So this is what i came up with..

FAMILY CONNECT

Heres a demo video showing it in action..

and the prototype is here, although its not fully functional..

The interface is based on a grid (3×3), with different sections (me, family, callender) from left to right and different pages within these sections (up, down)

use the arrows to navigate..

like the handmade feel and the way shadows are used cleverly..

i like the idea of the character being able to manipulate the surroundings while walking through a landscape

an example of a real person interacting with animated objects, something id like to try out.

and another..

pretty cool 2D/3D

animated characters in real-world scenes..

another example of a really nice paper/hand made aesthetic..

Taking a look at some existing websites to see what  services/features they offer..

grow my thoughts:

like the visual impact of this site, bright colours..

http://growmythoughts.com/

Taking a look at existing ways in which this is happening:

Baker Tweet – Poke London

Poke created an arduino based system so that Albion Bakery in Shoreditch could tweet their customers when new prodeucts were fresh out of the oven, it helped create a strong community presence for the bakery and build them a solid base of regular customers.

COMMUNITYSAFE.GOV.ORG

Community safe is a free local service put in place by the metropolitan police, its purpose is to keep users updated via text, email, phone etc on issues such as counter terrorism and crime in thier local area.

Second Life

Second Life is an online virtual world where users can chat, explore, work and play with other people of simmilar interests.
It helps build online virtual communities  by giving people a way in which to interact on thier own terms, and by creating avatars which show poeple how they wish to be seen by others. Some users have extensive friend groups in which they meet up and interact with virtually on a daily basis.

Skype

Skype enables members of a community to stay connected visually with eachother.

RESEARCH//

Toyota Covered

Ad from Toyota’s 2009 range from creative agency Clemmow Hornby Inge Ltd.

I want to incorporate film footage into my animation combined with 2D/3D elements.. just need to come up with a storyline..

MORE WORK FROM CHI LTD//

Carphone warehouse campaign.

NICK CAMPBELL//

I like the way 2D planes and masks are used in 3D space to create a complex 3D animation.

3D AND A PHOTOGRAPH//

“To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible; to be credible we must be truthful.”—Edward R. Murrow

(via Honest Interfaces) – swissmiss

1. Project Summary | One paragraph describing your project.

2. Context | Describe the cultural, social, political, economical, historical context of your topic.

3. Rationale | Why is your project important to you and to GDNM practice?

4. Methods | Describe how you are planning to carry out your project.

5. Skills Evidence | Describe the practical and theoretical skills necessary to carry out the project.

6. Predicted Resolution | Describe what you intend to work towards.

7. Bibliography/Webography (links)

8. Timetable

9. Blog Address

I would like to create an iphone app, or a concept for an iphone app, which function is to connect you with your real family, and not flood you with status updates and news feeds of those people that you may have met on the bus once and then added on facebook.
I think the problem with existing technologies and platforms which aim to connect you with your family are too filled with false and irrelevant information which you may not want to be exposed to when trying to make real connections with real relations.

‘Design or re-design one of the following with a view on enhancing user experience. This may be in terms of ease of use and/or value added features.’

1/ Definition of a family. What is a family and how what makes a family has changed over time.

2/ What is interactivity?

3/ Current ways to connect a family.
- How i connect with my family.
- How these methods are interactive.
- How are they designed? (good/bad points)

4/ Current problems which stop families connecting efficiently/all together.

5/ How ways to connect families have changed over time.

6/ Effect modern technology has on family relationships/connectivity.

7/ Problems which exist in building online/virtual relationships.

8/ Good points about building online/virtual families/relationships.

9/ Leading separate virtual lives, online families. Second lives?

10/ Ability to search/join online communities through common interests. Impact this has on building families/communities.

11/ Future technologies – research.

12/ How online communities and families are perceived by media/public. Problems with this?

13/ How with the influence of digital technology and the ability to connect with so many people so easily may have somehow made these relationships false.

14/ How digital/virtual/online technology can enhance user experience.

15/ Target audiences of online community tools.

16/ IDEAS..

//connecting families//

Microsoft Vine:

Microsoft vine is a tool that ‘connects you to the people and places you care about most, when it matters.’

Vine was designed to keep family and friends in touch when other methods of communication have either broken down or are unavailable, such as a breakdown in mobile phone networks, and can be accessed either online, by text or email.
Vine also gathers news stories from the media and displays these on a map, which can be filtered to your local area or type of news of interest like sports, entertainment etc.
Another key feature of vine is that it gathers status updates and news from the feeds of your social networks, another way to stay connected with your friends an family, while also displaying their location on a map so you can know the real-time location of the people in your community.

Interactive Gordon Brown:

Interactive Gordon Brown was an interactive installation on the southbank, London, put in place concurrent with the lead up to the upcoming election.
It was designed to  ’put freedom of speech in the hands of the public’ and give people an up-close and personal interaction with the Prime Minister himself, encouraging them to fill the blank speech bubble with whatever they would like to hear coming from the PM.

Ways to Connect Families //

World of Warcraft:

Im not saying that I think World of Warcraft is a good thing, or even a good way to connect with your family, but it does show that the future of our interaction with close  relations and associates is definitely set to be within the digital/virtual realm.
There are people that play this game who spend more time socializing with their virtual friends that they do with their real life counterparts, and family members spending increasing amounts of time sucked into the online world results in the family connecting less. Maybe the answer to improving family communication should concentrate on connecting them virtually? Seen as in the near future this is where they will be spending all their time anyway..