The Power of Motion & Sound: CNN Newsroom

In a great example of motion & sound coming together, I present CNN Newsroom.

Relaunched in 2010 with a brand new look and a brand new studio, the program’s first day was a prime example of what a the cascading hours of news coverage on cable could truly look like.

Featuring a fairly large studio, one of the focal points had to be the giant screen behind Kyra early on.  While the network didn’t continue this use of it, the application of video on it with the anchor standing in front, or using it as a transition piece when a correspondent was to come on air, was a great example of how a studio should truly be used.  It’s not just a prop, it’s a story telling tool!

Combine the large screen with the network’s ever famous magic wall and you set yourself up for a set that can do anything you need it to. 

Now, on the side of motion & sound, while the video does have jump cuts (I used the network’s own transition for them), it still conveys the look and feel of the program.  While other network’s had tried to create a kind of cyber-tech feel to their newscast, CNN mastered it through the combination of abrupt music and these flowing, bold, you could even argue harsh graphics.

What truly conveys that sense of motion here is the continual use of it, items sliding to the screen, as well as how the network made use of sounds between live shots, or topic graphics to transition to another story.  Combine that with the use of camera’s moving in towards the anchor when needed, or utilizing the set as a storytelling piece, it all comes together as a pristine example of what a newscast should look like.

Now, did this last?  Like most things in cable news, the first day broadcast is always a perfectly designed day, but once you get the regular cycle back, the finishing touches disappear.  Gone is the use of the giant screen for video regularly, gone are the different locations on the set being used.  It’s always sad to see these networks spend heaven knows how much on these sets, then throw it down the drain doing what they’ve always done.

Is it a wonderful example of ‘motion & sound’ none the less?  Absolutely. 

Making a better InstaCam

One of my favorite apps on my Windows Phone at the moment would have to be InstaCam. (view in online marketplace)

(download)

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making-a-better-instacam-wibqGysyaDhtoGvstubr.zip (459 KB)

Now, the weakness of this application, if nothing else, is loose design.

Primary UI

(download)

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making-a-better-instacam-HyrjbAsauhutfgDucxwv.zip (1.99 MB)

In terms of the look and feel, I've gone through above and experimented with what some minor tweaks, as well as one major one, could do to the experience visually. Changes include:

• Removing the background with the user's color scheme
• Changing font used for app title, as well as making use of accent color
• Adjusting the spacing for each element within a "feed" image
• Adding an action list with the primary app functions
• Removing search from the panorama

In terms of justifying these ideas, the removal of the background, plus use of the accent, would assist in making the app feel more like the user's own chosen experience phone-wide.  Adjusting the spacing assists in adhering to the phone's default grid, making the app appear of higher quality as well as display content better. The action list seems a key feature, the idea of a user being able to slide left to easily get to option a nice advantage over an app bar in an already quite consumed screen, as well as removal of search stems from how, in part, apps aren't recommended to put too much content on a panorama control.

Photo UI

(download)

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making-a-better-instacam-bueavcqvkcCgaizGwcbs.zip (872 KB)

The next major UI present in this app is the Photo view, seen when you select any picture from any section of the application.

Presently three different pages, this part of the apps design is likely the most troublesome and in need of some assistance.  As it stands currently, the app displays a fair amount of content, but does it sloppily, not adhering to the grid, as well as not adhering to the user's color choices or overall color scheme.  Additionally, the user has to dive onto another page to view comments or likes, something which could be viewed more easily in a different way.

In going a different direction, what would be interesting to see here would be the use of a Pivot control, allowing a user to slide left and right between the view of the image with description, the people who have liked it, and the comments.  What this would assist in is allowing the user to view the comments in a meaningful way, vs. in an overly cramp, hard to read form.  The issue present with this concept, I'll admit, is that the way to favorite or comment would not be easily visible, only being viewable by clicking the button to expand the menu.  This would be remedied by either keeping the app bar present and tightening the spacing slightly, or simply accepting that the user will need to scroll some to view content.

Profiles

(download)

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making-a-better-instacam-jwGtbHpDssqcDIGokBye.zip (1.1 MB)

Presently a mixture of pages and a Panorama, the issues here stem in alignment, as well as improper use of the Panorama control.  The Panorama control should only be used once in an app, and that use should be out front, as the front page.  When a situation calls for multiple pages of information, the best control that could likely be used would be a pivot.  This situation would be a prime candidate for that, which I present in my concept.

Transforming the Profile view itself, as well as the photos of the user, the Pivot would also include the currently disconnected pages of followers and following.  Taking a bit of liberal inspiration from Rowi, the profile page would be reordered to focus on the name of the person, as well as their bio, before diving into their follower / following / photos stats.  Jumping to the Photos panel, the only real changes here to speak of would be the spacing corrections, otherwise the page workable.

Other Issues

In the latest updates we've seen a fair improvement for the actual gallery of effects, as well as the upload page, but there are a few issues here that need to be addressed.

Bullets vs Checkmarks On the uploads page, alignment once again matters (stick to left preferably) but the other situation here would be the use of bullets vs. checkmarks.  In terms of general practice, it's best to use bullets when you are only able to select one option, but checkmarks when you are able to make multiple ones.  Additionally, it would look close to the Metro style to remove the social networking icons.

Settings Across the App As it stands, the only way to access the social networking settings is after you've got to the upload page. It would be helpful of this was accessible app-wide by either the actions list I suggested earlier, or through something in the app bar on the main panorama.

About/News/? Pivots I'm a little confused on this part. How many Pivot controls do you presently have in this app? I think the number is two, but I'm not quite sure.  Discovering these when needed works, but it's a little confusing why multiple ones exist, and why they need to exist.

Alignment There are more pages mentioned then I've gotten to, but a universal issue across the app where you haven't touched it would continue to be alignment. Check out Bil Simser's post about your app to get a more detailed account of what improvements could be done there.

In all, the finishing touches are what truly matter in making an app look amazing on Windows Phone.  With some revisions, maybe a bit of exploration as well, InstaCam can become as good experience wise as it is functionally.

Windows Phone: Initial Thoughts

So, I finally have one of these things, and what can I say? I'm in love.

From the start screen alone, it's fascinating to actually see a Windows Phone with your own content, your own customizations, and make the little chimes and vibrations as messages come in.

The other piece, what's in the picture above, are Groups. Built out of your People hub, each of these serve a purpose for me, keeping track of what's happening with family, classmates, news, Microsoft, as well as a group of Twitter folk I enjoy.  On occasion, it's actually fun to see how the profile pictures cycle through and create ... interesting people, like the hybrid bunny and boy on the bottom left there.

(download)

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windows-phone-initial-thoughts-JvcvdhfEskpEcqdhjidF.zip (763 KB)

Overall, it's something to have one of these to call your own, pictures of friends flipping about in Group tiles, or going through your People and Pictures hubs noticing pictures you've never seen before. Oh, and Zune, Zune exploration is great on this larger screen, though the odd tidbits that are missing are, well, signs of how foreign Zune is at Microsoft I suppose.

Still, a few days in and I'm in love. There are quirks, minor issues here and there, but I'm amazed. With any luck, I should have a review-type post up here soon.

Lists: The Channels of Twitter

I'm a bit methodical when I do things.  When it comes to Twitter, this is useful.

While Twitter is considered by some to be useless babble, I'm convinced it's a platform that's only useful once you find your purpose for it.  In that respect, my own use for Twitter has been to find interesting people's work, share my own, as well as hold conversations and keep up with what's happening in the world.

So, once you figure out your purpose with it, the question is how you use it effectively.  For myself, consuming my Twitter feed is quite an enjoyment because of two things: Lists and the number 80.

Let's go over the first one, lists.

Lists 

Everybody gets a list!

Okay, seriously, Lists make the Twitter experience breathable no matter if you're following 80 people, or 8,000 people.  While your main stream contains everything, lists provide an option to have a more focused stream of thought, whether it's just a group of closer friends, or those of a specific topic.

In practice, I make use of three lists: Posse, Microsoft, and NewsNow.

The first of these, my Posse, are a handful of folks in the Twitter-verse who I find myself being a little closer with, like a small group of friends, and I keep this private.  

Second, the Microsoft list, is a mixture of Microsoft bloggers, as well as some folks inside, and gives me a good scope of what's happening in the Microsoft-verse.  This list embodies one of the biggest advantages of lists: You don't have to follow everyone in it.  If anything, this helps keep your main stream clean, as well as makes that information available more easily.

Last, I have my NewsNOW list, which I've built to give me news about everything (@breakingnews), business (@bloombergnow), tv news (@tvnewser + @insidecablenews), Seattle (@king5seattle + @kiro7seattle), and technology (@arstechnica).  Now, this list is my newswire, and nothing truly compares to the point that you can have constant stories flow by and catch the ones you want to share, or maybe go and read further.

In all, each of these make my experience better, but there's one more piece.

80

Another piece to my strategy of Twitter is to limit who I follow.  While arbitrary, 80 has been the number that I can fit everyone I'm interested in underneath, as well as be able to keep a good scope on what's going on.  Earlier, I had let this creep over 100, and it was amazing how useless my stream became, and how Twitter just became another thing vs. something I enjoyed.

So, that's how I make use of Twitter. How do you?

The Power of Motion & Sound: CourtTV

Oh CourtTV, how you've become yet another fatality of the cable trends.

Back during its prime though, CourtTV was one of the best examples of simplicity matched with motion to make a network look downright stunning.

Another compilation built out above, the network's primary identity was based around the pillars present in most courthouses, moving left and right as a motion-driven element on screen. Combine that with a splash of color and you have the transitions used throughout the day.

As for program opens, it's almost a perfect match of motion and sound. In each, the open's build up as the network logo appears, followed with the swift use of transitions and effects, as well as appearance of the personalities, to give the show a bit of a brisk feeling. Combine that with, very often, sharp sounds to command their presence, and you have it nailed.

Even the lower thirds on the network have motion and sound, the small circular arrow element being pressed in, then everything else appearing with a sound to match.

Compared to everyone else in cable, even now, it's hard to find someone who matches this kind of pace or presence in this style. Maybe it just wasn't destined to survive, I don't know.