As designers we have to understand problems so we can try to solve them.

The brief: to design and create a digital product to explain the elements from the periodic table. the content is scientific to be used in the scientific profession. Nevertheless what about children or undergraduate students. Is the content aiding or confusing their understanding …

this project will ask you to look at the content of the periodic table from the micro packets of information in each cell.

In some type of device … but which? This is your choice eg TV, VR, Tablet, phone, smartphone.

Eg kids expect things to be touchscreen and they work best with iPads.

Do a competitor analysis, look at other apps that do similar things and do user stories and jobs to better understand your audience.

Think outside the box – is it a VR experience you  can walk into.

Project requirements:

1. A branded homepage containing your version of the periodic table
2. At least 5 additional elements pages aimed at 10 year old audience and bellow OR
3. At least 5 elements pages aimed at undergraduate chemistry student
4. A style guide, visual grammar and brand

To proceed:

1. Design first
2. Start on paper
3. sketch/figma/Invision
4. Final product Adove XD/Figma/Invision
5. Also consider the visual grammar …

Think typical UX workflow

1. discover
2. plan
3. text design
4. sketch
5. visual design
6. prototype/build
7. test
8. discuss
9. deliver but keep learning

Previous students

• Antechamber – he created a website for this also. He interviewed undergraduate chemistry students. Visually very interesting. Visually very strong but kept it safe
• Dan Gold – impressive from coding point of view. Visually nice and technically proficient. He focused on undergraduate students
• Sarah Couples – Deadly elements. Used Beano style. For kids. Showed how elements are created and broke down the science of it. Showed how they could be combines to create an element. Looked at elements that could kill DR Bob – the avatar – and added the info next to the illustration.
• Science lab The element. used nice call to action (Lets learn). For children.
• Hope McCilroy – 118 elements street. Made it as a house. You can navigate through the house and can find diff things that represent elements in the periodic table. Science discover. Kids had to search and find things. Very nice and interactive. Looked at the products first then matched the elements to them.
• Jemma Ferguson – Metal monster.
• Detective Dimitri – Alex McCormick. She took a very different and cool approach. No mention of the periodic table yet subtle hints.
• Scott McKee – undergraduate VR project were you could take a picture of anything in real life and it would tell you what it is made of.

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Things to consider

• Group
• appearance
• uses
• Discover date
• Discovered by

Why it is important to think of the audience:

• managing disparate range of content
• Organizing content into logical structure
• Presenting content coherently
• target content to specific audiences

Taxonomies

A method for groping and organizing content.

eg Tiny books website

You must organize your content!!! both for this and for your portfolio website.

Ideas:

• interview students eg undergraduate
• questioners
• Make it a trip around a chemistry lab