Great two weeks working as part of Group AD. Our ‘unlocking the town hall’ application exceeded all expectations. Excited to develop this app even further with the Manchester City Council!
Posted 5 Apr 2019 15:37
Group AD UNLOCKING THE TOWN HALL
Our event will give you the opportunity to learn more about the rich history of one of Manchester’s most important buildings whilst also challenging you to think carefully about ways in which this building can become relevant to the young people of the Manchester today. // Download Poster
James K // Aaron U // David J // Alistair L
It was great exhibition alongside the other Town Hall events groups, with everyone getting a chance to check out what everyone's been up to over the past 2 weeks. The Town Hall's Work and Skills Project Manager, Peter Norris, had a go on the app and was impressed with our concept and content!
Posted 5 Apr 2019 15:36
When the user unlocks the object, they will be able to access a series of bonus content. The content of this section changes within each object. In some we have puzzles to unlock while others have interesting facts about the object. In this example we have included a quiz about the object and also a clip of a movie scene which was filmed in that very spot.
Posted 5 Apr 2019 15:30
When a user clicks on an object, the outline of the object will appear on their camera screen. They will then have to locate the object within the building and scan it to unlock. This will encourage young people to look at these interesting objects and details within the building that they may normally ignore or not notice.
Posted 5 Apr 2019 15:16
From the main menu you can access various different areas of the app. This video shows the main section of the app, where all the objects we discovered within the Town Hall are listed. We have allocated a level to each object so you can work your way through the game, whilst also moving through the building and discovering new rooms. You can swipe through and see what objects you haven’t unlocked yet.
Posted 5 Apr 2019 14:47
We have used the logo we designed earlier in the week and integrated it into the opening sequence on the app. The app gives you the option to log in with Facebook, Twitter or email. You can also sign up and make an account, which means you can keep track of your progress and also feature on the in game leaderboards.
Posted 5 Apr 2019 14:38
App is complete and ready to be demonstrated during the exhibition in the Central Library tomorrow. Alongside the app we will have A1 presentation boards and a portfolio documenting the process over the past two weeks.
Posted 4 Apr 2019 21:47
We have also had confirmation back from MCC that our App will be exhibited in the Manchester Central Library Performance Space this Friday, which is great news for the team.
Posted 3 Apr 2019 11:43
Great morning meeting with the team! Starting to think about portfolio output and the best ways we can document the progress we have made the past week and a half. Some nice ideas and early sketches for our poster design as well!
Posted 3 Apr 2019 11:32
Great progress being made with the app as we continue to add and link more and more pages together. Our BA students haven't left any detail out, creating pages for different social media logins, and bonus content within the app.
Posted 3 Apr 2019 11:26
Today we began to put all the bonus content we have been working on into the app interface and started to think about how the pages would link. Above are examples of a quiz and a video page.
Posted 2 Apr 2019 15:58
Our daily mid-day progress meeting with the whole group went well today. We came to a mutual decision on the design principles that should be followed by the group and game content for our App.
Posted 2 Apr 2019 12:55
Our app group presented their user interface designs, demonstrating how the app would open and appear, showing general content within the app such as events going on in Manchester, and showing how the app would allow users to connect to other social media platforms.
Posted 1 Apr 2019 20:46
We have been using this document to collate all the information about the objects/details that we are including in the app. Today we decided what interesting fact, fun game or quiz we are going to attach to each object and began to experiment with what this could look like on the app. This document will also allow us to keep track of what we have got to do and what we already completed as the week goes on.
Posted 1 Apr 2019 20:20
Our students have made excellent progress today with the development of the App and getting their heads around using Adobe XD. Here is one example of the many XD files the students have produced to date. We are now all very excited about what our final output will be.
Posted 1 Apr 2019 19:53
Identifying famous movie scenes around the town hall from ‘Peaky Blinders’ and ‘A very English scandal’ for fun pop up features on the app!
Posted 1 Apr 2019 15:35
The other group spent Friday afternoon getting to grips with Adobe XD and began to set up the first few pages. Now that they know how to use the software, they will be able to teach the other group of students when we switch roles this week.
Posted 1 Apr 2019 10:15
Now that we have picked the objects/details we will include in the app, we began to think about how the app would be used and what the interface would look like. This image gives you an idea of what we are aiming to achieve in the final app. The user will be given an outline, and they will have to locate it and match the outline up using their camera.
Posted 29 Mar 2019 14:45
This morning’s vote ended with a clear favourite for which logo we want to take forward. We feel this logo demonstrates perfectly the aim of our application ‘Unlocking the town hall’ without over complicating things. We knew we wanted to keep things simple and clear, after speaking to the school children who emphasised simplicity is key.
Posted 29 Mar 2019 11:38
Successful afternoon’s work with our students today, during which, in small groups they came up with a number of different options for an App logo. The students were then asked to decide upon a concept and to graphically develop it further, ready for tomorrow mornings vote.
Posted 28 Mar 2019 18:31
During our visit we also had the opportunity to look round some of the spaces again. Now that we knew what direction we were taking the app in, we tried to put ourselves in the shoes of someone walking around these spaces with the app in hand. We searched each space for interesting objects and details. We found things such as elaborately patterned wallpaper, intricately carved stonework, beautiful stained glass windows and even learnt a few interesting facts from our tour guide about them. Now we will review all the photos we have taken and choose what objects we will focus on for the app.
Posted 28 Mar 2019 17:32
This morning we prepared for another visit to the Town Hall. This time it would be a tour led by the council as well as a project overview given by the project contractors, Lendlease
Posted 28 Mar 2019 15:17
In the other group we looked at what content the app will feature. Reflecting on the feedback we received yesterday, we have decided to focus on an interactive game which will involve locating certain features or objects around the building. When each object is found and unlocked, bonus content in the form of mini games and interesting facts will appear. This allows us to include parts of all the ideas we discussed with the students yesterday.
We then began to scope out what areas of the building we could use and started to think about what objects and features we could pick, and what the app interface might start to look like. We will be returning to the Town Hall tomorrow to choose our objects/features and to get plenty of photographs of them.
We then began to scope out what areas of the building we could use and started to think about what objects and features we could pick, and what the app interface might start to look like. We will be returning to the Town Hall tomorrow to choose our objects/features and to get plenty of photographs of them.
Posted 27 Mar 2019 20:05
After great feedback yesterday about our ideas, we began to look at how the content of app would be organised. after splitting the group in 2, and giving a quick introduction to Adobe XD, the first app developer team were full of ideas.3 of our BA1 students began to draw a storyboard/flowchart of how each page within the app could possibly link together. A productive morning which will definitely lead to an amazing outcome
Posted 27 Mar 2019 16:45
After the tour we briefly presented our initial ideas to the students and then spilt up into smaller group in order to get feedback from them. We had several very interesting discussions as the students appeared to be very engaged with the idea of using an app to explore the building. These are some the key points that came from the session,
- the option of sharing content on social media is important, especially through Instagram and Twitter
- the app should be personal to each user, could make your own character/avatar
- the content of the app should evolve and change, to encourage people to keep coming back to it
- the idea of some sort of game is interesting, and it should include leader boards so that you can compete against your friends
- any educational or historical information should be presented in a fun way, not just as a paragraph of text. Could have a quiz or mini-game
- the idea of showing where certain movie scenes are filmed is interesting but users should have the option to film videos themselves, maybe even attempt to re-enact the scene.
All this feedback is invaluable and will help us develop the app over the next week. One of the main things we took from the session is that the students encouraged us to progress all the ideas and not just focus on one, as they believed this would create a more interesting user experience. We will now begin to incorporate this feedback into our final idea for the app.
- the option of sharing content on social media is important, especially through Instagram and Twitter
- the app should be personal to each user, could make your own character/avatar
- the content of the app should evolve and change, to encourage people to keep coming back to it
- the idea of some sort of game is interesting, and it should include leader boards so that you can compete against your friends
- any educational or historical information should be presented in a fun way, not just as a paragraph of text. Could have a quiz or mini-game
- the idea of showing where certain movie scenes are filmed is interesting but users should have the option to film videos themselves, maybe even attempt to re-enact the scene.
All this feedback is invaluable and will help us develop the app over the next week. One of the main things we took from the session is that the students encouraged us to progress all the ideas and not just focus on one, as they believed this would create a more interesting user experience. We will now begin to incorporate this feedback into our final idea for the app.
Posted 27 Mar 2019 13:14
Yesterday afternoon we all went to the Town Hall to meet a group of 15 sixth form students from a local college. To begin with we introduced the Town Hall project and how our app was focused on attracting young people to the Town Hall. We then took them on a tour of the building.
Posted 27 Mar 2019 11:17
After reviewing the initial app ideas, our BA students began to discuss and prepare to pitch their concepts to Students from Connell Sixth Form College, who we'd be meeting at the Town Hall.
Posted 27 Mar 2019 00:21
Another idea put forward by our group is ‘What Manchester means to you?’ This idea proposes a citywide art competition where the youth of Manchester can express what their city means to them on a canvas. These artworks would then be displayed in the town hall. We would then create an app, which would act as a platform to showcases these murals to the public who would then be able to vote for the best ones.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 19:12
Another one of our students ideas was focused around creating an app that would help engage young people with the town hall by highlighting the locations of where various blockbuster films and TV shows were filmed within the Town Hall. Here are a few more of their prototype designs for the app.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 18:44
This idea put forward by one group looked at the idea of an app user comparing and faceswapping themselves with The Manchester Murals within the Town Hall. Initially painted by Ford Madox Brown in the late 1800s, each of the 12 murals depict the history of Manchester. The BA students saw these images as a great opportunity to combine something fun which could be uploaded to social media, and learn about the city's rich history through literally immersing themselves within the paintings.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 16:51
After brainstorming initial ideas for the app yesterday afternoon we decided to focus on 4 ideas. This morning we spilt up into groups and each group produced one image that would help explain the idea. We would then present these ideas to a group of sixth form students in the afternoon in order to get feedback on what would interest young people.
The first idea focused around creating an app that would help engage young people with the many historical artefacts and interesting architectural details within the building. The user would be given the outline of the object and they would have to locate it and then photograph it to unlock it. We began to think about what rewards we could offer the young people for unlocking these objects and how we could incorporate educational information about each object, in a fun and exciting way.
The first idea focused around creating an app that would help engage young people with the many historical artefacts and interesting architectural details within the building. The user would be given the outline of the object and they would have to locate it and then photograph it to unlock it. We began to think about what rewards we could offer the young people for unlocking these objects and how we could incorporate educational information about each object, in a fun and exciting way.
Posted 26 Mar 2019 16:17
This morning we met with our group for the first time! We visited the town hall where we started to do some site analysis. We focused on entrance and exit points, and different ways in which we could create an installation that would create interest within the youth of Manchester. This afternoon we plan to move this forward and start to create a presentation for the school children we will meet tomorrow.
Posted 25 Mar 2019 11:34
Brilliant work by @TalkingStatuesManchester who have found an ingenious way of engaging young people with historical statues dotted around the city. By simply swiping your smartphone, via an app, you can participate in a cultural encounter with a statue, enabling you to find out more about its story and history.
Visit the website for locations of talking statues: http://www.talkingstatuesmanchester.co.uk/statues.php
Visit the website for locations of talking statues: http://www.talkingstatuesmanchester.co.uk/statues.php
Posted 12 Mar 2019 20:06
Week 2 of Events 19 will be a busy one, by the end of the week, everyone will have had experience in creating an App, and will see their outcomes on exhibition along with the other 3 Town Hall groups.
Posted 11 Mar 2019 11:57
With session plans and risk assessments finalised and approved, here's an updated breakdown of what Group AD: Unlocking the Town Hall, will be getting up to during week 1.
Posted 11 Mar 2019 11:53
Great initial meeting with the Curated Place team!
Due to the experience and knowledge of the curated place team they were able to lead us in the correct direction of how we should approach, and lead the discussions with the school children upon our visit.
They also shared their knowledge of app design with us, talking us through what the best software programs are to use to allow us to develop and create our own application (Adobe Xd).
We’ve invited the team back to our end of project exhibition and are looking forward to getting feedback from them!
Due to the experience and knowledge of the curated place team they were able to lead us in the correct direction of how we should approach, and lead the discussions with the school children upon our visit.
They also shared their knowledge of app design with us, talking us through what the best software programs are to use to allow us to develop and create our own application (Adobe Xd).
We’ve invited the team back to our end of project exhibition and are looking forward to getting feedback from them!
Posted 5 Mar 2019 13:49
We'll be using Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop to present work from conception through to the finished outcome. Everybody loves good graphics and we'll definitely have many to show at the end of Events 19
Posted 1 Mar 2019 22:02
With Building Information Modelling (BIM) becoming highly valued in the architecture profession, we'll be using AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUP to create visuals of outcomes. Our BA1 and BA2 students will get a better insight into what software packages are used in practice and how to get the best out of them.
Posted 1 Mar 2019 21:57
During Events 19 Team AD will be creating an app prototype using Adobe Xd. Tech experience or not, everyone will have the chance to learn and use the software, and the best thing is...it's free to download so it's never too early to give it a go! Just click on the link below:
https://www.adobe.com/uk/products/xd/details.html?promoid=599F8RK9&mv=other
https://www.adobe.com/uk/products/xd/details.html?promoid=599F8RK9&mv=other
Posted 1 Mar 2019 21:50
Thoroughly enjoyed our Free Manchester Walking Tour this weekend - a special thanks to our fantastic tour guide Josh Martin @FreeTours_MCR for teaching us loads about pre and post-industrial Manchester including a little extra about the town hall’s history. If you’re new to Manchester this is a great way to get to know a little about the city you are studying in!
For extra information: https://www.freetour.com/manchester/free-manchester-walking-tour
For extra information: https://www.freetour.com/manchester/free-manchester-walking-tour
Posted 27 Feb 2019 22:21
Looking forward to our meeting with the Curated Place team.
Curated Place is an Arts-led production agency delivering, creating and curating contemporary exhibtions and events on a international platform. We hope to work closely with the team sharing our ideas as we move forward together. We want to focus our meeting around our upcoming school visit, focussing on ways in which we can make the most out of our time with the children and hopefully come up with some exciting ideas which we can take forward.
https://www.curatedplace.com
Curated Place is an Arts-led production agency delivering, creating and curating contemporary exhibtions and events on a international platform. We hope to work closely with the team sharing our ideas as we move forward together. We want to focus our meeting around our upcoming school visit, focussing on ways in which we can make the most out of our time with the children and hopefully come up with some exciting ideas which we can take forward.
https://www.curatedplace.com
Posted 26 Feb 2019 14:38
Alfred Waterhouse, the Architect behind Manchester Town Hall. We'll be exploring much more into the history of the town hall and bringing this into the present day during Events 2019!
Posted 23 Feb 2019 20:16
The Events weeks will be packed with activities; everyone will get a chance to develop and design the app, as well as researching and interacting with potential users. Take a look at our session plan to see what's in store.
Posted 29 Jan 2019 14:10
To find out more about the transformation of Manchester Town Hall take a look at the links below!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9Y9eU11X3o
https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/homepage/934/our_town_hall
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9Y9eU11X3o
https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/homepage/934/our_town_hall
Posted 29 Jan 2019 10:39
Great meeting with Manchester City Council and Purcell today! Looking forward to meeting all our bachelors students and getting started on our exciting project! #unlockingthetownhall
Posted 24 Jan 2019 12:31