Evaluation

Brief

The 'wonders of nature' assignment required us to produce an Ibook about nature. The class were given a wide range of topics but only 1 subject can be selected by each class member.  I had to conduct research into many facts and contextual information about the subject. W To meet the breif's standards, I have to create animation, interactive elements, such as video, to enhance the user experience. 

Chosen topic 

The chosen topics was the coral reefs. When I received the subject, I was nervous because the topic offers a wide scope, making it impossible for me to cover all of the aspects about coral reefs. However, the subject turned out to be very interesting. 

Initial idea

Before I started the research, I brainstormed the most relevant areas of coral reefs. I concluded that an interesting book should contain content about the reefs, corals, fishes, tourism, threats, case studies and famous reefs. Using the brainstorm as a guide, I split the topic in chapters and sections. 

I concluded that this book should have 4 chapters. The first chapter focuses on introducing the subject to the user. The sections would  include were overview, kinds of reefs, corals and terms and facts. 

 The 2nd chapter reveals information about the famous reefs, ranging from the Great Barrier Reef to the New Caledonia Reef.  Presenting information about the fishes found in these specific reefs were included to make the chapter look interesting. Chapter 3 is the most emotional part because offers content about the threats to the reefs. This section includes human threats, natural threats and a couple of case studies. Overall this was going to be the longest chapter. The last and the least important chapter  cover tourism. The information included covers kinds of tourism, famous tourist destinations and the local economies.

I completed the research and then focused the quantity of pages used on the book. I aimed to create a book with reasonable amount of pages. To solve this user experience issue, I implemented many widgets from both Ibooks Author and Bookry. I mainly wanted to create a book with lots of interactivity and text that is not overwhelming. 

To ensure my visual and interactive ideas were not restricted, I decided to brainstorm the elements and search for inspirations. I created many mood boards on my sketch book and blog that enabled me to explore the most visual pleasing style.  There were 5 styles: retro, vibrant imagery, dynamic imagery, detailed illustrations with text and texture. After serious amount of consideration, I concluded to include a retro feel. There was an artist who produces art using flat colours. A discovery was made that many modern apps use flat colours, making this style relevant.  Overall I am please with the books design. 

I concluded from the research that the current books are lacking in design. Some books feature over 50 pages, making it overwhelming for the user to consume the information. There were many examples of books where they were unusable due to small text size and the lack of interactive elements. Compared to my product, I am glad with the finished product. 

The navigation is one of the book's boldest points. There is a navigation system on the home page that allows the user to access every chapter. Users are given freedom in a scenario where they intend to return back to the home page. There is a reasonable home button that is functional and very usable. The table of contents is one negative aspect of this project. When in preview the book does not present the tables of content, reducing the user experience. 

Another factor that made this product successful is the answering the why, what and how. This made me more about the needs of the user, allow me to pursuit ideas that anticipates them. 

Management of time 

Overall my time management has been very successful. A chart has been produced to enable to meet the deadline. The chart offers a logical sequence of the task performed. I allotted enough time for the user testing stage.