4. group assignment progress (personal contribution)

Group projects require teamwork, however, it is not that everyone does the same position. Any successful team needs people to take on roles as our professional life is a team sport. (ART MARKMAN, 2020). Throughout the whole project, two of us separated to do the parts we are good at. We managed to finish our part and gained experiences, as we came across with skills that are new to us. It seems a small project but it requires a lot of team working skills to bring our project to the best outcome. We learned how to work and give updates with each other, which updates within group mates are important. It is to ensure each of us can work effectively and achieve a happier yet more productive team. (olivia, 2020). Starting from doing research and ideas brainstorming, to the execution of a project, we knew the knowledge and steps to create a transmedia project.

As such, my role in this project is Web Application and Social Media Lead developer and Project Coordinator. The responsibilities including having brainstorming sessions with teammates, draw sketches, mindmaps, create wireframes of website, manage the outcome of each works (Workable, 2020) and of course the execution of parts I in charge of. It is indeed a challenging group project as the workload is out of my expectations. However, my teammates and I managed to finish it with the outcome we intended to.

From my position, I contribute to the website of the campaign as well as the Instagram, which is the 3rd media from the web pilot series. Both the website and Instagram part I managed to finish with what I planned with my teammate. Despite the challenges, we enjoyed much in the process of animation video, finding the right effects, music, sound effects to edit the animation video. This is the part where I felt it is a big breakthrough for me and in the same time, is the parts where I think it could be improved. The animation video is not perfect, as in not smooth enough, and some of the voice edits are feeling weird. Well, there's always space to have improvements. Therefore, I would be looking forward to strengthening the editing skills of animation video and the sound edits as well as the smoothness of the animation.

I learned a few skills during the projects for both group and personal, as in communication skills, problem-solving skills, technical skills in prototyping, animation video and of course how to create a transmedia project. To be honest, it is my first time to come across with apps prototyping and animation video. It is a challenge for me to create animation video where it spends lots of time in creating the frames. Here's what I've learned during the both group and personal project:

1. Tips to create prototype

a) Involve our users (participatory design) (Designs and Craig, 2020)

Participatory design is letting the user involve in the use of mobile apps. It is to built user-feedback into the design process, and, through this process, users could also give us insights about the problems of usability and user experience. 

b) User flow and scenarios (Designs and Craig, 2020)

The key point of the prototype is its functionality, as in it can be not very nice visually but it must be work. It must demonstrate clearly the key idea behind the design.

Here is steps that may helps in the user flow

First, sketch the page flows.

Second, create a low-fidelity digital prototype.

Third, increase fidelity as a final touch.

c) make user interactions as simple as possible (Designs and Craig, 2020) 

Users will feel complicated if there are too many hidden buttons or functions in the apps. They will slowly lose interest in the apps too. Hence, try to make the user interaction as simple as possible that users will understand immediately. 

d) animations (Designs and Craig, 2020)

Animations are always important when it comes to digital stuff such as websites etc. Therefore, it will help us to create a more unified user experience of our apps. Yet, it may let people feel our prototype like the “end-product”, where it is beneficial when having user-testing.

e) sketch the prototype flow (Designs and Craig, 2020)

It is important where people would like to know how to use these apps. Therefore, to ease the process of creating a prototype, sketching the prototype flow is indeed helpful. The goal is to organize and explore our thoughts, concepts, and create a basic structure of the prototype.

f) prototype only what we need (Designs and Craig, 2020)

As the prototype is not creating the whole app with many details, it is about the idea and the visual of how an app will be before becoming a “real app”. Therefore, prototype only what we need and what is important to let the user see.  

2. Tips to create transmedia

a) create a story world

By creating the tropes; archetypes and clichés for stories, synthesized them into a chart for better understanding. In fact, the orphan model (the Star Wars molecule) is also an effective way to initiate the transmedia story world. Well, it has proven to be the most popular way to initiate a transmedia story world. (Dr. Chester Elijah Branch, 2015).

b) create mystery within the story world

Let it be a mystery to us too when creating the mystery of the story world. From the research by Robert Pratten, he creates a great chart showing the different directions these mystery boxes can take you in your story world. (Pratten, 2015). It shows that we can consider the questions to create the mystery. For example a movie that talks about an orphan, consider the questions - Who is the orphan’s father? Why is the villain bent on destruction? Why are the outcasts outcasts? What-all powers do the MacGuffin(s) hold? How many are there? (Pratten, 2015).

(Pratten, 2015).

c) master the anatomy of the viral video

Tastemakers + Community Remixing + the Unexpected = Viral Video.

Tastemakers means the celebrities or KOL.

Community Remixing means the fans on the various media outlets.

The Unexpected means the story we created has its twist in it. (Allocca, 2011)

3. soft skills that I learned
I’ve learned that problem solving is a basic life skill and is essential to our

day-to-day lives, no matter in daily lives, school or work. It is because solving skills empower us

not only in our personal life but are critical in our professionals too. (CCMIT, 2020). Through the project, when there's an obstacle or issue happens, it is the time where it ordeal our ability to solve the problems.

Furthermore, communication skills is important within group projects where it is necessary to update our teammates on the progression. It is to ensure each of us can work effectively and achieve a happier yet more productive team. (olivia, 2020). Again, as mentioned above, group projects require teamwork, however, it is not that everyone does the same position. Any successful team needs people to take on roles as our professional life is a team sport. (ART MARKMAN, 2020).

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References

olivia, 2020. 6 Simple Tips For Effective Team Management. [online] Focus. Available at: <https://www.meistertask.com/blog/6-simple-tips-effective-team-management/> [Accessed 25 May 2020].

ART MARKMAN, 2020. This Is The Secret To Doing More Productive Group Work. [online] Fast Company. Available at: <https://www.fastcompany.com/90450653/this-is-the-secret-to-doing-more-productive-group-work> [Accessed 25 May 2020].

Workable, 2020. Senior Web Developer Job Description Template | Workable. [online] Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better. Available at: <https://resources.workable.com/senior-web-developer-job-description> [Accessed 25 May 2020].

Dr. Chester Elijah Branch, 2015. 4 Crucial Tips For Creating A Transmedia Story - Mediashift. [online] MediaShift. Available at: <http://mediashift.org/2015/01/4-crucial-tips-for-creating-a-transmedia-story/> [Accessed 22 May 2020].

Jenkins, H., 2007. Transmedia Storytelling 101 — Henry Jenkins. [online] Henry Jenkins. Available at: <http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html> [Accessed 22 May 2020].

LAURA SÁNCHEZ, 2017. What Transmedia Storytelling Is And How To Apply It To Your Digital Campaigns. [online] Wearemarketing.com. Available at: <https://www.wearemarketing.com/blog/what-transmedia-storytelling-is-and-how-to-apply-it-to-your-digital-campaigns.html> [Accessed 22 May 2020].

we are marketing, 2020. The Relentless Pursuit Of Growth. [online] Wearemarketing.com. Available at: <https://www.wearemarketing.com/> [Accessed 22 May 2020].

Allocca, K., 2011. Why Videos Go Viral. [online] Ted.com. Available at: <https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_allocca_why_videos_go_viral?language=en> [Accessed 22 May 2020].

Pratten, R., 2015. Getting Started In Transmedia Storytelling. 2nd ed.

Designs, 1. and Craig, W., 2020. 10 Tips For Prototyping Your Designs. [online] WebFX Blog. Available at: <https://www.webfx.com/blog/web-design/tips-prototyping-designs/> [Accessed 22 May 2020].