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Submission IxD503

Promotional Website:

www.a-zoo.co.uk

Research:

What do I need to ask?

Brand Audit

Card Design

Successful App Launch

Merch Shop

Merch

Poster

Adding Nature

Animals

Characterisation

Package content

Packages

Corona

Touchpoints

Launch Strategy

Promotional Site

Promotional Website

Animation effecting UI

Animation in UX

Types of animation

Prototyping with animation

Animating Programmes

Conduct user testing

User Vs Usability

User Testing

Usability Testing

Usability Testing -2

Notifications

Hiding

Map

Nav Bars

Colours

Fonts

Updated Branding

Brand Research

Branding

The big screen

User Personas

Looking at the user

Survey

Methods of user research

User Research

ABC in schools

Onboarding

Looking at it again

The last semester

#ixd503

What do I need to ask?

Defining specific tasks for users to achieve while using the product is critical to testing. It’s important to observe the user’s actual interactions and how these interactions relate to pleasant or unpleasant user experience.

Examples of Questions

If you were looking for settings, where would you expect to find it?

How easy or difficult was it to navigate?

Can you understand all the words used throughout the app?

What are your thoughts on the design and layout?

How long did it take the user to complete this task?

Examples of post-test questions

How would you describe your overall experience with the product?

What did you like the most about using this product?

What did you like the least?

Questions like these may need to be simplified down for A-Zoo user testing because the target market is such a young audience everything needs to be simple and understandable for them.

#ixd503

Brand Audit

I want to relook at my current A-Zoo brand. I need to work out a good plan as to where I am going with this in order to make it look as professional as possible and entice children into using it.

Logo - I'm not 100% set on my current logo - I think there is so much more I could do with it to make it look more professional and more child friendly. I would also like a better way to layout my app icon. But I need to work out the different ways this could be laid out. I might try to include some imagery in the A-Zoo logo so the imagery could be used as the app icon.

Colours - the current colour scheme for A-Zoo features heavily on the use of pastel colours, however, after further research I have learnt that kids are more excited about bright colours. They find them a lot more understandable and easier to see. Therefore, I am going to relook at the colour scheme for A-Zoo. I want something slightly bright and more child friendly.

Language - I found myself using a lot more difficult language within A-Zoo and I think this needs to be simplified down so that children can understand it more. I need to stop myself using bigger words because this is an alphabet app, the kids don't really know how to read and are relying a lot more on imagery, sounds and simple words.

Imagery - I want to use a lot more child-friendly images within A-Zoo, I think there is a huge potential for A-Zoo to work really well but it needs to be done correctly. The audience for A-Zoo are very young and the majority of them cannot read well. Images will help tell the story where words arent enough.

Transitions - The current version of A-Zoo was one of the first times I have ever created an app. I’m not sure about how each screen transitions, I think there is a lot more potential for this to be improved on and made better. But I need to dedicate some time to look into the transitions and how each screen will move onto the next, I want the app to flow well as a whole.

#ixd503

Successful App Launch

The app market has become drastically more competitive over the years and businesses are finding it challenging to be discovered in a sea of competition.

Steps to a successful launch:

Conduct Market Research

Test Prototypes with Potential Users

Implement In-App Analytics

Provide a Feedback Channel

Conduct Beta Testing

Set a Launch Date

Develop a Marketing Plan

Create a Web Landing Page

Social Media

Localise Your App

Build Store Ratings

Use Ads

Plan Ongoing Engagement

Monitor App Performance

Regular App Updates

#ixd503

Merch

I want to create a series of merchandise for A-Zoo. Pieces of merch are a great way to advertise your product.

The purpose of merchandise is to attract, engage, and motivate the customer towards making a purchase. Using promotional merchandise is a great way to move your advertising campaign into the offices and homes of potential and existing customers.

Promotional products are affordable items that are made for customers and clients interested in your brand. Branded merchandise such as mugs and pens are used in offices whilst benefiting many other areas of businesses to give a long-lasting and effective brand impression. The goal of promotional giveaways is to attract and appeal to customers.

Benefits of using promotional products:

Sense of brand loyalty - One of the most important aspects of a successful business is to ensure proper engagement with new customers. Giving a gift to your customer increases the chances of your customer choosing you over your competitors by invoking a sense of brand loyalty.

A good relationship with your customers - Building strong meaningful connections with your customers is a quality that will ensure your company will benefit in the long-run. Customers recognise that if companies try and build meaningful relationships with their customers they are more likely to recommend their friends and family to that specific brand, this can be very advantageous for your company in the future.

Make customers passionate - A great benefit for using branded merchandise is that customers can develop a passion for your brand, values and products through being engaged emotionally.

Reward your customers - Handing out branded gifts can set the steps in place to build relations with an existing client. Gifting a promotional product shows that you are a distinctive and attractive brand which benefits your brand identity.

Showing commitment - Showing commitment to existing customers can have profound business results. A recent study claimed that “it costs five times as much to attract a new customer than to keep an existing one”. this shows that brand commitment is definitely worth investing in.

Adding Nature

I knew for branding and marketing purpose I would need to have a range of other assets which can be used around A-Zoo. Therefore I created a series of trees, bushes, plants and other natural materials which I may need to use thorough in order to add life to specific elements.

I knew the animals would not look good standing alone on certain elements of promotional material, therefore, having these other elements as resources will hopefully give me a wider range of options that I can add to make designs come to life. A lot of the elements are greenery and trees, bushes etc. But I also created a few coloured elements because I thought this would help brighten up the material created and make the promotional material come to life and add excitement.

#ixd503

Animals

For the original 501 hand in, I had drawn the letters ABCD. I knew I still had loads more to do but it was important for me to get feedback on these animals so I could move on and focus on the correct style for the animals.

Whilst drawing the rest of the animals I kept getting feedback from a number of people. My mum is my greatest critic she was able to see things from a completely different angle that I didn't think about.

For the original 4 animals I had drawn:

Ant

Badger

Crocodile

Deer

However, when I began showing my mum some of the new animals I was drawing she asked to see others. When I showed her the original 4 animals she was very concerned about them. She thought the Badger wasn't a good animal and kids might mistake the badger for a skunk until they are told otherwise. She thought there was more animals that started with b that would be a better representation for the letter. She was also concerned that the deer might be mistaken for a reindeer and this would represent a different letter. She was worried kids having simple minds might see the animals as something different than what they are meant to be.

I changed the 4 original animals to:

Ant

Bear

Crocodile

Bear

I ran through the rest of my animal ideas with her to make sure she didn't think the other could be easily mistaken for something else.

My final animal list is:

A - Ant

B - Bear

C - Crocodile

D - Duck

E - Elephant

F - Flamingo

G - Giraffe

H - Hippo

I - Iguana

J - Jellyfish

K - Kangaroo

L - Lion

M - Monkey

N - Newt

O - Ostrich

P - Panda

Q - Quail

R - Rhino

S - Snake

T - Tiger

U - Unicorn

V - Vulture

W - Walrus

X - X-ray FIsh

Y - Yeti

Z - Zebra

#Ixd503

Characterisation

One of the points of feedback I got from IxD501 was that the animals weren't consistent and didn't look like they belonged to the same animal family. Therefore I needed to go back and have another look at them to make sure they were all resembling each other in the best way possible.

My feedback also said that some of the animals looked more realistic than a cartoonist. Therefore I needed to look over them to make sure they all look similar.

I looked at a number of children's television shows and a lot of the characters from these children show's have coloured eyes, coloured eyes help make a character more cartoon and less realistic.

Dora the explorer has brown eyes

Spongebob has blue eyes

Anna and Elsa have blue eyes

I think adding coloured eyes is going to help the animals look more cartoonish and less realistic. I think blue eyes will help the animal's eyes look better, the blue will stand out against all the different colours which could be used on the animals.

#ixd503

Packages

I know I want A-Zoo to have different packages available for people to choose from. These will be selectable from the promotional site.

The point in offering different packages for A-Zoo is that it makes the user think they are getting more for their money. It is also a good method to use to get a lot of initial downloads on the app. People are getting a better deal the earlier they download A-Zoo, therefore, they might be more convinced to sign up early.

For A-Zoo I want to offer three different packages, all themed around different areas of the zoo or animal-related places. Helping keep these packages on the brand.

The three packages I will offer will be:

Paddle Pond - This is the lowest value package it is based around the environment the ducks live in, a paddle pond, one of the smallest animals within the A-Zoo app, representing that this is the smallest package available.

Tall Trees - This is the middle package available on A-Zoo it is based on giraffes and the tall trees they eat from. This is the tallest animal within the zoo, but not usually considered the highest-ranked animal. Therefore not the highest-ranked package offered for A-Zoo.

Pride Rock - This is the highest package offered for A-Zoo, the reason for this is that many people associate pride rock with lions and they are concerned the beast of the zoo and the highest-ranked animal. Therefore it makes sense to have pride rock the highest-rated package offered for A-Zoo.

#ixd503

Corona... Corona... Corona...

Well...

In light of recent events happening around the world, I have had a huge chance to reflect on A-Zoo and all that it entails.

The coronavirus has caused all of us to now be sent to work from home and the university has officially closed. As I am still working on from my placement as a part-time member of staff I have realised the importance of my job throughout the coronavirus outbreak. All students have been sent to work from home and all learning material must be put online. Staff are having to host classes from the digital learning environment (DLE). My job involves designing content and putting it online for staff and students to use, and assisting staff and students to use the DLE.

Coronavirus has really taught me the importance of digital learning and the importance of making sure online learning content is online for students to learn from.

I think A-Zoo is proving more important than ever, parents could use A-Zoo to teach their children the alphabet from home during this difficult time or difficult times like this to come. So in a way coronavirus could help A-Zoo really come into market.

#ixd503

Touchpoints

A touchpoint is defined as a connection or interaction between a business or product and its consumer or customer. This can be before, during or after the initial purchase.

Touchpoints come in many different ways:

Online ads

Print ads

Social media

Direct mail

SMS/text

Flyer/handout

Brochure

Newsletter

I think A-Zoo will have a newsletter which parents subscribe to. They will receive information on A-Zoo and any new updates or news about the app. I might also include a section on the newsletter for children's progress, so parents can see how other children are progressing in basic skills with help from A-Zoo.

For A-Zoo I wanted to create some social media accounts, this would help get the brand out there and entice people to download it once it is launched.

I decided to create an Instagram and a twitter account for A-Zoo. The twitter account is set up mainly for the use of parents, and for this content to not be something a child might be interested in seeing. The twitter account will focus on news and important updates that parents might need to know quickly. Whereas Instagram is set up with the intention of parents showing this content to children because it will be mainly images of the animals and the artwork within A-Zoo. The content on Instagram will be a lot more child friendly.

Twitter:

@A_ZooApp

https://twitter.com/A_ZooApp

Instagram:

@A_Zoo_App

https://www.instagram.com/a_zoo_app/

#ixd503

Launch Strategy

Technology is the key to success these days. Consumers have more ways of reaching a product than ever before. Online adverts, social media, emails, apps, and review sites etc.

A successful launch strategy focuses on the customer experience.

Prelaunch:

Development - Is the product the right fit for the market? is the demand for the product high and will consumers be interested in buying the product once it is launched?

Create a buzz - Create excitement and hype around the product, people need to be looking forward to this coming out and ant to download it upon its first availability.

Testing - It is so important to test the product thoroughly before it is launched. You need to be sure the product is fit for purpose and the people downloading it will be able to use it successfully without any issues or problems. Find people who have not seen or tested your product before and ask them to use it. This will help you see whether or not people will run into any issues with it or whether it will run successfully.

Goals - Create a set of engaging materials to support your product. Create excitement around the product and make people want to buy it. A well-known brand can create a lot of hype indirectly. Whereas for a start-up this is a lot harder because people are not familiar with the product.

Pre-Order - Set up a pre-order for the product. This will make users feel excited about the launch and want to sign up before the launch in order to get all the benefits of early sign-up.

Launch

Create excitement - Keep the energy around the product high and promote the product as much as possible. Answer any questions people may have about the product and remain professional at all times. This is not only the image of you as a person but also affects the brand image at the same time.

Availability - announce that the product is available for download. Make as many announcements as you can across as many platforms as possible. This ensures that as many people as possible get to see your product is available and download it at the first launch.

#ixd503

Promotional Website

I am required to produce a promotional website for A-Zoo. This is set up to advertise A-Zoo and entice people into downloading it.

I want to create a one-page site because I think this will be the best way to layout all the content in a simple manner for people to understand. People don't often spend a lot of time on a website so it is important that all the content is clear and concise.

I want a super simple site that briefly explains what A-Zoo is and how it will target all the different learning styles, and explain why it is the ideal app for kids to use to learn the alphabet.

I was A-Zoo to be the app that parents feel confident in downloading and having on their child's devices, without having to worry that it might not be suitable for their age group. I want parents to feel confident that they can leave their child unassisted to work through A-Zoo and learn about all the different letters within it.

Imagery will be used throughout the promotional site to show off some of the animal illustrations kids will come in contact with when using A-Zoo. This will not only help A-Zoo promotional site become less text-heavy but it will also enable the parents to get a feel for the content that is going to be used across the site.

I also want to include a subscription box for the promotional site, where parents can sign up for a subscription newsletter about A-Zoo and any new content of updates coming along. This will be displayed as an email box where the user enters their email address in and they will automatically be registered for the newsletter.

#ixd503

Animation effecting UI

Good UI animations have a purpose; they are meaningful and functional.

Functional animation is a subtle animation embedded in the UI design as a part of the functionality of that design.

Animation brings user interfaces to life. In a human-centred design approach, where the user is the prime focus, a user interface needs to be intuitive, responsive, and human.

When it comes to teaching users to use your UI, you should provide a set of visual hints which convey what interactions are possible. This kind of functional animation drives a user’s attention to the possible interactions. Visual hints can give the user insights into what is about to happen.

#ixd503

Animation in UX

In UX, motion and animation can be helpful and communicative. Motion is most often appropriate as a form of subtle feedback for micro-interactions, rather than to induce delight or entertain users. Nowadays it’s hard to impress or even surprise with an interface animation. It shows interactions between screens, explains how to use the application or simply directs a user’s attention.

Duration and speed of the animation:

When elements change their state or position, the duration of the animation should be slow enough to give users the possibility to notice the change, but at the same time quick enough not to cause waiting.

UI motion attracts user attention. Our peripheral vision is responsible for detecting motion. But we are sensitive and prone to be distracted by any type of motion (meaningful or not). That’s why motion in user interfaces can easily become annoying: it’s hard to stop attending to it, and, if irrelevant to the task at hand, it can substantially degrade the user experience.

Animations are often helpful as a form of noticeable feedback that an action has been recognized by the system. A ubiquitous example is the animation of a navigation menu sliding over the page when a hamburger icon is tapped.

Advantages of animation:

saved screen space.

increased usability.

originality.

convenient and easy interaction.

ability to fulfil several functions simultaneously.

speeding up the processes of interaction.

providing clear feedback to the user.

creating necessary expectations.

#ixd503

Animation and Prototyping

I had a look on youtube for some video tutorials on how to add animated GIF’s into Invision, I wanted to see how hard it is to add them in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAl6i8FEAK8

This tutorial shows it could be relatively simple to add an animated GIF into invision, however, this is using a whole animated screen and not just one animated element on the screen.

I want to be sure there is a capability to add an animated element to a prototype instead of a whole screen.

#ixd503

Animating Programmes

For A-Zoo I think I want to animate some of the animals, I think this might be a good way to add some flair to the overall design of the screens. The animation might make A-Zoo more fun for children and they might see the characters in a more realistic way than if they didn't animate.

If I am animating the animals I need to assess which animating tool I will use to do this. The animals are all drawn on iPad Pro using Procreate.

Procreate:

Procreate recently brought out an animation feature which I am keen to try and use within A-Zoo, I am hoping because the characters are drawn in procreate that they would be easy enough to animate using this programme too.

After Effects:

For a long time After Effects has been one of the top-rated animation programmes used within the industry. But I worry that I would have to export all the animal drawings are PNG and then upload them into After Effects that the quality might decrease or the animations won't be as smooth as I would like.

I also need to be sure that whichever prototyping programme that I use that there is the ability to import animated GIFs into it. As otherwise the animations aren't useful and won't be of any benefit to the prototype.

#ixd503

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