in this regard John Mitchell Christie (JMC), and it would come up with headings to choose from, those being: Audio Artifacts, Webisodes, Maps, Rewards, Pictures, Website, possible social media sites and a favourites/rewards page.

The idea of having rewards we thought, was a good incentive to the user to go to these locations and learn about the history and engage with the stories. It would be at these locations that they would win a prize – which could be exclusive content, behind the scenes footage, bonus stories, virtual trophies. With this, we want to find out a way to sync the app and the website, so that when the user gets these rewards, they automatically sync to both the platforms which acts like a trophy cabinet. This would mean that the story is becoming interactive and engaging, which is what you want when learning not only about the history of Melbourne but also when creating a detective/mystery story. The website will have the same pages as the App as we want to keep them both consistent, however as I have been saying, the website will contain more content.

The reason we wish to have this incentive is to make the user want to continue along with the story (which was our feedback in our presentation). What is making them want to go to the next location or story? Why should they? What makes them different? Some might do the first one and not even bother going to the next because they know the content will be on the website anyway. These are all things that we have to consider when creating this story world – we want all of our components to be seen and to be engaged with – that is the purpose of having multiple platforms on offer, it means the audience is getting a different experience with each one. At the end of the day, if we cant work out how to do this in the time frame it is something that we will have to leave out, however if it can be done, then we will create this added bonus.

Coming into the final weeks before the project is due, there are a lot of ideas being put into place and a lot that have to be pushed to the side, due to the lack of time and the amount of work that needs to be done between now and the deadline. This week was getting down to the final business, deciding on the significant elements that need to be done, and what else we can fit in before the due date.

We have been thinking around the possibilities of taking this project to the next level, and we spent a lot of time considering features to use on the website and app. We liked the idea of engaging with the viewer, and when they reached a location on the app, it would send the a push notification, notifying them that event took place there – this way it gives them the option to read about it or keep walking. We had another idea that we should use pins on the map, so that people can look into each location and know where they are when looking on a map of Melbourne- and also where they are in comparison to the rest of the cases. The ideas that were bouncing off were to have bigger pins for the main cases, the ones where we advise the user to check them out for the main story plot points, and the smaller the pins means that they can go to them if they want extra information, however they aren’t crucial – it is like a next stage for those that want to invest more into the story line.

In our feedback from the presentation we were told that having a little spirit figure bringing the story together would be a fun way to invite users into our story. We ended up deciding on having Christie’s wife as the person in the audio artifacts – that way it gives it a personal touch, adds a female figure and acts as a motivational aspect into the story – it just means we can include another element and another target audience who might connect with her more. As this story is so male dominated, we thought that a female figure would give it a more modern touch with a bit of feminine attributes.

This week we went back in time, back to where we can see objects from our history, and placed in a cabinet for all to see. Where might you ask are these pieces of history? …… THE IMMIGRATION MUSEUM. A place holding information and artefacts from the past, and allowing us to come and be apart of it.

We have been talking about the Iconic Melbourne Man, our own Sherlock Holmes, and yet we haven’t physically seen anything from his past – until now. He has his own cabinet within the museum filled with newspaper articles, cartoons, illegal possession he has confiscated from criminals and more importantly … the highly talking cane. NOT just any cane, but one equipped with its own sword … what a man!

This excursion allowed us as a group, to go together and see a part of him, where we came up with new ideas, shared laughs (about how he used to catch the criminals), and we learnt more about the character we are writing a story on, and just how we might go about sharing his personality with the audience – it is definitely worth sharing. We have read many stories about this man, and talked about what he has done not only in his personal life, but mainly professionally as well. There were newspaper articles stuck to the wall, which is different to seeing photographs of them. Seeing what he took from the criminals was quite humorous as there were some things in there that wouldn’t even make you blink twice – compared to this day an age.

Now just to bring his life that we saw here (and his personality) and explore that through a multi-platformed story.

We can most certainly do this – bring on the project *pulls out cane equipped with sword*.

Week 9 was all about looking at the individual elements for this project and deciding what needs to be done, so a list was made to keep us in check for what we need to do and what we want to achieve (to-do-lists are always a positive)!

List:
Decide on and write story
Adapt story to relevant platform
Write Scripts (audio, webisodes and website)
Write components for the website
Select facts for App/create walking guide
Create script for audio
Create 8-10 pins for Geo-locating points with a prose and story associated
Figure out how we can upload it to the App story (iTunes, google play, Microsoft app store)
Create webisodes (2-3 webisodes)
Create audio artifacts (2-3 audio)
Find introducing character
One reflecting story told in the app
Get actors, costumes, locations, equipment, crew and script
Elaborate on stories that happened/ were explored in the application
Mission statement

This week was all about getting everything sorted, and giving ourselves a timeline, striving to get components done by a specific time and date so that everything isn’t left until the last minute. This week I started with the website and Brontae started with the App, this way if we start the template it is a gradual process and we can have our components done by the time Ellie and Jen finish theirs’, therefore we aren’t creating a whole website and app in the last week, we are just putting their content into it and then submitting the project. The website I have started creating is on WIX, it was going to be built from scratch, however with none of us knowing anything about building websites I decided to create it on this free template, that made it easier to design and also not as time consuming. I still however had to teach myself every component to this website and read up about it, in order to create the best possible website. Brontae is creating the App on GoodBarber, also for the same reasons listed above. This way we can produce higher quality content instead of spending all of our time creating both of them from scratch.

The design that I am aiming for with the website is simple, clean, modern and easy to use. I want it to be engaging and fun, while still being simple for all ages to navigate themselves around it and the content. I will be using the same colour tone – which will hopefully be across all of the platforms – white, light blue and black. This way there is continuity throughout the website.

This week we sat down and went through the stories that we wanted to include and then split up the work, with Jen writing scripts for videos, Ellie writing them for audio pieces and Brontae and I writing them for the website and App. The website will be the platform that holds the most information out of them all as it is the central hub, it is the meeting place for all of the components, so it is important for it to be filled with information and story elements. With this is mind, it means that the website will be text heavy so we have to try and make it more engaging and less – “boring”.

This week was all about getting started on the website and App which Brontae and I have done successfully and just keep working at it until it is done – Jen and Ellie are starting to prepare the video and audio content.

Overall, the group was very happy with how we went with our presentation and also how everyone else in the studio did as well. It was so good to see what everyone was up to and the stories that they wish to pursue and how they aim to do so. Every story was very different, which means that we have a variety of projects throughout the class, making the end of year exhibition all the more exciting.

The feedback that we received was very beneficial, our work wasn’t picked apart, instead it was all ways that we could improve – it was new ideas and fresh sets of eyes that could look at our work and see something that we couldn’t. It was great having the two professionals come in and give their honest opinions, and it was interesting to see how they would go about making our project, and what they think we should do (one of them even wanted to help us out – however we couldn’t afford her). To start with they said that the trailer needed a hook, it was great, but it needed to reel the audience in and make them want to explore the app/website. This I agree with, as we are wanting to capture people’s attention, and after seeing some of the other trailers, I can see now how the hook can be used. A way to engage the audience and keep it interesting would be to involve a little spirit, whether that be John Mitchell Christie himself or a new character. Someone or something a bit cheeky and fun. Otherwise the content could become too historically dense and dry. We need to make it enjoyable, which is how we all see John himself. Another concern of theirs was that people wouldn’t want to just go out and explore the locations, maybe they will, but could we entice them to places through a reward system or even the idea of earning badges? The group toyed around with the idea that when you reached a certain point within the story you could unlock badges which could even allow the viewer to see behind the scenes footage, or footage that not every one could view. Another point that we have to remember is that the historical sites need to be very assessable, so that people of all ages and disabilities can reach them with no trouble at all, and it needs to be a place where the viewer can sit down with their phone and go through the content and audio that is on offer, whether there is seating or even a place for them to watch their phone in private. They said that it is all about getting the right balance between informative and silly (and that this could be quite tricky). It isn’t about mocking the character and the history attached, it is about making it enjoyable for people to engage with and to learn about this man through either a sense of humour or another way that makes him human.

Planning, planning, planning was all we could do straight after our presentation and once we got our feedback. We were straight into action, and ready to go. We set up a timeline that we could work off, with not only the dates that this project is due, but also individual dates that we set ourselves, such as we want to have the footage filmed by this day and the scripts to be written on this day. That way, if we took bites at a time, it wouldn’t be such a mouthful when it came to the finishing line. It meant that we can space the tasks out over the next couple of weeks, and not stress out too much, in regards to the final deadline. We each set our own tasks, and divided them up equally, so that we each had the same workload. Planning is such an important part to any project, as you need to take into consideration unplanned tasks and problems that may arise and that need to be taken care of. This way, if you set a timeline you can adjust all of the tasks accordingly.

We really wanted to get on top of deciding on a final story, as we hadn’t done before the presentation, and it is a crucial part to our final project. It was in this week that we sat down and decided on who was definitely going to do what, and what needed to be done to reach that point or goal. Discussion time is always beneficial, as it means the project is more coherent, and everyone knows what they are doing from now, until next week (week 9).

This week was packed full of planning, designing, creating, and discussing of what we have to do before next week (WK 8). We had to create the trailer, the presentation, the script and the poster. We had a rough idea of what we wanted, but fine tuning this was the hard part. We all split the roles, Jen doing the trailer, Me doing the logo and the poster, Brontae and Ellie getting footage for the trailer and poster, and we each wrote our own parts for the presentation. Ellie – sound; Brontae – app; Jen – visuals; and me – website.

I feel as though this was a crucial week, one that was spent emailing each other back and forth, and designing pieces that would best suit our project. Jen and I worked alongside each other, so that the poster and trailer were similar, and that meant we would send through to each other some drafts before we gave the group 2 – 3 options to choose from. This way we got a variety of feedback. One thing is for certain, feedback is a crucial part of any project, especially this one. With each group member being honest and sharing their opinion, we were able to create designs that everyone was happy with, meaning that four different people with their own styles could agree on one thing – that must mean we are on to a winner!

As I was sick all of this week, it was very difficult to keep up with the group, but through the never ending chain of emails, texts and Facebook messages, we all seemed to keep on track. I tried my hardest to make sure that my part was up to scratch, because I didn’t want to let the group down – I guess this is the beauty of working in groups, you want to do better than what you think you can do, you want to be the one in the group that never lets anyone down. This is why it is good to push ourselves, that way the finishing product will be better than what we all expected (fingers crossed).