Diploma Proposal

Diploma Project Proposal 2011

SHILO SHIV SULEMAN

AVX-402

1.THE DESIGN BRIEF

To explore how New Technology can be used in an Interactive Narrative to bring out the Magic of a Fantasy story for Children.

To create a Contemporary Indian story that brings together Mythology, Environmental Issues and Technology in a creative and interactive way.

To employ and explore the potential of Touch Screen interfaces to create real and immersive fantasy experiences for Children and create one of India’s First iPad/tablet  narratives for children.

To take forward a project that began in Srishti to the market and see it developed and produced.

THE BACKGROUND

I’ve always been a bit of a technophobe, fearing that if I got sucked into a computer screen I would lose my relationship with the natural world. In 2009, in dialogue with Mukhtiar Ali the Sufi Singer, we discussed how nothing had changed since the Mahabharat, lofty chariots in the sky are not unlike our aeroplanes. We came to the conclusion however that Magic had been replaced by Machinery. 

I found this quite disturbing.

If anything, Machinery (and technology) should enable and actualize magic, not kill it. So I started working on Khoya, a series of interactive narratives for children in the Toy Lab. 

In it’s first avatar: Khoya became an Augmented Reality book for Children. It was amongst the first of it’s kind in the country and explored the boundaries of technology and tangibility.

In it’s second incarnation, I started to work on the second book of Khoya on the tablet platform. As my diploma project, I would like to get Khoya produced and out into the market.

THE NEED

• The iPad and Tablet market and technology is less than 2 years old and herald the beginning of a complete revolution in User Interfaces and the way we interact with technology. 

It also marks the beginning of a new and increasingly MULTISENSORIAL way of Storytelling. For the first time in the history of human storytelling TOUCH is an active component along with sound,movement, time, visual and text, in how narratives are experienced. However, very little work has been done in this space so far that really explores and actualizes the potential of a mobile touch screen interface. 

• On a more personal level, Khoya is my mind/heart child. Having now worked on it in Srishti twice already, it’s become a project that brings together all my learning in one place. It also challenges me to work with a technology that is absolutely new and something I would have never imagined myself doing when I joined Srishti. 

• Having worked with mythology on multiple occassions in Srishti, Khoya is a way of using all that I have learnt to create my own mythos that is both Indian and Original and New.  It doesn’t attempt to recycle old myths but create a universe of it’s own.

• Though the final product itself isn’t a tangible object and remains on screen, the interactions aim to make the child Aware of their natural surroundings, Act upon and understand environmental issues that threaten the earth as well as Inform the children of where the current developmental module is heading towards through Interactions that involve movement and getting out into natural spaces.

2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How can we design children’s multimedia that encourages children that retains the magic and potential to imagine of old-ways of storytelling but uses the strengths of a new medium?

2. How can we make children more sensitive and aware of the Earth and the current state of the Environment through an immersive technological and narrative experience?

1. How can one use the mobility of a tablet platform to get children away from screens and begin exploring the world?
2. What are the most crucial aspects of the design and creating a story? Interaction? Visual? Story? Sound? 
3. How can one raise funding as an artist to put a personal project into the market without losing rights to my work or the majority of the profits? 
4. Can one create original and new mythologically inspired material to create an Indian Story?
5. How can one really integrate touch as a propellor of the story and create a connection between the narrative and the child’s immersion and interaction?
6. Can I bring together my love for books, animation, storytelling, sound and magic all in one narrative? 

2. APPROACH/PROCESS

1. Research and Inspiration

Though a lot of the preliminary research was done for Khoya during the Toy Lab, I would get back into a short immersion into understanding the building blocks of  children’s fantasy and mythology as well as conversations with Children of a fantasy reading age and build the story.  Also consolidating this data in an interesting way.

1. Planning, Scripting and Storyboarding

While designing for any Interactive Narrative there are two layers of scripting and Storyboarding: The first is the script of the storyline itself. and then a storyboard/prototype of all the interactions and the permutations-combinations that they lead to.

This would also include working on budgets and sourcing skillsets. 

3.Character Design and Environment Design

This would include concept sketching, moodboards and creating final character sheets and environment sketches.

4.Production and Compositing

Getting into final production of illustrations and layouts as well as co-ordinating the writing, sound and development and animating all the scenes needed.

5.Prototyping Interactions

Creating a prototype that the developers could easily translate into code.

6.Development

On the completion of the prototype I would get into co-ordinating and working with coders to create a functional product that’s ready to launch by December 2011 if not before.

1. User Testing

Post production one would have to go through intense user testing and bug fixing in collaboration with the developers.

8.Documentation

With a project like Khoya which is full of rich content, I’d like to use my documentation book as a project of it’s own. The tangible guide to the universe within Khoya.

3. RESOURCES

In order to create and launch an iPad application into the Market I would have to create and organize a team to work together

The following skills would be needed for me to progress:

1. Writing skills

2.Funding

3. Publishing

4.Sound Design

1. Development

1. User Testing

7.Marketing

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Successfully working with  Technology despite my previously technophobic background
• Discovering fantasy in technology for myself and understanding it’s value
• Working on an end to end product that I own and manage.
• Understanding Interactive design and how to create interactions that last beyond a gimmick and actually contribute to the story as well as the larger ideal backing it.
• Discovering how to engage children with their natural environments using a mobile technology
• Pushing my artwork and illustration style to another level of finesse and depth
• The process of effective and beautiful documentation
• Working from a very Indian context to create something which is fresh and International.
• Working with Marketing, Budgeting, Management and other aspects of production that I have never gotten into. 

Thanking You

Shilo Shiv Suleman

AVX401