Integrating Digital Tech for Productivity

GDCoP 2012
Integrating digital technology
into productivity and workflow
in The Studio
Eden Potter / Alan Young

Integrating digital technology into productivity and workflow in The Studio _ Eden Potter / Alan Young _ November 2012

Proposal
What is The Studio? What is the project?
The Studio is a postgraduate This project investigates a range of
programme in the AUT School of digital productivity apps and tools
Art & Design that acts as a bridge that are concerned with workflows
between academia and industry. It is and studio management. The aim is
modelled on a working design studio, to facilitate an integrated, networked
where students work on projects studio environment.
from industry, or develop projects for This report is on Stage 1 of the
industry. project, where tools are trialled and
analysed against our needs.


Studio workflow
There are two levels:

Project management INDIVIDUAL TASKS

Job tracking
1
RUNNING
Supplier liaison
2
RUNNING
critical pathways

Time-keeping deadlines
A STUDIO PROJECTS
Briefs Client liaison

Recording information Recording information

This report focusses on the workflow
aspects depicted in black text on the
above diagram.


Studio workflow
Whatever we used to manage
projects and clients in The Studio
needed to be:
_ A scalable system
_ Easily updated
_ Accessed via a range of platforms
_ Able to be shared
_ Able to be customised


Typical heading
Studio workflow
What wesubhead
Typical initially used
Project list for work-in-progress
THE STUDIO : External briefs 10/10/12

CLIENT JOB # DESCRIPTION JOB CONTACT STAFF to STAFF DEADLINE STATUS DESIGN
CLIENT DIRECTOR TEAM

The Studio STU12-01 Visual identity and collateral Raul Sarrot EP/AY RS TBC Ongoing sessions ex-The Nicky
EP/AY Studio HQ with Raul Holly
Sarah R

Slide content
Melissa
Jayesh

AUT Health & HEA12-01 Research / communication design Stella / Gary AY AY/EP The Studio group ideation Holly
Counselling session 2pm Wed 10 Oct. Melissa

Gifted Kids GIF12-01 Visual identity / logo redesign Deb Clark (CEO)/ EP EP/AY Ist stage Initial concepts being Sarah R
Sue Barriball concepts w/o presented. Holly
08 October

Mons Royale MON12-01 Merino underwear: Design packaging, Hamish Ackland AY AY/EP Meeting with Meeting with Product Nicky
POS Display unit Hamish end Design students cancelled. Holly
October Need new date?

Platters Catering PLA12-01 Comp to design logo AUT coffee blend. David Green EP EP/AY Concepts by Contact Platters again? Melissa
31 August Nicky

The Research TRA12-01 Design of client presentations. Amber AY AY/EP Sam
Agency Sarah D

bold text = project actioned and in progress / coloured bold text = project actioned and in progress, with active event in the week


Studio workflow
Project list for work-in-progress
What it is and how What we didn’t like
it worked. about this format.
The project list document (also It used paper.
known as the job board) was created Dependent on a sole personal device
in Microsoft Word. It was updated (Eden’s laptop) to update.
Not visual (‘admin-ish’).
weekly by Eden and uploaded on
Relied on one person updating.
AUTonline for the weekly WIP (work- Hard to update during meetings (‘on
in-progress) meeting. Printouts were the fly’).
produced for each designer in The Team members relied on the paper
Studio before the meeting. version for meetings; they didn’t
look at the document until then. This
eroded the sense of ownership of, or
involvement in The Studio projects.


Studio workflow
Some web-based tools we
investigated

shared task list for teams project management and project management
collaboration tool / collaboration tool
for teams

iPhone / iPad app to collaboration and iPhone / iPad app to
manage personal and organiSation tool for management &
team tasks on the go startups organisation


Typical heading
Studio workflow
What wesubhead
Typical are trialling
About Trello
A web-based project management
and collaboration tool. Projects are
organised into ‘boards’ and ‘cards’,
https://trello.com Slide content
like a KANBAN board (see below).


Typical heading
Studio workflow
What wesubhead
Typical are trialling
What Trello offers Trello limitations
Free! No tagging of content keywords.
Good for simple projects. Not as useful for complex projects.
Native apps on iPhone / iPad. Limited email integration.
Can log in with Google+ account. Slide content
Limited keyboard shortcuts.
Instantly synchronized over the web.
Visual & intuitive.
You can invite ‘outside’ parties as
members to share / collaborate.


Studio workflow
How we are using Trello

STUDIO JOB
PROJECT
TRACKING
MANAGEMENT
& WORK-IN-
PROGRESS

Examples of both uses of Trello in The Studio are shown in the following slides.


Studio workflow
Project management


Studio workflow
Work-in-progress / job tracking

Client projects are organised into Cards can be duplicated or moved
lists across the window. In each list, to different lists. They can also be
a series of ‘cards’ is created. Cards archived.
detail deadlines, updates, project
team, and reminders.


Studio workflow
Work-in-progress / job tracking

Each ‘card’ in the
project list can
include information
and images about
the project.


Studio workflow
Trello: what does and doesn’t
work for The Studio

+ Easystudentmembers toituse. a sense of ‘managing’ the
For
for all
designers, gives
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT project, enhancing engagement and collaboration.

STUDIO JOB
+ Can Studio‘admin’can still manage the board.means that
The
have
staff
for the organisation. This

TRACKING
AND WORK-IN-
PROGRESS
- Layoutat once (you needyou scroll seereveal). project
board
of cards means
to
can’t
to
the whole

Cards can’t be moved to other boards.


Studio workflow
Next stage…

Embed Trello as the system for all
project management in The Studio.
Trial Trello as job tracking / project
work-in-progress.


Recording information
Capturing, storing, and sharing

We have also been using digital tools In this report we are focussing on:
to capture information, annotate it,
store it and pass it on to others. GoodReader

Evernote
http://evernote.com/


GoodReader

The ability of iPad app GoodReader
to annotate / draw directly onto
the PDF was used to remotely brief
student designers when they were in
The Studio, putting together a design
job. Students e-mailed us a PDF of
the layout, and we wrote and typed
instructions and suggestions on to the
PDF using GoodReader.


GoodReader

Annotated PDFs were
e-mailed from GoodReader
on the iPad directly to the
design team for them to
action.


Evernote

This free app for tablet, smartphone
and desktop computer is a notetaker.
pinboard, and organiser.
It has revolutionised the way we:
_ capture information
_ pass information to others
_ store and manage information
_ make presentations


Evernote

Using Evernote to capture
images, film footage, sound,
webpages, sketches—on the
iPad.

Note-taking during workshops in The Studio: photographing, sketching,
grabbing and filing webpages.


Evernote
Using Evernote on the
iPad while at an overseas
conference.
In this case, one team from NZ worked
on a museum display system that was
built for a museum in Copenhagen, and
later when in Copenhagen, Alan could
go and see it first hand. The details and
readily available information inspired
the deeper investigation.

Attending conferences: photograph event, google presenters while they’re
speaking, go to their website, download their website, annotate with details
from their presentation (Diatom: annotating their website)


Ahead…
Future aims for this research
project in The Studio

Social media + -
We found embracing _ increased communication _ learning to use the social
social media to be a between staff and students media forms effectively was
due to increased accessibility somewhat time consuming
difficult task, but one _ enhanced ability to do group _ using social media can, in
which we now recognise projects independent of itself, be time consuming
as having considerable contributors’ locations _ increased accessibility of
value, and which we are _ ability to communicate and staff can lead to increased
intent on pursuing. create collaboratively using workload
rich media
_ expanding students’
networks and knowledge of
the design community

Ahead…

Integrated _ our current research
suggests it’s likely we will
_ the key to a successful
workflow environment
systems and be able to use a range of is integration. With each

management integrated tools for our studio
management needs, rather
iteration and upgrade of apps,
developers are enabling more
We will be continuing than developing our own integration as a standard
dedicated apps as originally ‘selling point’.
to testing and use
suggested in our proposal For example:
digital workflow tools in Trello + GoogleDocs
studio production and Trello + DropBox
operations. Penultimate + Evernote


Ahead…

Going We hope to achieve this by:
_ embedding integrated studio
paperless management systems using
a suite of web-based digital
The Studio aims to tools
create a community of _creating an informed and
change-makers, where digitally literate studio
social and environmental culture, where students
feel comfortable working
sustainability are core
collaboratively in the digital
values. Reducing our space.
Interactive advertising – showing students
new forms of communication design, opening
reliance on paper in up possibilities for their creative process and
digital media exploration.
studio processes is key.


The end
(for now…)


Integrating Digital Tech for Productivity

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