Conference Video
I just completed a new video for F4 Tech as a part of my duties for Onyx. This video is a highlight reel of their recent conference. I shot and edited this piece for use in PR and promotion for next year’s event. While at the event, I also shot some still photography and tweeted from the event.
F4 Tech Forest Technology Users Conference 2012 from Onyx Group on Vimeo.
Forge Video
I recently was tasked with creating a video showing off a new product for one of my clients at Onyx. The product is a device called the Forge. This is essentially a “sizzle reel” for the device showing it in action and accompanied by motion graphics to support the list of features. The video will be used in social media, email blasts, and at trade show displays.
The style of the graphics was set up by the Onyx creative team. This video used elements from a previous video produced by Onyx’s former digital media producer. My role in this was to update existing motion graphics to focus solely on the new device, shoot and edit in new material of the device in action, create new motion graphics highlighting certain features (such as the echolocation and clinometer) and choose and sync new stock music.
Forge Video from Onyx Group on Vimeo.
Advanced Web Applications: Flex
During my final semester at FSU, I took an advanced web applications class. In this class we used Flex (Flash) to design and code a variety of projects. Despite Flex already being a somewhat outdated language, I was able to produce some programs I am pleased with and get a basic understanding of what goes into programming.
Unfortunately WordPress won’t allow for the embedding of Flash projects so clicking on the following images will take you to a page where they are viewable and playable for now. (I am not sure how long my webspace at FSU remains active.)
Big Ten Air App
After a few preliminary apps we designed, we were then given an assignment to create a downloadable app that used XML for the data. There was to be a home page, a list of teams tab showing wins and losses, game schedule, and team rosters.
Usability Analysis: Blackboard Redesign
In this final assignment for this class, we were to select a component of the Blackboard Learning Management System and do an analysis of its usability and design an improvement. I selected the “tests, surveys, and pools” component which allows for instructors to build questions that can be used for assessment or surveys.
In the analysis, I compared Blackboard to competing systems, researched criticism, and interviewed active users. The design was a cleaner, more graphical interface that is not as piecemeal as the current system.
The video below is my final class presentation/report on the assignment. Images below show various stages of the project.
Usability Analysis: Good and Bad Stories
For my Usability Analysis class, we started off the semester by identifying something with bad usability and something with good usability. We were allowed to present this in the form of a video. Using my video production skills, I decided to do just that.
For my “bad usability” story I chose to talk about DVD digipaks although a runner up for this was the ordering system at Chick-fil-A.
For my “good usability” story, I went with a mobile app. I’m a big fan of the YouVersion Bible app on both the iPhone and iPad, although this video discusses just the iPhone version.
Information Architecture: D&D iPad App Concept
The final project for my information architecture class was to design the blueprint for an information system—website or mobile app—of our choosing, emphasizing user-centered design principles. The project involved original research on our chosen topic (in this case, a Dungeons & Dragons iPad app), as well as using a variety of IA tools and techniques for developing the architecture of the system and communicating our ideas to stakeholders. Materials submitted for evaluation includes six deliverables and a narrative essay.
The deliverables were:
- personas
- scenario (not shown below)
- sitepath
- site map
- low-fidelity wireframe
- high-fidelity wireframe
Information Studies
Graduation Announcement designed by Angel A. Acevedo [http://angelaacevedo.com/]
I enrolled in the Library and Information Studies program in the Fall of 2009. FSU’s program entails 36 credit hours which worked out to be 12 courses. I focused my studies on information architecture and also received an information architecture certificate in addition to my degree.
Some I have talked to wonder what “information architecture” even means. So to those wondering, information systems, such as websites and mobile apps (just to name two of many), are more useful when they are planned out from the get-go. The word architecture should give it away. Just as a builder needs a blueprint to build something, a similar blueprint should be built for information systems. Without a good plan in place, users of the finished system may encounter issues.
There’s much more to librarianship than shushing people and stamping books. Librarians forge the way for information organization, access to information, and are an incredible personal resource for locating answers to questions and problems. With this step behind me, I am looking forward to where things go from here.
Over the next few posts I’ll be summarizing the work I’ve done for school over the past couple of years. I’ll be posting snippets of papers, screenshots of my designs, videos summarizing my projects, and links to Flash-based web applications.
Rambabe
A bikini-clad Rambabe, a tall, blonde, warrior woman, emerges from a lake at sunset while firing an M249 machine gun at the enemy. 1/160 f/9 at ISO 800 © Scott Holstein
I’ve worked with Scott Holstein now on several projects. A couple years ago, I produced a behind-the-scenes video about his “Quagmire” photo. Scott had a concept for another photo and again enlisted my aid in doing a behind the scenes video.
This concept, as Scott explains on his own blog, was about redoing the character of John Rambo as a woman. To set a campy mood for the video, we began by filming a parody sequence that aped a scene from Rambo II.
Nerd Lunch Podcast
Even though Nerd Lunch: The Web Series wrapped, I didn’t want to give up on the expansion of the Nerd Lunch blog.
The form this took on was an audio podcast featuring one of the other blogging members of Nerd Lunch, the addition of fellow blogger Paxton Holley of the Cavalcade of Awesome, and a “rotating fourth chair” which features guest bloggers and podcasters. The pop culture podcast features the four members of the show doing round table discussions on anything from movies to comics to junk food. The podcast is hosted on Skype, recorded using Skype Recorder for the Mac, and I edit the show every week.
The Nerd Lunch Podcast is essentially a spin-off of The Atomic Geeks Podcast and falls under The Atomic Geeks Podcasting Network. The “TAG Network” logo was designed by me and incorporates the nuclear blast of the Atomic Geeks existing logo.
Vizualize This
I recently connected my LinkedIn account with a service called Vizualize. It’s pretty interesting how it takes the information on that page and graphically maps it out. The above graphic just shows work experience, but it plots out education and skills as well. There are also different themes to choose and the colors and fonts are all customizable.
It’s a good way to examine your own profile and see if there are any holes in it. The above is probably my favorite of the themes, but I still don’t love it. The triangle suggests a peak. I’d rather see it displayed as bars. There is a bar option, but that runs vertically instead of horizontally.
There are definitely some things I’d like to tweak about both my LinkedIn profile and this. You can see the whole thing and watch it ever evolve by clicking the link below.
