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Blog #4: Individual Techbox

Weeks into our Interaction Design course, everyone was asked to conduct research and showcase our individual techbox. The techbox was supposed to help provide insights into our ongoing team projects. My team focused on creating a new interface for a mobile app that would offer friendly interactions to users in the late Generation X (a.k.a our parents!). In a sentence, the techbox that I put together must complement our project by giving a comprehensive overview of our target users, devices, and solution design.

But First, What is a Techbox?

Actually, even Google couldn't give me a concrete answer. Most results for "Define Techbox" gave me were far from what I was looking for, even suggesting whether I was making typographical errors while searching for "define checkbox" or "define textbox."

I then made some modifications by constructing a more detailed prompt with something like "What is techbox in UX design?" Because our course covers UI/UX components, so it would make sense to specify the field that is relevant to the techbox whose meaning I was searching for.

Results were slightly better, but still not what I was expecting.

Instead of giving me the dicitionary, field-defined meaning of the term "techbox," it would give me UI/UX or technology companies named "Techbox" with different variations (e.g, Tech Box, Techbox, TECHBOX, Techbox Solutions, etc). Amidst irrelevant outputs, I tried to connect the dots by using what I was provided with. I patiently skimmed through these websites and I found the similarities that these sites had in common was that they often pointed towards generating innovative solutions via the employment of technologies.

So there, my question was partly answered. By utilizing existing technological sources, I could get closer to understanding my primary users, their behavior patterns on gadgets and devices, and the solution that my team was spearheading.

1. MY INDIVIDUAL TECHBOX: AI TOOLS

It is still hard to take in the fact that AI is playing an increasingly important part of our convenient life. It used to be something that people talked about in press and media, but now, look around and we will see that there is almost no aspect that has no engagement with AI. At the moment, new AI tools and plug-ins are generated every week with a view to address specific convience-related issues, such as helping businesses, especially individuals, automate tasks and generate tasks.

While there are common fears that AI's existence pose dangerous threats to the creativity work of human beings, I do not think so. Despite being brought on at worldwide technological forums, the most used AI tools still contain flaws that deal directly with daily life, and there is yet to be fruitful solutions that refer to this problem. Suffice it to say, the appearance of AI fosters many good sides of humans in a variety of ways.

I took a AI tools in particular: ChatGPT, DallE, CrayonAI, Midjourney, and Nigthcafe Creator Studio, and the pros and cons of each.

CHAT GPT

ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI that can generate human-like responses to text-based prompts.

Without hesitation, I just jumped to ChatGPT first to listen to what it has to say. While ChatGPT can be used to automate customer service and support, as well as generate content such as blog posts and articles, if one pays detailed attention, the writing pattern of this tool is very generic and lack of center points. Therefore, while working with ChatGPT to pivot our points, I have learned the concept of prompt engineering, which taught me how to talk to ChatGPT so it can understand what I really asked of it, and generate a much more desired project However, the disadvantage is that it may not always produce accurate or appropriate responses, as it is limited by its training data.

DALLE

DallE is another OpenAI tool that generates images from text-based descriptions. The advantage of DallE is that it can be used to create custom images quickly and easily, without the need for expensive graphic design software.

However, the disadvantage is that the images generated may not always accurately reflect the intended description, and may require some editing to get the desired result.

CRAYONAI

CrayonAI is an AI tool that can help businesses automate their sales and marketing processes.

The advantage of CrayonAI is that it can help save time and increase efficiency by automating tasks such as lead generation and email outreach.

However, the disadvantage is that it does not always produce personalized or human-like communication, and its best result does not disclose design details that UI/UX field asks for, which can lead to a lack of engagement from potential customers.

MIDJOURNEY

Midjourney is an AI tool that was recommended at one of our class sessions. It is also a a natural language processing model that generate creative contents per user's input.

To be honest, I don't care if Midjourney really works, because I was attracted to how they incoporate another platform like Discord so that users can feel like while they are still doing the searching, they're doing it within a community that has the same interests in AI Art Generation.

Strength-wise, Midjourney can help businesses and individuals better understand their customers and improve their products and services accordingly. However, the disadvantage is that it may not always accurately interpret customer feedback, which can lead to incorrect insights.

Nightcafe Creator Studio

Nigthcafe Creator Studio is an AI tool that can help content creators generate video content quickly and easily.

Similar with DALL-E and Craiyon, Nigthcafe Creator Studio also generates graphic image based on the search description, and what's special about hti ssave time and effort in the video production process, making it ideal for creators on a tight deadline or budget.

However, the disadvantage is that it may not always produce high-quality or visually appealing content, which can negatively impact engagement and viewership.

While each AI tool possesses its own pros and cons, I recommend that we can benefit, with limitations, from services that they offer. For the scope of Cine.zip, in addition to Cparticular task or project.

2. MY INDIVIDUAL TECHBOX: CREATIVE COMMUNITIES

What I like so much about joining a creative forum is the extra visual work that active members put in, besides explaining the overview of their project in words. You can clearly see and learn from. And from a perspective of a visual learner (someone who learns by looking at visual aids like photos and pictures), I think that makes these kinds of communities stronger than any other types of platforms, where members do not tell audience about their vision, but instead realizing it through the means of various illustration tools.

PINTEREST

This is creatives' go-to for new inspirations!

BEHANCE

Behance is the place that creatives post their new works and potentially get hired. So it's like a LinkedIn that fixates on the portfolios and audience interactions with visual work, rather than connections and showcase of text-based work (aka theoretical knowledge)

DRIBBLE

Dribble is like Behance, but better with organization and categories.

3. MY INDIVIDUAL TECHBOX: THE SUMMARIZER

To summarize my favorite things about these separate projects, I have found a new digital platform called Wakelet. It is a tool designed for educational purpose and gives off the feeling of using Pinterest, but in a different way. Its working principle is simple: you simply create a new collection and enter URLs with similar contents. Users might have a good time using Wakelet because of the time it takes to organize certain things for a project.

From a personal angle, I prefer using Wakelet, probably partly because there's an excitement upon discovery something very new. But the large part of it is how it gathers all kinds of links from different platforms at one place.

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Blog #3 Visit Ubiq, a social VR toolkit

(1) Overall Navigation: This factor  to the evaluation the ease of navigating through the different parts of the platform, including menus, chat rooms, and interactive elements. Consider whether the layout of the platform is intuitive and easy to understand.

The navigation system of Ubiq, as a VR platform, is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, allowing users to easily move through virtual environments and interact with objects and other users.

The primary means of navigation in Ubiq is through the use of hand-held controllers, which allow users to move their avatars through the environment and interact with objects. The controllers can be used to teleport to different locations within the environment, or to physically walk or fly through the environment using hand gestures.

In addition to the hand-held controllers, Ubiq also offers a variety of other navigation options, such as voice commands and gaze-based controls. These alternative navigation methods can be especially useful for users who may have difficulty using hand-held controllers, such as those with physical disabilities or impairments.

Overall, the navigation system of Ubiq is designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing users to choose the navigation method that best suits their needs and preferences. This can create a more inclusive and accessible virtual environment that is welcoming to users of all abilities and backgrounds.

(2) Atmosphere: In evaluating the overall atmosphere of the platform, including the quality of the audio and visual elements. Consider whether the atmosphere is engaging, immersive, and conducive to social interaction.

The atmosphere of Ubiq, as a VR platform, can be highly immersive and engaging, creating a sense of presence and transportive experience for users. The platform is designed to provide a fully-realized 3D environment that can be explored and interacted with in a way that feels natural and intuitive.

The atmosphere of Ubiq can be highly varied depending on the virtual environment being experienced. For example, a virtual environment that simulates a tranquil forest glade might have a peaceful, calming atmosphere, while a virtual environment that simulates a bustling city might have a more chaotic and energetic atmosphere.

Overall, the atmosphere of Ubiq is designed to provide users with a highly engaging and immersive experience that transports them to different virtual environments and allows them to interact with the world in new and exciting ways.

(3) Functions: The VR platform Ubiq has a wide range of functions that are designed to provide users with a highly immersive and interactive virtual experience. Some of the main functions of Ubiq include:

Exploration: Ubiq allows users to explore virtual environments and spaces in a highly immersive way, using a range of tools and features to move, interact with, and manipulate objects in the environment.

Creation: Ubiq provides users with a variety of creative tools and materials that can be used to build virtual structures, landscapes, and objects. This allows users to express their creativity and build unique and personalized virtual environments.

Collaboration: Ubiq offers a range of social features that allow users to collaborate and interact with others in the virtual environment. This can create a sense of shared presence and community, and facilitate teamwork and communication.

Education: Ubiq can be used as an educational tool, allowing users to learn about a variety of subjects in a highly immersive and interactive way. This can be especially useful for subjects that are difficult to teach in traditional classroom settings, such as physics, astronomy, or anatomy.

Entertainment: Ubiq offers a range of games, simulations, and other entertainment experiences that are designed to be highly immersive and engaging. These experiences can range from simple arcade-style games to complex simulations and interactive narratives.

Therapy: Ubiq has also been used in therapeutic settings, such as in the treatment of anxiety disorders, phobias, and PTSD. The immersive and interactive nature of Ubiq can provide a safe and controlled environment for exposure therapy and other therapeutic techniques.

Overall, the functions of Ubiq are designed to provide users with a highly immersive and interactive virtual experience that can be used for a wide range of purposes, from education and entertainment to therapy and beyond.

(4) Enhancing the spatial environment: The VR platform Ubiq enhances the spatial environment by providing users with a highly immersive and interactive virtual space that can simulate a wide range of physical environments and experiences. With Ubiq, users can explore and interact with virtual environments in ways that are not possible in the real world, such as flying through the air or teleporting to different locations. This can lead to a heightened sense of spatial awareness and an enhanced understanding of the relationships between objects and spaces within the virtual environment.

Ubiq also provides users with a high degree of control over their virtual environment, allowing them to customize the space to their liking and manipulate objects in creative ways. For example, users can build virtual structures and landscapes using a variety of tools and materials, or they can create virtual objects that can be used in games, simulations, or other applications.

In addition, Ubiq offers a range of social features that allow users to interact and collaborate with others in the virtual space. This can create a sense of shared presence and community that enhances the overall spatial environment and makes it feel more dynamic and alive.

Overall, the VR platform Ubiq enhances the spatial environment by providing users with a powerful and immersive tool for exploring and interacting with virtual spaces in creative and meaningful ways. By offering a range of tools and features that enable users to customize and manipulate the virtual environment, Ubiq can create a deeply engaging and rewarding spatial experience that transcends the limitations of the physical world.

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Blog #2 Portfolio

https://sites.google.com/view/vutrananpho/about?authuser=2

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Blog #1 Self-Introduction

[For Interaction Design IID3004]

Hi everyone, I'm Pho. I am a junior who is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Information and Interaction Design from Yonsei University. As an individual with a deep passion for creativity, design, and technology, I have found my calling in the field of interaction design. I believe that interaction design has the power to enhance our lives, by creating experiences that are both enjoyable and functional.

Career-wise, I am absolutely passionate about working in the intersection of technology, linguistics, human-centered design, business intelligence, marketing and management: this leads me to seek career opportunities in product/program management, UI/UX design, and consulting.

Outside of my college background in technology, I channel my passion through journalism and photography. An avid fan of MOOCs, I cultivated self-development by means of college-sponsored and technology-centric courses from various innovative university on Coursera, DataCamp, freeCodeCamp, and LinkedIn Learning.

In 2022, I went to Amherst College for a one-year exchange program. The time there changed me. I had various opportunities to engage with the campus in ways that I could never have imagined. I met with world leaders, interviewed impactful people, and received thank-you emails appreciating my articles. I As I took on a number of leadership roles, I realized that I belonged to my community by just being me -- and that was important.

As I look to the future, I am excited about the opportunities that interaction design presents. I believe that there is always room for improvement, and that we can continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with technology and design. I am excited about the potential for emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, and how they can be used to create immersive and engaging experiences for users.

In conclusion, interaction design is not just a career for me, but a passion. I believe that interaction design has the power to create meaningful and impactful experiences, and that it is essential to design interfaces that are both visually appealing and user-friendly. I am eager to exlore the beauties that the field presents, and I look forward to continuing to learn, grow, and contribute to the field of interaction design.

Reach out to me via email: vutrananpho@gmail.com