- Cogapp explanded from having 7 people to 35 people within the space of 10 years.
- They usually have more cultural clients - such as Museums/Charities/Corporates
- The main body of their work consists with - Web (for Museums) iPad/iPhone (for Corporates)
- There are 15 tech people (no one specialises in just one area, meaning that everyone is able to do everything, and no one is limited)
- They came up with an idea internally (pre-iPad) - for DK Guide Books
- They did say that due to the sheer size of the apps that they find it hard to illustrate what is in the app and how much.
- To make it easier for them, they have made their own processing software, this is so they can all use it, and there are again no limitations.
Here are a few apps (from books) that they showed us:
Quick-Cook app
- There is an introduction of how to use the app
- A filtering system - which means people can select any ingredient/style/for how many people they want (there is an endless number of solutions)
- There is no video content - which brings the size of the app down dramatrically.
Kids Craft
- This allows for children to make things both in real life and on the iPad
- There is an Online and Offline option as well - Online is more realistic looking and offline is a step by step guide (like from the book)
Pregnancy Day by Day
- This is an iPhone app
- You are able to put your due date in - then go through and select any of the different stages that you want to look at.
Digital Photography
- This is again an iPhone app
- This is a step by step guide (similar to the book) on how to photograph different things (objects/landscape/people etc) - and there is a filtering system again, which means you can choose what situtaion you are in, and then the app will show you how to get a great photograph.
USABILITY:
- There is a Usability Department, which interviews people about the app, to see if they are right to test it out.
- The reason for usability testing is then to be able to create interesting and useful digital things instead of just digital things.
- They user test throughout the whole of the design and development process
From the Beginning:
- The one of the most important parts of the whole design and development process is to first get the clients to buy user testing.
- Method of testing - Surveys/Card Sorting (looking at how people organise cards they are given)
- Syncapps - Pearwise Matrix/Broad flow diagram
- Put people into groups (this allows for Cogapp to choose the best people to test the product.)
ONLINE TOOLS (C Inspector/Tree Jack)
- Testing Language/Labelling - to see if people are able to navigate and find things easily in the app
DESIGNING
- Branding Guidelines - Style Guideline
- A/B Testing - showing both designs to one person OR showing one design to one group at a time
TESTING IN CONTEXT
- View it on the device you are designing for
- Axure - Is a testing program (for making a quick app for testing purposes)
- A key expression and Concept we were told is to ask a question to ourselves: IS IT GOOD ENOUGH?
- Make sure you wireframe flexibly
- How to find people for user testing - Databases
- Make sure you have people that are relevant to what you are trying to test - target audience
- Crazy Egg - Tracks where people click and gives hotspots to where they click the most
- Affinity Sorting - Putting coloured post its in relevant groups (for example - User 1 has pink post its and User 2 has green post its etc)
ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
- What is relevant to the project at hand?
SOFTWARE
- Omnigraph (wirefaming)
- Appcelerator
- Unity (Animation)
- Livecode
- Phonegap (HTML)
- Edge
- Prototypes??
ACCESSABILITY
- Apple already have a system to turn text into speech (for people who are blind)
- Keep the navigation in the same place (so people dont get confused)
- Design with intent - Cards By Dan Lockdon and David Harrison.
