Designing Digitally, Inc. was contracted by the State of Vermont to develop an innovative web-based training tool for the Vermont DMV named DriveVermont. This free interactive program has been designed to help residents of Vermont learn to drive safely. The user friendly system was developed using a multitude of applications and mediums to form a visually appealing and interactive solution that helps potential drivers learn the rules of the road in Vermont.

The specifications for the project included accessibility features, as well as the ability for users with low bandwidth or lower end computer systems to access the training module. With this in mind Designing Digitally, Inc. built a Flash based learning tool with text that can be increased in size, as well as audio which narrates all text within the modules. Upon anonymous registration and log-in which allows users to start back where they left off at anytime, users are taken through each lesson where they learn valuable information about the laws of driving. In order to keep the modules from being simply page turning, users are asked scenario based questions throughout the lessons including multiple choice questions, drag and drop, matching, and even controlling a virtual vehicle through a scenario. At the end of all lessons, users take a practice exam which will help prepare them for the actual exam that they will take to receive their driver’s permit. Additionally, users will receive feedback on questions they missed which will direct them to the appropriate section to review.

Not only is the system engaging for students, but is also user friendly for the administrator. The system was developed with a web-based back-end that consists of a content management system. The administrator is able to log into the control panel and move slides around by dragging and dropping those slides in order. The administrator can also edit a slide and swap out text, audio clips, and video clips at any given time. This empowerment allows the State of Vermont to be able to edit the system on their own as the policies and procedures evolve over time.

The start of the project consisted of the development of the storyboard which was based off of Vermont’s 90 page driver’s training manual. Designing Digitally, Inc. decided it was best to create this project using 3D modeling and interactive mediums in order to appeal to the teenage audience that is immersed in the digital realm on a daily basis. Once the manual was converted into an effective storyboard that met each learning objective, the virtual world of Second Life was used to create 3D spaces representing Vermont.  

Second Life is a virtual world where people are able to log in and collaborate on 3D models and scripts, as well as communicate via voice and text chat in real time. By using this medium Designing Digitally, Inc. was able to setup a virtual movie set where virtual actors played out the scenarios within the storyboard and videographers recorded each clip. Sets consisted of rural streets, city streets, and highways, as well as all four seasons and all weather conditions to show each and every aspect of driving in the State of Vermont.

In total, over 900 video clips were recorded, along with additional Second Life photos and those clips and photos were used to create the final Flash animations that are seen in the web-based learning tool.

The development is open to the public at: http://drivevermont.vermont.gov/

For more information on the development please contact info@designingdigitally.com

What is the best way to manage a project? That's like asking " What's your favorite color?" Everyone has their own opinions and styles on the way they like to get things done, so instead of telling you the best way to manage a project, I am going to fill you in on some focal points to consider  while you are overseeing a project.

KNOW THE SCOPE! Without the scope, you have no project, no way of keeping the client happy, and no basis to review your staff's work. Pay attention to little details. The little details are normally always the most important. Getting the project done right the first time will ensure that your client trusts you and your services and will be more likely to work with you again in the future. I would suggest going through the scope with the client as well as your team to make sure that everyone grasps all of the information before any work begins. Don't be hesitant to ask the client questions. It is more important to go through all of the details with the client until you feel comfortable with the scope than it is to portray that you know exactly what the client is expecting and moving forward.

Once the client has expressed their needs clearly, it's time to plan accordingly! When you have a firm grasp on the scope of work, get out your calendar and separate all of the duties into timeframes to determine your deadlines. Remember to always add room for unexpected events to occur.

Keep the project going! Eventually you might run into a snag with the project, a detail might not have been introduced until after the scope was completed, or there could be a software issue. Either way, it is best to acknowledge the problems right away without hesitation so you can get the project back on track. When the project is on track, your staff members will be at their full potential. Rushing through the scope will create a stressful environment and you will notice your staff  making silly mistakes. Without those mistakes, the project will flow easily from one deadline to the next. This will decrease the time spent by your staff reviewing and fixing those issues as well.

Be Professional! You are the one who determines what is right from wrong. Pay attention to details and monitor the work completed by your staff to keep consistency and coordination. Try to keep one point of contact between the client and your company. This will help eliminate details being misconstrued within the company. Make sure every email or phone call is thought out in detail before speaking with the client. You want to make sure that you always put your best foot forward and keep a respected professional relationship between the two of you. Be a problem solver, not a problem maker! Always bring forth solutions, keep your head up and have a smile on your face! :)

-- Amanda
 

As some of you know we have been working on a large scale motorcycle catalog that is going to be roughly 800 pages. We have setup a robust content management system which will allow us to continue to make updates to the catalog throughout the year.

As we continue to move through each section of the catalog, which has several steps and people involved, Amanda and John decided to utilize a creative approach to project management for this development. We reverted back to the grade school favorite of the star chart. This allows us to track the progress of our employees, as well as the client throughout the development. This system is obviously not the conventional way we do our project management but it does show that we can still use methods from when we were kids to provide milestones and progress in the now...and it's kind of fun! It’s amazing what we can do with some poster board and some stars! See chart below:

Now who says you forget everything from grade school?

Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to announce the launch of Fight Her, LLC! This Content Management System was developed to sell the new clothing line Fight Her by Kristina Centers. "Every woman I know has had to deal with some type of battle. It could be divorce, single motherhood, bad relationships, money problems, alcohol or drug problems, health problems, insecurity issues, etc. but inside of every one of those women is a true fighter. Women have this amazing ability to dig deep when they are at their lowest and I wanted to try to capture the celebration of this beautiful quality that we all possess." -Kristina Centers, Owner To learn more about Kristina and her inspiration behind Fight Her visit http://www.fighther.com/about-us/ 

We are excited to announce that we are wrapping up the China simulation build in the OpenSim. We are currently building 8 sims in the OpenSim for our client to teach Mandarin Chinese in this virtual space. We had previously provided you with screen shots of the traditional side of China, but have not yet provided you with images of the modern side of the development. We are pleased to now be able to provide you with images of this work below:

MORE TO COME SOON!

We would like to announce we have a new position open at our design firm. Please see below:

Job Title: Junior Interactive Media Designer Location: Franklin, OH (between Cincinnati and Dayton) FT/PT: Part-time Job Level: Some Experience Required Working Hours: Approx. 25-30 hours M-F with some flexibility Do you love design? Being challenged? Working on new and exciting projects?Are you looking for a place to not only utilize your current skill set, but to add to that skill set as well? If you enjoy working in a casual, yet professional atmosphere, enjoy being challenged and working in several different mediums, as well as thrive under the pressure of tight deadlines, this may be the job for you! Designing Digitally, Inc. is a small, growing company looking for a talented, goal-oriented self-starter who has the ability to incorporate the best design and technology practices to provide cohesive support of all business divisions which include Graphic Design, Web Design & Development, E-learning, and Virtual World Development. Job Duties May Include (but are not limited to): · Develop layouts for Websites and Web-based training modules using programs such as Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop · Edit and manipulate catalog developments using Adobe InDesign · Create Graphic Design pieces as required (banners, posters, flyers, etc.) · Develop Content Management Systems using Open-Source Applications such as Drupal · Create Flash interactivities/animations to support Web-based training modules or interactive activities and games using Adobe Actionscript 2.0 and 3.0 · Quality Control/Quality Assurance over concepts and projectsQualifications Required: · Degree in Interactive Design or similar field (recent graduates encouraged to apply) · Experience in Graphic Design · Positive/CAN DO attitude with a willingness to pitch in and help whenever necessary · High attention to detail a must · Strong time management skills important · Ability to take a project from start to finish with little supervision · Strong prioritization and decision-making skills in a tight-deadline environment · Proven ability to multi-task and work on several projects at once · Ability to interact with clients both written and verbally in a professional manner · Strong understanding of the importance of excellent Customer Service · Willingness to put in extra hours if required to meet a deadline · Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new tools and techniques extremely important · Experience in the following: HTML, CSS, FLASH, XML, CS3/CS4 · 3D Modeling experience a plus · .NET, PHP, MySQL experience a plusIf you think this may be the job for you, we want to hear from you! Send us your resume and portfolio, as well as your availability M-F.
TO APPLY: Send a copy of your resume and portfolio via email to jobs@designingdigitally.com with the subject stating "Junior Interactive Media Designer".

It's that time again! Time for us to show you the progress of some of our current virtual world work (and by the way, we would like to apologize to the rest of our team as it seems our virtual world developers are getting the most attention on our blog lately. But don't worry, we're definitely proud of your hard work too!) For now we would like to show you work after 10 days of development on the virtual world college campus we are currently developing. Please see the evolved campus layout below:

It has been a month now since we provided details on our Chinese OpenSim Virtual World Development. We are currently building the Forbidden City of China to provide students with familiarity with their surroundings in the virtual space. From our studies we have found that virtual world users often enjoy recognizing their virtual surroundings. Therefore, by creating some of the well known spaces in China we hope to help the students feel comfortable within this virtual learning space. Not only are we building these structures to resemble the Forbidden City but are actually building these to be dynamic classrooms. Within the classrooms you can click a control panel located in the back of the room and change the layout of the room to a round table, formal classroom, breakout sessions, and even one-on-one meeting spaces. These dynamics allow for the classes to be held in one single location and will not disrupt other classes being held on this private grid. Additionally, we have developed an innovative interactive white board for Second Life and OpenSim. This board is one of the only boards that will allow users to do all of the following: 1. Easily change the video media (all-in-one) with a click of a button 2. Easily drag and drop PowerPoint screens on to the board with the board automatically arranging the items in the appropriate fashion 3. The ability to rez objects on the whiteboard such as pointers, boxes, circles, text, etc. To see some of the progress of this development take a look at the screen shots below.

Forbidden City:

Country Side of China

Interactive Whiteboard & Video Player

Dynamic Layout 1 of Classroom:

Dynamic Layout 2 of Classroom:

Control Panel For Dynamic Classroom:

We will keep you posted on the development as our team continues to design and develop. Keep watching our blog for more updates!

Designing Digitally, Inc. is proud to announce the development of an innovative interactive whiteboard for Second Life and OpenSim. This board is one of the only boards that will allow users to do all of the following:

1. Easily change the video media (all-in-one) with a click of a button

2. Easily drag and drop PowerPoint screens on to the board with the board automatically arranging the items in the appropriate fashion

3. The ability to rez objects on the whiteboard such as pointers, boxes, circles, text, etc.

4. The ability to FREE DRAW on the white board in Second Life. This was a task that we were previously unable to do within Second Life. After extensive R&D we were able to develop a free draw tool that will allow users to freely draw on top of a video and/or PowerPoint slides. You can see pictures of the fully developed whiteboard below. This whiteboard is in beta stage and is only available for our current clients. We will be releasing it for the use to the general public in the future. Please contact us to learn more about our innovative developments.

It has been 1 work week since we last posted a blank sim telling everyone we have started another Second Life build. Our talented designers spent the days working with the client to provide an accurate needs analysis, planning interactions and scripts, and sketching the layout for the client to approve. We are now at the point where we are starting to lay down rough structures for the client to preview. Take a look at the evolution in 1 work week from blank island to what we have below:

Keep watching our blog to watch our team mold the sim into an effective and engaging virtual learning environment.

Contact us today if your school or University is interested in having a virtual campus!