Discover Limerick App Project

An Interactive guide to historical Limerick for iPad, designed to capture the evolution of the city's historical streets and historical architecture through the ages.

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Have your say and help us to develop

Hi All, I'm looking for some feedback on my updated project prototype and I'd really appreciate it if you would test the app on the below link, then take a few minute to respond to the survey afterwards-It's short and sweet I promise! Updated Prototype Discover Limerick App https://invis.io/QK8BNOM49 User Feedback Survey Discover Limerick https://clareblackwell.typeform.com/to/gPmhoo Thanks a  million!

Discover Limerick

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Getting to grips with the next round of user testing, I’m currently preparing the Moqup prototype to gather some user feedback.

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Development of Project UI and Wire-framing of the project prototype: 

In developing the project prototype I am engaging users in testing of the evolving project prototype to gather feedback in response to early iterations of the project. This is helping me to gain beneficial user insights into the development of the working project prototype on device.

I am in the process of creating a more complete wireframe prototype using the Moqups protyping tool which provides some aspects of iOS design elements. In tandem with this I am working with Apple’s iOS Ui guidelines as a rule of thumb to benefit the making of key decisions around navigation, information display and the loading of pages/progress etc. I will complete a blog entry around this tomorrow.

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Competitor Analysis: The Book of Kells App for iPad and Mobile

The Book of Kells is a visually rich ipad app created with a very high production quality and an efficient and easy to use UI. Geared towards an Irish and Tourism base, it works effectively as a means of recreating the museum experience for the user-aswell as a study resource for scholars/teachers or artists interested in accessing the app. With effective and high quality images of the manuscript that the user can explore with ease, the Ui is clear and easily accessed by the user. The functionality of the app is similar to that of Discover Limerick with the ‘panning’ motion made by the user in exploring the images. I consider the app an excellent example of its type, made more effective with careful handling of the user interface. 

Pros: Excellent production quality and easy to use and understand.

Cons: Some similarities to Discover Limerick but basic in its functionality, it does as much as is needed from an app like this and does it well.

#competitoranalysis #historyapp

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Competititor Analysis: History Maps of the World: iPad App

The app is a convenient historical archive and geographical resource for users interested in world history, exploration, trade and discovery. The keys aspects that the app has in common with Discover Limerick is the timeline based on important categories and the use of maps, although mostly for visual effect they have some interactivity for the user to access facts and information as they view the resources. 

In terms of UI, the app has excellent primary resources in the form of the archived images, but lacks inspiration for the user, as I used the app I found I lost interest quite quickly and found the navigation a little confusing, these elements, if improved upon could make the app more effective. In an educational context the resources could of course be very useful.

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History Without Borders: iPhone App based on Danish and Swedish Historical Past:

The History Without Borders app is designed to help users learn about the historical events in the Nordic Countries’ collective pasts. The app is well designed fit for purpose and intuitive, and conveys information effectively. Common features to Discover Limerick include the core use of a Timeline and a Map showing core historical locations.

The UI is simple, intuitive and makes excellent use of icons and colour to communicate key information to the user. I particularly like the use of the timeline as a central aspect of the Ui and intent ti borrow this approach to some extent for my project. This app is a good example of information made simple for the user, and I found that I engaged more fully with the app during testing owing to its UI. 

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The Infographics and Ui, coupled with clear, simple design make ‘History Surfer’ an excellent app for its intended purpose, taking the time restriction into account is an interesting approach to the user’s experience of the app.

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Competitor Analysis 2: History Surfer: Infographic UI

History Surfer lets you sit back, relax and discover history like never before, one fact at a time. The concept of the app is a pared back user-friendly and content centred approach to UI design. Designed for short, perfunctory use and as a conversation starter, it performs its task very well. The app is designed to give the user snapshot information to be accessed on a regular basis, rather than sit and read over a longer period of time. In this way, Discover Limerick will differ slightly in format and user goals. The app is well designed, very user friendly and allows the user to access as much information about a date/historical event as possible in the least time possible. This achievement is part of the reason I selected the app for this CA, as the infographics provide an effective UI and overall I had a positive user experience with the app.

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Ireland History Map: Images taken from the app itself, content rich but UI is limited.

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Competitor Analysis: Ireland History Map

As part of the development of research and iterative design approaches to the creation of the project I decided to look at the design of other apps created for iPad use/and/or in a similar content area. I will ask other users to test the app and give their opinion of the various functionalities, design/UI approaches and Content-Information and how it is communicated. The first of the apps I have looked at is a History based app for iPad developed around the theme of Irish History and the location of historical sites.

Working with similar content to Discover Limerick, the app is centred on the locations and dates of significant historical events. Design is functional but quite basic with content drawn from a variety of outside sources such as wikipedia, location mapping is base on the use of Google maps and for this reason is effective, however in areas of concentrated locations it may become crowded and difficult for the user to distinguish/isolate particular information. The app is based on a more cursory look at the whole island of Ireland and therefore the scope of Discover Limerick will be smaller and more manageable (in theory) 

Competitor Analysis:

Pros: 

Effective for its purpose, providing a broad overview of Irish Historical events. 

Easy to use and understand.

Cons:

UI is limited, design is basic and might at times become crowded dependent on how the user intends to access content, however the app serves its purpose fairly well.

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Getting to grips with tables and JSON calls in Corona at the moment, using some images stills taken from the prototype for the purpose, my approach here is to create a chapter for each era of limerick history I intend to include within the app and use a repeated/nested approach to the development of the app’s funtionality.

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At the moment I am tackling the design and UI side of the project while slowly working with the functionality of the app, taking a chapetered approach to the functionality of the project with the core aspects of narrative, interaction and animation.

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THE CHILDREN OF LIR Video Piece

Digital Storytelling Final Assignment Clare Blackwell MSc Creative Digital Media

A Video Animation based on the legend of ‘The Chidren of Lir’, created using a combination of mixed media and green screen footage, while the drawings were completed over a light box I built for the project. Those of you familiar with Limerick may recognise the scenes shot at Clancy Strand, Glenstal Abbey and the Ruins of Dromkeen Church (of Ireland). The early scenes in county Wicklow on a drive to and around the area of Glendalough. 

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Hi Tumblrers! Here’s a link to an early project protoype for ‘Discover Limerick’ a History App for Limerick City. I am currently gather user feedback and would appreciate if you could try it out and tell me what you think! Many thanks, Clare #limerick #history

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Mexican artist Carlos Amorales. Puzzle Birds 01, 2006

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Happy birthday to one of the founding members of Futurism, Gino Severini. Inspired by modern life, he used the tools of Cubism to create colorful and dynamic compositions.

“The Milliner,” 1910–11, by Gino Severini