3Plains: Developing a Dynamic Application
Challenge
3Plains Corporation (http://www.3plains.net/) required a dynamic e-learning interface, which could be updated on-the-road before display to clients, and include SCORM compliance. It would need to focus on the animation produced by its exceptionally talented staff.
Solution
Flash MX2004
Benefits
* Integration of multimedia elements - video, text, and interactivity
* Data integration in the form of an editable XML file
* Customized functionality through external actionscript
Project Details
3Plains Corporation creates finely-detailed volumetric models for the aviation, defense, and emergency services industries. What it required an interactive vehicle to demonstrate its products in an engaging, customized e-learning environment.
Xyris rapid-prototyped their customized e-learning solution in three weeks, based upon its previous experience with our creation of 3Plain's hardware simulation. The XML schema we'd created for that project proved robust and useful for articulating the text and imagery.
In particular, Xyris built in an option to have custom commands specified in XML by ID number, which then triggered functions placed in an external actionscript file. In this way, non-uniform circumstances in the interactivity could be supported without changing the interface swf.
The text is built around a main interactivity window, which showcases 3Plains superb ability to produce lifelike animation. This is an important concept for it provides technicians who will be on the tarmac with a less abstract and more meaningful memory experience of the hardware components they will work with.
European Environmental Agency - Science is Accessible
Challenge
The European Environmental Agency (EEA) sought input on its current interactive designs and user process. The EEA has distinctive challenges conveying its ozone mapping results from across the European Union to a general audience.
The EEA carried out user testing, compiling this feedback into a document of interactive recommendations.
Xyris' job was to study this material and the current UI designs to recommend improvements to their current interactive flow.
Solution
Data visualization and user flow
Benefits
* Accessible comparison of weekly, yearly data or data from other locations
* Improved user flow from map view to detail (data) view
* Improved use of limited and information-rich screen space
Project Details
The EEA Ozone project is committed to making its science information useful to the average person. To this end they created a set of very clever mapping tools in Flash, and a website dedicated to daily ozone level information across the EU.
Contacting Xyris, they expressed a wish to improve the detailed views of their map, and add functionality to one of their Flash components.
Xyris took on the job, and researched ways to portray their spreadsheet measurements in engaging ways. The field of data visualization offers excellent solutions to this distinctive problems.
Iterating design examples, Xyris condensed a multi-dimensional spreadsheet into an elegant repeatable vertical rectangular image, supporting comparisons to other ozone sample locations. This solution also allowed for instant 'at-a-glance' visual comparisons to 35 locations at once, and can be animated to view changes over time. This graphic solution requires minimal education or explanation to understand.
Xyris also designed solutions with alternate forms of data visualization, allowing new users to compare locations and also weather conditions at the time of sample-taking.
We provided alternative data visualizations including sparklines, pixel maps, and small multiples of graphic clues.
The clients were very happy with these results, and amazed that Xyris could deliver these results from an ocean and continent away.