Jump to Content

About Flush

Flush cleanses the mind and scoops up any crappy (as well as those genuinely good) graphic design ideas, notes, and thoughts.

« Older Entries

Archive for the “General” Category

On this page:

/Flush/2012/04/22

Jonah Lehrer – How Creativity Works

Posted

22 April 2012

Tags:

, , , , , , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2012/02/23

U.S. Interstate as a Subway Map

This makes so much sense now!

U.S. Interstate as a Subway Map

(Shared from my boss G.)

Flush.

Posted

23 February 2012

Tags:

, , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2012/02/20

Muni App Goals

Currently:

  • Plenty of apps that tells you when the next bus is arriving for a certain route and stop, and sometimes tells you how long it takes to get to your destination
  • Doesn’t include trips that requires transfers
  • Hard to tell where the bus is exactly and if there will be a delay
  • Existing apps tells you what “should” happen (how many minutes will the bus arrive, etc.)

Potential Implementations

  • Include a function that lets you create “trips” which include multi-vehicle transfers
    • You can create your trips by entering addresses (and from your Contacts), tapping on a map (a la Maps App), or by bus lines
    • Include recommendations for a route based on traffic conditions at the time.
  • Include information that tells you whether the bus is probably late
  • Include information that tells you if this bus route is usually late on this day of the week at this time
  • Include traffic accident information, include street closures for special events
  • Include links to any info that has not been integrated to the app yet
  • Include a crowd-sourcing feature that gathers real-time comments from riders commenting on any line (e.g. tweets complaining that a bus is late or explaining why it’s late)
  • Include a map of all the buses running or the lines you selected.
  • Include suggestions for places to go via public transportation

Goal of the App:

To improve upon existing apps by providing a more pain-free and a more fun user experience for getting the user from point A to point B.

These two features aim to achieve that goal:

  1. Provide an easy way to find the best route to get to a destination based on real time conditions, using as many vehicles as it takes.
  2. Provide information that suggests the punctuality of each bus/vehicle

Nice to haves (V2+):

  1. Crowdsourcing real time comments via tweets, other social media, or within the app’s data network
  2. Suggests places/landmark to go via public transportation

Flush.

Posted

20 February 2012

Tags:

, , , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2012/02/01

Ira Glass on Creativity for Beginners

Got this quote from somebody who got it from somebody who got it from somebody who heard it on This American Life with Ira Glass. It’s sort of motivational for creative people.

“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.

“But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story.

“It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

There’s also a video.

Flush.

Posted

01 February 2012

Tags:

, , , , ,

Comments:

3 Comments »

/Flush/2012/01/22

A Little Overwhelmed with Objective-C

Since I’m going to be making an app, I figured I should do a little refresher on the tools and language of Xcode and Objective-C.

A few years ago, I watched the Stanford iPhone App Development class free on iTunes U. It was a different language so it was kind of hard to grasp some concepts. Also, I didn’t really get to practice it because I didn’t have a Mac at the time.

But this time around, I have a Macbook Pro and Xcode installed, and I’m watching the newest version of the iOS app development course (http://itunes.apple.com/us/course/ipad-iphone-app-development/id495052415). I figure I would at least not be surprised by the different syntax of the language.

But in the second class, where the instructor went through a demo of “the first app,” I couldn’t completely follow what’s going on, let alone imagine what I would do if I were to do it myself. Luckily, there’s a step-by-step screenshot-by-screenshot walkthrough the class has prepared, so I get to at least have an assisted start.

What I’m trying to say is that I might have bit off a little more than I can chew with this app. But it’s still early, so I’m going to stay on course to do this Muni app. And if it gets too much, I have some back up ideas.

Flush.

Posted

22 January 2012

Tags:

, , , , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2012/01/15

Deciding on the App to Make

It’s time to figure out which app from my list of ideas I should make. As you can see below, I’ve weighed the pros and cons, and briefly looked at the potential risks and rewards. I have decided to aim for the stars and am going with creating the Muni app with transfer suggestions.

Educational App for Babies/Toddlers (My Nephew)

  • Pro: Helps kids learn stuff
  • Con: Mainly for kids. Kids may get bored
  • Usefulness: M – Mainly for kids
  • Demographic: Children/Parents
  • Difficulties/Restrictions: Kids may get bored. Not familiar with how kids play and what makes it fun

iOS Wallpaper Prep

  • Applies custom text on an image to use for iOS wallpaper. Text would have contact info in case device is lost.
  • Pro: No need to use computer to edit image anymore. Probably easy to make
  • Con: Won’t be used often
  • Usefulness: L – Only used occasionally
  • Demographic: Practically anyone
  • Difficulties/Restrictions: practically none beyond my level.

Muni Real-time App with Transfer Suggestions

  • Pro: Really useful.
  • Con: Probably hardest to make
  • Usefulness: H – Used almost everyday
  • Demographic: SF Public Transit users
  • Difficulties/Restrictions:
    • Need to figure out how to get bus traffic data
    • Need to figure out algorithm for calculating connections
    • Need to figur out how to visualize data

One Per Day Blog

  • Creates an app version of my blog that easily records one-word summary of the day with a one-sentence description. It should also display past entries in an effective way.
  • Pro: Easier to use than now (I use the WordPress app, without a more efficient way to look at past posts)
  • Con: No an app for everyone
  • Usefulness: H for me, L for everyone else
  • Demographic: Probably just me. Could be expanded to select bloggers
  • Difficulties/Restrictions: Need to figure out how to connect with WordPress or own server

Working Out Data Entry App

  • Creates an app that records my workout stats in detail, along with other features that apply to me, including goal setting, workout suggestions, and an effective way to display my history
  • Pro: Easier to use than now (I use a WordPress app to record my goals, and another app to record my weight, but I don’t have a way to record the details to record my workout.
  • Con: May not include every single exercise/situations of a workout.
  • Demographic: Athletic people
  • Difficulties/Restrictions: Need to know how to store data on device and in cloud.

Flush.

Posted

15 January 2012

Tags:

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2012/01/04

The App Project Begins

For a few years now, I had been wanting to create iPhone apps. That’s part of the reason why I got my first Mac two and a half years ago. But with me starting a new job at Zynga a few months later, I had not had time to do any real personal projects.

Then recently, I realized that of course I cannot create an app from scratch in a timely manner (a month or two) when I have a full-time job. So, I decided to give myself a full year to work on it.

I’ve made a rough outline for the next 12 months to get myself organized, and I’m documenting my progress here to make sure I do what I promised. (Encouragement along the way is appreciated.)

I’ve given myself a pretty easy start this month, where I just have to figure out what app I want to make. And since I’ve never seriously coded in Objective-C before, I’m giving myself a lot more time (about six months) to code and about a month to do the visual designs.

Here’s the “12-Month Plan” as of today:

January

  • Outline basic timeline (which I just completed. Huzzah!)
  • Finalize Project idea
    • Weigh pros and cons for each idea
    • Consider usefulness of app and potential demographic
    • Consider difficulty to create app within time frame

February

  • Define Goals of App
    • Address Problems
    • Suggest Solutions
  • Look into offerings and limitations of iOS

March

  • Define Featureset
  • Begin Sketches
    • Flows
    • Wireframes
    • UX/Interactions
  • Refine Sketches to usable assets
  • Update flows and mocks with hi-fi assets
  • Outline coding timeline
    • Split up work into subtasks

April

  • Begin coding
  • Start with functional elements before incorporating designs
  • Set up stats tracking, feedback, and crash reporting functionalities
  • Use placeholders to create overall flow

May

  • Progress Report
    • Address obstacles
    • Determine if features need to be expanded or scaled back
  • Continue coding
  • Update schedule outline

June

  • Continue coding
  • Start testing on device
  • Replace/update placeholder elements with hi-fi assets

July

  • Progress Report
    • Determine if features need to be introduced, expanded, or scaled back
  • Update mocks based on any changes to flow and features
  • Overall app flow should be almost complete.

August

  • Begin user testing
    • Collect feedback and stats
    • Reevaluate app quality
  • Update flows and designs to address valid feedback
  • Update schedule outline

September

  • Continue user testing and collecting feedback
  • Fine tune design and code

October

  • Final user test
  • Continue fine tuning design and code

November

  • Begin app packaging (marketing)
  • Begin App Store approval process
  • Continue fine tuning design and code

December

  • Launch app
  • Post-release bug fixes

Flush.

Posted

04 January 2012

Tags:

, , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2010/11/02

Personal Touch of Calling to Vote

After weeks of wasted paper I received in the mail from political campaigns, all of which I dumped in the recycling bin without seriously reading, and all the digital media that mentions the importance of voting, I find that a voice message left by a particular political committee this morning, which I listened to just now, way past the time the polls closed, to remind me that today is Election Day, where my poll station was, and that I should leave enough time after work, the most refreshing piece of information I have received from the election season.

I attribute it to the lady’s friendly voice and the fact that the call is personalized to my name, what I did in relation to the committee, and where my poll station was. It just makes the experience fun.

I didn’t like that she suggested who I should vote for, though.

The second coolest, surprise experience also happened today, when I checked in at my poll station on Foursquare, which got me this badge:

Flush.

Posted

02 November 2010

Tags:

, , , , , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2010/07/27

How Does One Go From Being Inspired to Being Inspiring?

I watch TED as much as I can.

How do I become one of the speakers, or be worthy enough to speak? What are the missing middle steps? How do I translate my dream to reality?

Flush.

Posted

27 July 2010

Tags:

, , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »

/Flush/2010/06/29

Fascination with QR-Codes

Flush.

Posted

29 June 2010

Tags:

, , , , ,

Comments:

No Comments Yet »
« Older Entries

“General”