I was just checking my children photos. Out of 10 clicks, one photo had me glued taking me to the moment of the picture. The only realization of present was the wetness in my eyes not letting me gaze longer that I long for that very perfect picture moment
Why so!. Why not the remaining 9 ?
The answer was available when we met one of our customers steering committee. True, this project and customer has made me "unlearn" me many heuristics that is for better.
The project was to convert their SOP to e-Learning training manuals. Now, there was just one topic, which is conceptual in nature. The customer wanted it to be treated differently. We tuned to the ways of standardization and reusability, got the delivery which had the meaning explained well. There was a silent acceptance with indications that more was expected for this topic, yet the direction remained unclear.
Knowing that we need to stop, rewind, revert back to creativity for this module, back in drawing board, we talked, iterated, scrapped ideas, and came up with what is an acceptable profitable proposition for both in form of a complete story. The end result was demonstrated in the steering committee, with personal accolades coming our way.
There, 3 of us were standing, staring at the gamble thinking what went right, while receiving compliments, with an all time high in customer satisfaction.
The perfect picture moment, was when the COO congratulated us with a firm hand shake and trade mark briskness with a smile.
Personal or Professional, strive for that perfect picture moment which freezes you in time. It should make you realize the loneliness of the present, and wanting the moment etched in memories back.
Award Winning Speech
Showing posts with label project Innovation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label project Innovation. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Instruments as Weapons
Any task requires instruments. Software is one. Transport is another. Document is the evergreen, must have, all purpose instrument for reference.
Whenever you use anything, have you thought, how they are channelized? How they can be used for best benefits. Be it a bag, for a seemingly simple task of carrying vegetables.
Weapons are instruments that serve the purpose they are created for. Use and Misuse is the same. The pedestal they reach is always on a target. Missing the real target they hit another target. Isn't that the reason why they are so powerful, dreaded, lot of committees, safeguards, efforts go in creation, maintenance and securing them. Isn't the same effort goes in using them at the time they are required. Even diffusing a weapon before it is put to work, has lot of tension and precision to disarm them COMPLETELY.
The point is, if we take weapons as a benchmark for all instruments, then in simplest plane, they need to exhibit the following character:
1. Purpose: All instruments should have one purpose. Instruments in e-Learning content could be Video, Animation, Graphics, Text, Polls, Surveys, FAQ's, Glossary, etc. If you want to use them in your project, then you need to define their single purpose channel used in the course. For example,
Video: Seeing an action is easy to imitate. Do we imitate voices in radio more than actions of heroes TV or Movies? Providing videos give more answers and aid in easy comprehension.
Animation: Kids love illustrated motion than real motion. Seeing my daughter, I realize that illustrated motion (Animation) gets more attention to details, with fun, than real action. Using the same analogy, I suggest use of animation for providing low level details along with action for better application.
2. Precision: While instruments are created with purpose, their execution determines their effectiveness. Using instruments at their appropriate place gives the precision of a weapon, that can be used in a good place for best intent. For example,
Video: Executing a video has multiple challenges. First, feature a model, if you want a diversion. We recently saw a video explaining a product demo, and half the attention went in noticing the mis-act sequences of the lead. When a normal person needs to be the lead/host, just get a close up. I may be a best actor when my wife is around, but cannot do the same in front of the camera. The strain of getting the body language correct and relishable by the viewer is beyond normal man bounds. We recently saw a video with key top people explaining the values - at times, I need to admit, the actions were funny.
Second, Zoom slowly. There is no hurry to reach the destination. A little bit of action, suspense, aids better comprehension than focussing on the object and holding the camera as if it is a still picture.
One more for this post, cover multiple angles: A video is a movie format of delivery. To ensure precision of the intent, use its potential to give better views than normal eye can perceive in normal circumstances. Can you now understand, why fight sequences are captured in angles, that overwhelm you or there is so much attention on camera man as the director?
3. Preciseness: When precision can acquire its purpose is the timing when it is used. In content design, animation initially is always felt more entertaining than concluding a module.the results. While concluding a module, a little bit of action is better refreshing and leads to a continuation action than a passive conclusion. Recently, we started showing the learning objectives as a static screen while the summary slide acts as a recap and option for user to comment on the learning. Will keep you posted on the results.
4. Passion: One of the elements I missed in my last post, Execution Attributes is passion. There is a reason. Reason is, execution involves things that need not be liked by you. As a practice lead, I detest testing. But in a small team, where the function is managed internally, I need to do it. To do it properly, I cannot bring passion with me; but I need to bring focus, discipline and course correction to do the job right.
The case of instruments is different. Execution, timing and creation purpose requires passion to bind them all together. When you find an instrument, not living up to expectations, then passion will be missed block. Either preciseness will miss what precision and purpose want to achieve or preciseness and precision will miss the purpose for which the instrument is designated.
5. Pointers: In olden days, instruments always had a mental model towards sharpness, pointed objects with a target object in reference plane.Example, sharpening a saw to cut a tree, to have a sharpened pencil to draw a thin line, a sharp dart to indicate target attack and sharpness to hit the target. In India, it is always bow and arrow that are used for pointers to mean target and sharpness to hit it hard.
Ensure your instruments have enough pointers. Simply put, is the instrument used with right set of references. References could mean users too. Are users familiar with animations, polls, surveys, assessments? In one of the recent projects, I learnt this lesson. Good instruments cannot be used everywhere when the pointers are blank and blunt. For the customer, polls, surveys as instruments were not aimed at them and their target audience. So utilizing them without a pointer would result in vaccum zone. Isn't that a great insult to the instrument itself.
So use instruments where they are capable of making an impact.
Like weapons, instruments should boom with sound, visual and match them in their functional effects. Videos should have music, sound and matching action, while animations should have music,visual effects and attention to detail,while glossary should have letters, words, definition along with pictorial depiction of their meaning for better attention and knowledge reference.
Did you read the related post for knowing what instruments can do for you?
Whenever you use anything, have you thought, how they are channelized? How they can be used for best benefits. Be it a bag, for a seemingly simple task of carrying vegetables.
Weapons are instruments that serve the purpose they are created for. Use and Misuse is the same. The pedestal they reach is always on a target. Missing the real target they hit another target. Isn't that the reason why they are so powerful, dreaded, lot of committees, safeguards, efforts go in creation, maintenance and securing them. Isn't the same effort goes in using them at the time they are required. Even diffusing a weapon before it is put to work, has lot of tension and precision to disarm them COMPLETELY.
The point is, if we take weapons as a benchmark for all instruments, then in simplest plane, they need to exhibit the following character:
1. Purpose: All instruments should have one purpose. Instruments in e-Learning content could be Video, Animation, Graphics, Text, Polls, Surveys, FAQ's, Glossary, etc. If you want to use them in your project, then you need to define their single purpose channel used in the course. For example,
Video: Seeing an action is easy to imitate. Do we imitate voices in radio more than actions of heroes TV or Movies? Providing videos give more answers and aid in easy comprehension.
Animation: Kids love illustrated motion than real motion. Seeing my daughter, I realize that illustrated motion (Animation) gets more attention to details, with fun, than real action. Using the same analogy, I suggest use of animation for providing low level details along with action for better application.
2. Precision: While instruments are created with purpose, their execution determines their effectiveness. Using instruments at their appropriate place gives the precision of a weapon, that can be used in a good place for best intent. For example,
Video: Executing a video has multiple challenges. First, feature a model, if you want a diversion. We recently saw a video explaining a product demo, and half the attention went in noticing the mis-act sequences of the lead. When a normal person needs to be the lead/host, just get a close up. I may be a best actor when my wife is around, but cannot do the same in front of the camera. The strain of getting the body language correct and relishable by the viewer is beyond normal man bounds. We recently saw a video with key top people explaining the values - at times, I need to admit, the actions were funny.
Second, Zoom slowly. There is no hurry to reach the destination. A little bit of action, suspense, aids better comprehension than focussing on the object and holding the camera as if it is a still picture.
One more for this post, cover multiple angles: A video is a movie format of delivery. To ensure precision of the intent, use its potential to give better views than normal eye can perceive in normal circumstances. Can you now understand, why fight sequences are captured in angles, that overwhelm you or there is so much attention on camera man as the director?
3. Preciseness: When precision can acquire its purpose is the timing when it is used. In content design, animation initially is always felt more entertaining than concluding a module.the results. While concluding a module, a little bit of action is better refreshing and leads to a continuation action than a passive conclusion. Recently, we started showing the learning objectives as a static screen while the summary slide acts as a recap and option for user to comment on the learning. Will keep you posted on the results.
4. Passion: One of the elements I missed in my last post, Execution Attributes is passion. There is a reason. Reason is, execution involves things that need not be liked by you. As a practice lead, I detest testing. But in a small team, where the function is managed internally, I need to do it. To do it properly, I cannot bring passion with me; but I need to bring focus, discipline and course correction to do the job right.
The case of instruments is different. Execution, timing and creation purpose requires passion to bind them all together. When you find an instrument, not living up to expectations, then passion will be missed block. Either preciseness will miss what precision and purpose want to achieve or preciseness and precision will miss the purpose for which the instrument is designated.
5. Pointers: In olden days, instruments always had a mental model towards sharpness, pointed objects with a target object in reference plane.Example, sharpening a saw to cut a tree, to have a sharpened pencil to draw a thin line, a sharp dart to indicate target attack and sharpness to hit the target. In India, it is always bow and arrow that are used for pointers to mean target and sharpness to hit it hard.
Ensure your instruments have enough pointers. Simply put, is the instrument used with right set of references. References could mean users too. Are users familiar with animations, polls, surveys, assessments? In one of the recent projects, I learnt this lesson. Good instruments cannot be used everywhere when the pointers are blank and blunt. For the customer, polls, surveys as instruments were not aimed at them and their target audience. So utilizing them without a pointer would result in vaccum zone. Isn't that a great insult to the instrument itself.
So use instruments where they are capable of making an impact.
Like weapons, instruments should boom with sound, visual and match them in their functional effects. Videos should have music, sound and matching action, while animations should have music,visual effects and attention to detail,while glossary should have letters, words, definition along with pictorial depiction of their meaning for better attention and knowledge reference.
Did you read the related post for knowing what instruments can do for you?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Is there a "Sholay" in your arsenal
How many times have you watched "Sholay" movie? The answer probably will be "many" times.
For readers not familiar with bollywood, Sholay is an all-time hit and iconic movie that has withstood many spoofs, copies of the storyline, a flopped remake and many jokes spanning the characters. Still the movie is watched by people who knew the crowded theatres at that time and now cozy in the TV sets by a generation not witness to the first release and the hit culture set in that time.
What sets apart the movie from so many movies and other hits available from that time even from the same actors in various other roles or similar ones in other movies? There is no simple answer. However there can be a simplest logic given to the hit - It is lovable, watcher(user) friendly, good masala combination of action, dialogues, songs, dances, locales and best of all timed well. Which simply begs the question - Why is it difficult to create another "Sholay" then?
Hmm, rather than researching and answering which many greats are investing their time in, can the question be answered - Have you got a "Sholay" magic in your kit ? Have you delivered one in your career ? If not, when can you know that you have delivered one ?
Well, while compiling a list of demos of past work, my team has worked on, we always stumble upon this little game, that has always got our prospects excited and got us to talk the next level.
We always wonder what is in it that potential customers link it to or get attracted to. There are better works that we are proud of - more creative, more animation, more illustrations, and more business results achieved with better solution and more repeat orders than this little game has got us.
But still we are surprised that this game with the ordinary common theme, gets repetitive after 10 moves, but never ends and keeps giving you points, done a couple of years ago, and has not even given a facelift, is still fresh and looks very refreshing.
As with researchers trying to replicate the "Sholay" formula, we are also trying for the formula to create one more atleast to our arsenal.
Is there a "Sholay" in your arsenal ?
For readers not familiar with bollywood, Sholay is an all-time hit and iconic movie that has withstood many spoofs, copies of the storyline, a flopped remake and many jokes spanning the characters. Still the movie is watched by people who knew the crowded theatres at that time and now cozy in the TV sets by a generation not witness to the first release and the hit culture set in that time.
What sets apart the movie from so many movies and other hits available from that time even from the same actors in various other roles or similar ones in other movies? There is no simple answer. However there can be a simplest logic given to the hit - It is lovable, watcher(user) friendly, good masala combination of action, dialogues, songs, dances, locales and best of all timed well. Which simply begs the question - Why is it difficult to create another "Sholay" then?
Hmm, rather than researching and answering which many greats are investing their time in, can the question be answered - Have you got a "Sholay" magic in your kit ? Have you delivered one in your career ? If not, when can you know that you have delivered one ?
Well, while compiling a list of demos of past work, my team has worked on, we always stumble upon this little game, that has always got our prospects excited and got us to talk the next level.
We always wonder what is in it that potential customers link it to or get attracted to. There are better works that we are proud of - more creative, more animation, more illustrations, and more business results achieved with better solution and more repeat orders than this little game has got us.
But still we are surprised that this game with the ordinary common theme, gets repetitive after 10 moves, but never ends and keeps giving you points, done a couple of years ago, and has not even given a facelift, is still fresh and looks very refreshing.
As with researchers trying to replicate the "Sholay" formula, we are also trying for the formula to create one more atleast to our arsenal.
Is there a "Sholay" in your arsenal ?
Monday, April 21, 2008
Product Action
After a long time servicing projects and being in reactive mode, we took time to step back, reevaluate our lives in office . While my patience had run out in 4th month of the job, doing the repeated tasks, I had to wait for 5 more months for my team to come out of the hood and challenge our working style and realize that they can do a lot worth their character.
As I said in my earlier post,
Evolution Story - Power of Need establishing the need is an organic process and needs to be incubated for the time it takes. All you can do is to mould the thinking in subtle ways in hope of acceleration the need for change.
To the real story now...
In the step back exercise, we decoupled and dis-integrated all our project assets to its atomic level (yes including the efforts). On analysis we found that rather than hand crafting the integration of the assets, the technology we are familiar with was more powerful and could do most of the tasks better. All it required was the basics of XML and the power of integration with Action Script.
So we started our journey within the project time frame to risk our reputation of on time and quality delivery and try the creation of productivity improvement tool. Hats off to my team that even though the basic idea germinated in me, the execution took its own turn and was not stamped with my control written on it. The positive outcome of the exercise was that we now have a tool, started for internal use, has a good UI (yes we are designers first) and is web based with the simplest of usability that hides the complexities that is associated with simulation design.
Looking now at the output, each one of us have started thinking that product creation is a great way to service every project. Rather than ONLY provide an output that is usable to customer, the thought magic is now to create a product that can be extended, customized, maintained, changed frequently at customer's will which at the same time will reduce the work load or rather provide us with the challenge of working on better mind stimulating creatives.
The product action has just kicked in. Hope it sustains the way of thinking and brightens our future.
How else have you incorporated the service around a product, rather than a service or product service model?
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Learning Practice by Shrinivasan.G is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 India License All views expressed here are my own and does not reflect that of my employer or clients or any other sources.
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