Graphic design for the screen is kinetic; elements may move, zoom, appear and disappear and reappear and it is interactive: viewers are can be users and may have some more say in choosing how, what, where and when they see or read information. What is exciting about the added accordance of motion and interaction is that it offers a new way to present content. A way that may make it easier and more engaging to understand something.

to use motion and interaction to design an experience

to engage the user through personal involvement

to teach a method of creating a battery at home

to increase understanding of basic energy principles

to create excitement about learning science

to suggest further investigation of the world

to encourage play to interact with science

to suggest a feasible do-it-yourself activity

to suggest the ease of possibility

to suggest the empowerment of accomplishing a goal

to encourage curiosity

The beauty of science is simplicity, and the chemical reaction that creates a battery is as simple as zinc + copper + acid.

Experiments like making a lemon-powered clock need straightforward directions, but also must encourage kids to start thinking in terms of play instead of work. Start thinking, start tinkering, and feel comfortable doing it in your own bedroom!

linear
steps
  order
scientific method
experiment
goggles
laboratory
clean
freedom
awe
  excitement
new
mystery
lab coat
science
electron
proton
how it works
circuit
power
  energy
Bill Nye
Einstein
whole
complete
serious
fruit
metal
energy-saving
learning
knowledge
electricians' clips
clock
battery
lemon
copper
wire
galvanized
nails
food
time
tick-tock
transfer
connection
positive
negative
everyday
  play
creative
supply
hardware
dissolve
  reaction
eat away
sizzle
fizz
rust
acid
  resourceful
handy
do it yourself
electricity
chemist
scientist

1. What is the objective, the purpose of the experience?

Teaching kids how to make a battery at home. As a lighthearted and fun activity to do online.

2. Who are we talking to?

Curious students age 7 - 13.

3. What is the single most important thing we want to communicate?

Science is not daunting, it's exciting.

4. How should the tutorial be perceived?

A learning process that doesn't feel at all like the classroom.

5. How will a user interact with the experience?

At his or own pace, progressing from step to step as ready.

1.

Although Sam's grades in school aren't the highest, he is always tinkering around at home, taking apart old radios, collecting spare parts, and asking, "Why?" Online he has found many websites with fun games but he prefers to read Wikipedia, eHow, or work offline instead. He's a clever kid, mature for his age.

If he's looking for directions, he wants the most succinct instructions. It must be a tutorial he can follow along with himself, or remember vividly for later.

2.

Alix is in fifth grade and constantly online or in the library, chatting, exploring, and playing. She is a good student but more of a book-learner, a studier, a test-taker. She often has big plans for extravagant projects or experiments, but gets distracted by new plans or doesn't get the proper motivation to go through with them.

For the ones she does try, it usually takes quick, simple steps that offer immediate results. She sees many potential ideas, but a tutorial with attractive photos instead of illustrations has a better chance of sparking her imagination.

excitement: a feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness; something that arouses such a feeling, an exciting incident

reaction: an action performed or a feeling experienced in response to a situation or event; a chemical process in which two or more substances act mutually on each other and are changed into different substances, or one substance changes into two or more other substances; an analogous transformation of atomic nuclei or other particles; a mode of thinking or behaving that is deliberately different from previous modes of thought and behavior

energy: the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity; power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical respources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines; vitality; vigor; life; animation; spirit

order: the arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method; a state in which everything is in its correct or appropriate place; the overall state or condition of something; an authoritative command, direction, or instruction

play: engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose; amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretense; the space in or through which a mechanism can or does move (interesting last definition..)

resourceful: having the ability to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties; involving the imagination or original ideas, esp. in the production of an artistic work; inventive; ingenious

The process for this project was time-consuming but it felt like it was more evenly spread out and manageable, working a little at a time.

design exploration

storyboard rounds:
one
final

animation rounds:
one
two
three
four
pre-final
final

Flash's incorporation of programming into design makes it a difficult program to begin learning, but once you have some fundamental ideas of the tools it becomes much quicker and easier to use. Mostly, I wish After Effects would incorporate a little more interactivity: it's a much friendlier method of design and organizing. But it certainly never hurts to attempt a new skill.

tutorials:
actions
bitmap to vector
behaviors
buttons
fade in
frame labels
movie clip
rotate
multiple scenes
steps
text slide effect

I think the tutorial day was an effective way to learn. It's much easier to try and accomplish one task at once than a whole program.

Although I'm not the biggest fan of Flash, I really liked this project. I don't like the look of flash animations with that flat vector feel, so I decided to use photographs instead. Although going with this method makes the file much larger, the effect is worth it.

It was one of the first where I felt I had a clear concept and path I wanted to take. After establishing this, execution was the easy part. This makes me realize how important these first steps are, and the framework they create for the whole project.