Sharing some thoughts, ideas and tips and tricks.
This fall ustwo was among three agencies that was hand picked to be part of design challenge for Skånetrafiken, southern Sweden’s public transport organisation.
During a week me and two colleagues put together a creative concept and a iOS prototype that we presented for Skånetrafiken.
Here is the blogpost I wrote on ustwo to explain more about the concept and here is Skånetrafikens post from the developer blog (Swedish).
One of the applications I have been working on during the last six months is finally live – EF My Take Video Editor. Currently only the iPad version is live but soon the iPhone version will be released as well.
For a couple of years EF has been working with a concept called “Live The Language” to attract students and show off the diversity of places where it’s possible to learn a new language or improve on existing skills. Part of the concept EF created a really nice collection of videos that are available on the EF YouTube channel.
The videos are really stunning and EF wanted the students to also be able to record, edit and share their experiences in a simple and fun way. The result – EF My Take Video Editor. Part of the Portably team I was responsible for the interaction- and visual design, see some screenshots on my frontpage.
At work I am preparing a Pecha Kucha about myself, who I am, where I am from and what drives me. I wanted to briefly show some of my work and what I have done which made me realize I don’t have slightest idea how many app projects I have been involved in.
So I decided to put together a list and here it is. Most app projects I did as an Art Director at More Mobile Relations (then Portably and now Mirum) and the applications released (or soon to be released) as Galveston:
So that sums up to in total 19 applications in 43 platform versions… Pretty impressed I might say.
I didn’t work as a freelance that long, tomorrow I will start my position as Visual UI Designer for Ustwo here in Malmö. Great fun to find a really good position and company here in Malmö and as well really existing to be working with some real talents in an exciting set-up. A third designers part, a third part interaction designers and a third part programmers working in sprints with agile development.
One way to feel al home and be comfortable if of course to set up my workspace (mainly in Photoshop) the way i like it, and the optimal way for designing, especially user interfaces. That includes adjusting some settings, importing presets, downloading plugins etc. So here is a gross list (in no particular order) what I will do tomorrow to set up my workspace:
Some big news this fall is that we are moving from Stockholm to Malmö in beginning of October and from middle of December I will be available for freelance work. Feels nice and I will continue working with UX/UI for the mobile plattform since that is my speciality.
Up until then I am busy working for More Mobile Relations and am involved in two great projects. One video editing application for iPad and iPhone and an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) for a large TV distributor. Available early 2013 for iPad, iPhone, Android and web. I have already posted some sneak peaks on Dribbble and I will keep on posting more.
I will also try to update this site with a new theme and new content showing more of the projects I have worked with last years.
Busy times just before the summer holidays when I try to wireframe, design (and probably cut up most of the graphics) for two applications we are working on right now at More Mobile Relations.
First one is a data usage application for an telecom operator that will be available for iPhone and Android sometimes early autumn. The second one is a video editing application for iPad and iPhone that will be available later this autumn.
Both really fun projects and I have posted some sneak previews on Dribbble. The sneak previews for the data usage application and here is the video editing application.
I have been thinking some about the different parts or layers that make up an application, independent on the OS. I all goes back to the insight that in creative meetings, briefs, workshops etc focus is always on the features/content of the mobile solution (usually an application).
A client also tend to focus on the features (yes, together with cost, previous experience, the team, promised timeline etc) when judging an application and comparing it with other companies proposals in a pitch.
In a current pitch meeting with a client I wanted to emphasize that parts of the app that is really hard to show in a pitch might be the success factors of the application – the application layers that creates the user experience and the feeling. These might be the layers that separates an application with similar problem identification, similar concept, similar solution and similar content (if any) from another application.
I believe that the layers 5. structure, 6. visual design, 7. interaction and 8. feedback creates the user experience and that 6. visual design, 7. interaction and 8. feedback creates the feeling.
What would for instance the todo list application Clear be without the user experience and the feeling – just an ordinary todo application.
I have been designing applications, mobile sites and what not for the last 4-5 years at least. It have have been a challenge and a lot of trial-and-error type of thinking. What works? What doesn’t work? Why not? Image formats, quality, compression rates have been a big part of everyday work.
Lately though a lot of tools have been developed that will help you when designing mobile applications and mobile web a lot. Lets go through the tools and some tips and tricks that will make your life as a designer easier. Continue Reading
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