A Sharing

It was a sharing session with Creative Director from IF Interactive. I proposed to him with the draft version of flowchart. It was very tension as it was the very first conversation with experienced designers from the industry. From his comments, I realized that there were a lot of involvements in Justlife Avatar as if it is going to replace the human resources in Justlife. And from there, human & human interaction will be reduced or to be eliminated due to Artificial Intelligence. Consumers may not need Justlife staff anymore as long as they have the avatar with them in their mobile phones. I was totally out of my mind when thinking of Justlife branding direction focuses on human – human interactions rather than human – computer interactions. So I have to make some changes due to the big issues here where I create this avatar as a tool to enhance interactions between staff & consumers. Consumers might not need this stand-alone application without conversation with staff of Justlife. In other words, I try to transform the human- human conversation into human – computer – human communication.

Moodboard

Moodboard is provided to determine the look and feel of Justlife Avatar. Justlife’s branding image is more towards eco- lifestyle and the color usage are mostly white, orange, green with real images. Typeface are also more to handwriting style, san serif fonts and curvy. I propose gradient colours (ideally orange & green) usage because it tends to give fresh and new look rather than pale colour scheme such as muted brown or green series. The design of white space is remain due to Justlife’s art direction.

Flowchart

Draft Version

A draft version of flowchart was made according to client’s requirements for Justlife Avatar (iPad application). Major functions are product briefing, search engine, recommendations, user comments & personal reminder which targeting two approaches- consumer & employee. The reason of using iPad (mobile device) is because it increases in store experience of consumers and it has no space limitation for massive information of products. It also integrated with Google functions such as mail, contacts, calendar, blogs and etc. This could be helpful when it comes to sharing information among users. Justlife Avatar is not a profitable application but it is a gateway for consumers and employee to engage with the shopping experience. Basically it functions as information storage and information sharing, extension to employees’ memories and a tool to help them promote better.

Personal Statement

Justlife Avatar

Realisation & Implementation

An avatar can be defined as a graphical representation of the user or the embodiment of personifications. The reason of having a Justlife Avatar is that it functions as extraordinary human brain but appears in virtual form. It is a pre-programmed system, being designed as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Most probably the avatar will be design as mobile application where it is movable and easily access by consumers and employees. At the same time, avatar acts as another person that know Justlife so well that it helps us to solve problems or acknowledge us about the idea of eco-lifestyle or even as a reminder that sends u notifications. All it needs is an organized database that consists of specific information for specific objectives.

Relationship of client’s needs & problem

Regarding to client’s problem faced, they need a solution for massive product information as most of the product are considered as cross-selling products. They could not categorize their products accordingly but they need an alternative way for consumer and employee access the information. Before a new series of organic retail on shelves, client has the responsibility to make a product briefing among employees. Sometimes, detail of information might not be accurate due to different pattern of verbal communication. Besides, most of the products in shop display along with brochures that include details of the products which causes paper wastage. If targeting new consumer that visits to Justlife, avatar able to acts a personal guidance or assistant who explain backstory of certain organic products. It would be better than requesting consumer to read on brochures. Effective storytelling can be added as an interactive element for proposed avatar as well. With avatar, what client needs to do is to pre-program the latest information about new series of retail and make them accessible. Avatar eased the responsibility of client as it helps client to do product briefing precisely.

Relationship of personal development skills & understanding

Presentation skill, which is the effectiveness of conveying a message verbally, must be concerned in order to guide client towards your desired solution based on affordable budget. Research on relevant idea is pretty much needed because these artefacts are going to support proposed idea. It helps in objective clarification when presenting ideas to client.

Meeting Client 1

This is the very first individual meeting with client to propose ideas regarding to the problems stated in project brief. During the discussion with client, several issues/ questions were raised about the idea of Justlife Avatar:

- How to organize the database? What is the pattern of information flow?

- What sort of information is needed specifically for both consumers and employee?

- How Avatar helps to reduce turn-over of employee?

- Cross-selling products, how to deal with a product with variety of functions?

- What if it is a movable avatar?

- Is it possible to make Avatar as a reminder?

Throughout the conversation, it helps to extend the possibilities of implementing Avatar as the ultimate solution regarding to problems faced.

Idea 2

Justlife Avatar

Avatar can be defined as a graphical representation of the user / the embodiment of personifications. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/avatar (01/06/2011)

To be simplified, avatar is another “you”/ “person” in virtual world which having similar personalities / functions as in real person. The idea of Avatar is widespread after blockbuster movie “Avatar” (2009) by James Cameron (director). The idea is not merely computer graphics that maybe apply onto screen play, it is now being used by multimedia designers in order to construct a representation regarding to its personalization such as doctor, teacher, mentor, mechanic, so on & so forth. These representations commonly are given roles as reminder, personal nutrition, or even best friend of yours in reality.

To some circumstances, avatar acts as perfection of oneself in virtual world because users able to customize appearance according to their preferences. For clearer picture, you may visit second life website : http://secondlife.com/whatis/avatar/ (01/06/2011)

Second Life provides a space (repository) for users to build their desired worlds, costumes, features, buildings & sculptures virtually. Avatars in Second Life are representations of users where they able to communicate through conversation and interact with artefacts within the world. You might find it surprise when looking at the appearance of avatar is totally different from a real person even that is a self representation form. In Second Life, users controlling their avatars as if they are living in that simulated world. Features of one’s self maybe perfect in Second Life. This can be included in the elements of having a customizable avatar of Justlife due to different age group of consumers.

Avatar can be programmed as Artificial Intelligence, in which an avatar may provide solutions or suggestions to user regarding to their problems in real life. For entertaining purpose, I have been exposed to a famous vocaloid (avatar singer) in Japan – Hatsune Miku. You might wonder the impact of avatar to real person in real life. Watch the concert and you may see and learn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_RVLOsUW6U (01/06/2011).

This phenomenon is happening in Japan where it also developing its own cultural impact onto Hatsune’s fans. We might as well as foresee the impact of an Avatar in our country. It may not be as perfect as a hyper- real hologram. We shall start from introducing the avatar via mobile application as mobile phones, smart phones or iPhone has become young generation necessity in their lives.

The avatar can either designed as a representation of individual or specific roles can be injected into it. E.g. Justlife avatar works as a personal organic nutritionist where it guides user towards organic lifestyle. Or the avatar acts as one-self being an organic farmer, looking through the making processes of organic food / products. Or it becomes an AI problem solver regarding to environmental issues.

Avatar offers opportunities for users who are new to organic products and even for those who are familiar with organic lifestyle. It helps to build up understanding of eco-lifestyle among the society. It is also a database that convenience to be updated within HQ & outlets and definitely save tons of papers.

Idea 1

Interactive Web

Regarding to problems that stated in previous posts, I started my research from Justlife official website http://www.justlifeshop.com/.

Notification of existing problems based on the web page :
1. Lack of interactivity - I tend to get lost in somewhere when searching for certain products.

2. There are numbers of environmental issues that Justlife want to deliberate, but it seems restricted to video clips and images.

3. Product information - No price but heavy detail information.

4. It does not allow give and take session (e.g comments, feedback...)

As I observed, Justlife might not want to focus on web because it is merely a place for user to look through about its history, motives, several featured products, just like another official webpage of one's company.

As a Multimedia Designer, interactive web is about users interacting with the web itself rather than a page of writing/reading. For instant, if adding some backstory where users are treated as a virtual organic farmer by each visit to the page they will be given a seed to plant, seeing the plant grows (time-based design) as they browse through desired information and finally get "reward" (can be a cash voucher, discount items & etc..) By implementing elements of narrative, it may build understanding of "Organic"among new members.

Setting a mini task such as planting seed also increase user retention, as long as they spend time on web, it opens up a gateway which navigates users about the idea of being organic. Of course function of interactive web does not stop there, it may as well as allows user generate contents by posting comments on featured products. It helps to create discussions among consumers, sharing information via existing social website (facebook, twitter etc.).

Visualizing the data is part of the idea of interactive as well, designing the comments into a form of graphic. E.g. I posted a comment about product X, the comment then transformed into a leaf and hang over the branches at the corner of product X. These information are helpful because of it is genuine data that provided by consumers rather than spending millions just to advertise featured products.

Besides, I find that Justlife providing organic cooking demonstration to public. The process can be video tapped and upload into existing platform such as Youtube. It allows an alternative solution for housewives who are interesting in organic cooking. The recipes can also be included into an interactive web as it provide multipurpose for web users.

These are elements that can be achieved by using interactive web as an effective database which provide wide range of information to users.