Final Portfolio!

Here is an overview of the work that I have done for this class! Enjoy!

Project 3: Synposis

After looking at all of the bike trail information, I found myself extremely overwhelmed with having to look in several different places to find maps and overall trail information. That being said, I wanted to organize all of this content into one place in a way that was simplistic and easy to use. The easiest solution was through an app, which was primarily why I changed my original idea. I felt that the app could better fill the holes that were missing in terms of how the bike trail information was being organized–it was all over the place! I felt that my original idea would have only created more confusion and was something people would have just thrown away after one use. It also had a shelf life in that it was a calendar for the month of May.

I think my app is very simplistic in terms of how the content is arranged, but I think design is very dynamic and different. I think it definitely stands out in terms of app design–it’s very different! I enjoy the overall feel and color choices, which I think what really separates it from most app design. I wanted it to be progressive, because I feel as though that is how I look at biking. It’s naturally a forward moving activity (in the literal sense) and I also see biking as something that is rather on-trend right now in terms of sustainability, which is progressive. So while biking is considered and old means of transportation, I see it as a regression as a means to progression. I have also been told by people that it looks “very bike-y,” whatever that means, but I’ll take it.

Project 3: Completion

Despite my risky move to change my idea at the last minute, I think the results were good. I definitely came a long way! I'm just so happy I decided to go this route rather than making something so disposable. I think my app will be very useful to those in the area looking for places to ride their bikes, especially with the locate me function. I also like the overall feel of my app and I enjoy that it's different from any other app I've seen before. I was definitely looking to create something fresh and new and I feel the colors helped with that especially. I think my audience will also enjoy the colors and overall feel, which seems very industrial to me, especially with the working bike gears. All in all, I enjoyed creating a bike app with a very distinct feel.

It was quite the process trying to figure out how I was going to organize all of the information I wanted to include in my app. I knew I wanted a GPS locator so that area riders could look up the trails closest to them, but I also wanted to create a comprehensive app. That being said, I had to come up with a clear way of accessing all the information I wanted to include. This was another reason why I made the switch from the mailer to the app–I felt that it allowed for me to compile so much more information in a way that was useable.

For this project, I decided to create a booklet, outlining the interface's various stages and capabilities. I felt that this would be the best way to present my app's design.

Below is an Issuu document of my booklet created for this project.

Project 3: App Design Iterations for Critique

Now that I have my app's architecture mapped out and I have an idea of how it would work, I needed to create the interface's various stages. I also needed to develop a system for my trail maps. Trying to figure this out is hard and I'm hoping after Thursday's critique, I will have a better idea if my current system is effective for reading/using.

So far, here are the various screens in their phases...

Note: I have done some of these various stages for an Android phone as well, but as to not repeat myself, I am choosing only to show it on the iPhone in its entirety.

Start-up page...

Loading page...

Home page...

After clicking "locate me," you will be directed to a loading page

And then finally, you will be directed to this page, which allows you to click on a mint circle to find the closest trails. 

After clicking on "see nearest trails," you will be directed to a page listing all the nearby trails. From this page, you can click on any of the trails to see more information and a link to a map of that particular trail.

Here is a sample page of what the trail information page would look like.

And here is where you would be taken upon viewing the map...

Upon clicking, "Regional Trail Info" on the bottom navigation of the app, you will be taken to a page that lists ALL of the trails. From here you can click on any trail and be taken to its information page to view more about the trail. 

Another example of a trail information page and map...

Upon clicking, "Trail Maps" on the bottom navigation of the app, you will be taken to a page that lists ALL of the trails which links you to each of the maps. 

Things I should consider:

• I'm definitely considering exploring an option of zooming in on the map to see more entry points or perhaps what's nearby. Though, I'm not sure if that would be really useful for all of them considering some of them only have a few entry points.
• I also need to change my alignment/sizing of some of the graphics. I've noticed that they are not quite "there" yet.
• I need to keep some of elements consistent in terms of size and placement. 

Project 3: Updated Project Brief

Objective

Create a comprehensive app and includes essential information for Des Moines area bike riders and those new or visiting the Des Moines area. This app will include a GPS navigator to locate nearest trails, information about distance and types of trails, and trail maps. Through this project I will develop an easy way for area riders to access information about bike trails by putting it all in one place in a very simplistic manner.

The overall design and concept will be fresh, progressive and new. While biking has been historically a primary means of transportation, I feel that now more so than ever before, it is seen as something rather progressive and on-trend so-to-speak. Tapping into this, I want to create something progressive and different in terms of app design.

Client

The client for this project will be the Des Moines Bike Collective.

Audience

The audience will be Des Moines area bikers, both new and old.

Requirements

There are no requirements other than the ones I have established for myself, which is to create a comprehensive app.

Project 3: Major Changes

I decided to take a risk and completely change my idea for project 3. My original idea was to create a mailer that would include both a calendar for bike month and a map of Des Moines area bike trails. However, I began thinking about the shelf life of a mailer and decided I wanted to create something that lasted and was perhaps a bit more useful. The world has enough stuff and I thought it would be something people would use once and throw away. Lately I've been thinking about trying to create things in terms of systems, rather than things so that was why I made the executive decision to change my idea to something a bit more sustainable.

In terms of my information design, not much really changed. I am still going to design area bike trail maps and include them in a comprehensive app that includes trail information, as well as a GPS option which would locate nearest trails, detailing their information and map.

Below are my color choices, typeface choices and logo I developed for this app.

And here is my app architecture...

Project 4: Overview

All in all, I think our group worked really well together to develop a concept that furthered the idea that the law students were trying to convey. Ultimately, we were trying to develop of a sort of narrative that told a story of blight, abandoned areas transforming into environmentally friendly spaces and redevelopment. Thinking about this message that the law students were trying to convey through their report and presentation, we aimed to come up with something that could tell this very positive “story.” We collectively developed a gradient color scheme, ranging from grey to green to help communicate the narrative of the transformation of blight areas to revitalized development. Our initial layout included a triangle to represent the basic building block for development and creation. This triangle was on the upper right-hand side of the page and would change from section to section, ranging from grey to green. 

We were all very flexible, especially after our initial critique with the law students, forcing us to reconsider a new motif to replace the triangle, which they did not like. Ultimately, we came together to develop a new motif and a new way of displaying said motif. Thinking about the original purpose of the triangle, which was to help show a progression in color from grey to bright, happy greens, we aimed to accomplish something similar. However, we approached it such a way that was perhaps more obvious to our audience, who probably would not notice the subtlety of the triangle and that it was changing colors from section to section. We also had to consider the fact that the report would be printed in black and white, so we needed something that was a bit more obvious in terms of progression. We also chose a rectangle instead of a triangle to be our motif since it looked perhaps most more recognizably as a building.