So this morning, after trawling Google Image search for a cool, minimalist wallpaper to use on my iPad and iPhone, I just decided to create one myself. Well, more like use elements I found across the web to create my own wallpapers. I wanted to go for an aesthetic reminiscent of the cinematic version of Catching Fire, with a carbon-fibre backing to the ubiquitous Mockingjay symbol.
(Disclaimer: these are in no way related to Lionsgate or the Hunger Games franchise; they’re merely my tribute – see what I did there? 😛 – to what I think is a great series).
Osaka’s “Welcome Screen” which displays the various things you can do with the software.
Osaka is a new software system I designed and coded in December 2013/January 2014 to significantly overhaul the SKKSA admin system and update the existing software architecture (which had been conceived as a modular design in June 2012, and had been in use ever since).
It replaces an app called “Nexus” which had been showing its age, and which desperately required an integrated philosophy to ensure scalability and enable a critical new feature – the Student Profile.
The Technologies
Three major technologies were used to create Osaka:
Visual C# (programming language/environment)
Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition
MySQL Workbench (to design the database architecture)
C# is a language I’ve been using for some time now. I’m comfortable with it, hence I chose it as the best and most efficient way of undertaking this considerably complex project. Say what you want about Microsoft, but their developer tools are great. Visual Studio was an excellent IDE to design Osaka’s UI, and execute the entire project – from bringing the interface to life with UX code, to linking the screens to the database backend.
The Project
Osaka was a big step up in SKKSA’s digital systems. When we introduced SKKSA ID with the Nexus app back in 2012, we were one of the few karate organizations in South Africa to have a digital student database. Barcoded student numbers could be used to scan-in to sessions and validate registration for a seminar. But it was still very limited in its capabilities. My ultimate goal was to have a holistic solution that captured a student’s entire karate record in a single place.
Thus arose the idea of the Student Profile. A single screen could display the selected student’s records for their tournaments, gradings, Saturday senior training attendance, seminars and affiliations. This would go along with their contact info, and data central to their karate life – i.e. their dojo affiliation, current grade and SKKSA ID (their student number).
Design began with the welcome screen. I mocked-up a basic UI, and then decided what elements were critical to Osaka’s initial release. However, due to logistical reasons – me being in Cape Town and the software being in use in Durban – the development process required me to design the initial release with as many critical features as possible to avoid potential usage problems down the line.
At its heart, Osaka is really a dataset with various tables linked to each other. Each table holds data specific to a part of the student’s profile – there’s a table for their gradings, their affiliations, their tournaments etc. This all ties into the “primary” table, the “Students” table. Then there’s various other tables that hold data about seminars – seminar names, locations, dates; Saturday training – dates etc. It was complex to think about, and so I resorted to designing the dataset using, first, pen and paper (very tech-savvy, I know :P), and then migrating those initial sketches to MySQL Workbench, where I mocked-up the dataset’s tables and relations. This allowed me to see what the overall database would look like.
Designing the UI
From there, things started to get very messy. Moving over to Visual Studio, and armed with the database design, I began building the user interfaces. I chose to go with as simple a UI as possible given the time constrains. Designing for simplicity is actually really complex. I believe that the more pedantic you are about designing things and the more work you put in, the simpler the overall result will be. So with Osaka, I wrote many lines of code for the most mundane things, like automatically moving the cursor to the next textbox once a student’s ID number is captured, and using their ID number to automatically write their date of birth. In the end, these little things save a lot of time when it comes to capturing registration forms.
I attempted to tie SKKSA’s new brand image into the software. The organization’s primary colours – deep red, gold, silver, white, grey – were the basis for the colour palette. I ended up using a third-party designed icon set to minimize design time.
In future updates, I hope to focus more on making the UI design even simpler. The Profiles screen is my next focus, and I want to change the cluttered look into something cleaner, readable and information-rich without any complexity. This is what the Profiles screen looks like with Osaka 3.0.2: (certain info blurred for obvious reasons…)
Osaka’s Profiles screen
The most critical feature, though, was the TrainingBook module. This system replaces the traditional pen-and-paper register. Now, students just scan their cards, and their name is automatically added to the day’s register and to their profiles. TrainingBook was perhaps the main reason for designing Osaka. It’s where a lot of the development focus rested, and its UI inspired other aspects of the software, including the new Seminar module which functions almost exactly like TrainingBook, but for training courses instead.
TrainingBook ready to scan student cards.
Registers can be printed on a daily basis.
With an all-digital register, lots of interesting data can be extracted. While Osaka alone can’t manipulate data and provide in-depth analysis, by exporting the lists to Excel as CSV files, reports can be compiled for the instructors so they can chart their students’ progress.
Next Steps…
Osaka, like any software project, is not complete. Nor do I think it ever will be. But in its current state, it’s already significantly more powerful and feature-rich than anything we’ve had before. I’m really interested to see how it will be used; from that, I can begin mapping out the software’s future and next feature set.
And then there’s the next project I’m contemplating: an online web portal for instructors first, and then students. While Osaka is not in any way connected to an online web service, this website would take periodically exported data from Osaka and make it available as a personalized online profile page for each student. I’m still in the earliest stages of planning that project, but I know it will be based in PHP, use MySQL as a backend, HTML5 and the Twitter Bootstrapper for front-end design and UX, and in its first iteration will be exclusive to the instructors. It’s an exciting project – my first “Web 2.0” (if they still call it that) project.
Student Card Design
Along with the new software, I designed a new student card that again tie this new design aesthetic of SKKSA with their new digital systems. Here’s a collage of the initial designs:
Six designs were tested for the new student cards.
The challenge with designing the new student card was that it needed to succinctly convey SKKSA’s identity, whilst also remaining functional and eye-catching. A bold design would mean that the SKKSA ID brand image was powerful, and a noticeable object that would distinguish it from other documentation a student might carry to training or tournaments. In the end, a design similar to the fourth card above was chosen. And instead of grey (which I initially chose to be subtle and “professional-looking”), I went with a deep red and radial gradient that framed the famed tiger graphic. It’s simple, bold and carries the new SKKSA aesthetic.
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” – Rudyard Kipling.
Took this macro (of sorts) photo last night while inking some thoughts on cities and design and the opinions of opinionated human beings. I’m on Instagram, by the way: http://www.instagram.com/RahulDowlath
It’s a new year, and a new set of exciting films are waiting in the wings. Keeping in tradition, here’s my pick of films to watch in 2014.
This year is going to be an epic one for cinema, from sequels to franchise reboots, to the return of some old favourites (I’m looking at you, The Hobbit: There and Back Again and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1). Release dates provided are international ones, but since Ster-Kinekor has upgraded to a full digital cinema system, they’ve said that we in South Africa should be getting these releases parallel to international dates. Let’s hope that remains true!
Without further ado, I give you 2014 in Film:
Films marked with an asterisk (*) are my must-see most anticipated picks.
I, Frankenstein [24 January] – a retake on the chilling horror story, starring Aaron Eckart and Bill Nighy.
The Lego Movie [7 February] – Lego Batman on an adventure. ’nuff said.
300: Rise of an Empire [7 March] – Zack Snyder produces this follow-up that takes place before, during and after the events of 300.
* Noah [28 March] – Darren Aronofsky, he of the famed psychologically-driven character films, directs this Biblical interpretation starring a star-filled cast including Russel Crowe and Emma Watson.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier [4 April] – Steve Rogers and the Black Widow team up to take on a mystery that may endanger the entire world. Set two years after The Avengers, the duo soon encounter a powerful adversary – the Winter Soldier.
* Transcendence [18 April] – Wally Pfister, longtime cinematographer for Christopher Nolan, makes his directorial debut in this sci-fi thriller starring Johnny Depp, and Morgan Freeman. The story is very compelling: Dr Will Caster strives to create a machine that possesses sentience and collective intelligence. Like any good sci-fi film that doubles as a “thinking man’s action movie” (á la The Matrix), many philosophical implications and questions shall inevitably be brought up when discussing this film. One of my highly anticipated picks for the year.
Amazing Spider-Man 2 [2 May] – Eduardo Saverin – I mean, Andrew Garfield – is back as Spidey, shootin’ webs and takin’ names. The trailer hints at the possibility of a Marvel villain team-up movie following this. Looks really good too.
Godzilla [16 May] – the kaiju to end all kaijus is back in all its 21st Century CGI 3D glory. It stars Bryan Cranston and Ken Watanabe.
* X-Men: Days of Future Past [23 May] – The first trailer looks insanely epic. A time-travel story arc that brings the characters of the original and new X-Men movies together for the first time, this one stars Jennifer Lawrence, The Wolverine (aka Hugh Jackman), Michael Fassbender, Ellen Page, Sir Ian McKellen and most of Hollywood’s other A-listers.
22 Jump Street [13 June] – Jencko and Schmidt are back, this time going undercover in college. I loved the first movie, and this one promises to continue that fun. Plus, you can’t go wrong with Jonah Hill in comedy.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes [11 July] – the apes are rising against man. Will be interesting to see how they play the sympathies here. Enjoyed the first one, and looking forward to more. Starring motion capture expert Andy Serkis (aka Gollum) and Gary Oldman.
* Jupiter Ascending [18 July] – Mila Kunis stars in this sci-fi film by the inimitable Wachowskis (of Matrix and V for Vendetta fame). Jupiter is an unlikely hero who must fight against the Queen of the Universe to claim her birthright as the universe’s next leader. Also, did I mention Mila Kunis is in this? 😛
Guardians of the Galaxy [1 August] – Marvel’s Phase Two is wrapping up, and GOTG starts taking us intergalactic. With characters like Rocket Racoon (played by Bradley Cooper of all people), you know this is going to be a riot – of laughs, action, and more CGI than your brain can even comprehend. Sounds fun.
* Sin City: A Dame to Kill For [22 August] – Frank Millar and Robert Rodriguez direct this much-anticipated sequel. It packs an ensemble cast including Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Eva Green and Joseph Gorden-Levitt.
Jane Got a Gun [29 August] – Natalie Portman is Jane, a good girl married to one of the worst baddies in town. She decides to take matters into her own hands when her husband returns home with eight bullets in his back. A classic western movie starring Natalie Portman – what more is there to say?
* Interstellar [7 November] – Christopher. Freaking. Nolan. One of my favourite directors returns. This time, it’s a haunting sci-fi tale: a wormhole is discovered that can connect widely separate regions of spacetime… and a team of explorers embarks on the greatest voyage of mankind. According to The Hollywood Reporter: “The plot is beleived to involve time travel and alternate dimensions.” The teaser trailer is chilling, and builds intense expectations for a Nolan movie. He’s teaming up with his brother Jonathan Nolan on this – much like when they worked on Memento together. It has the complete Chris Nolan package: Hans Zimmer music, brilliant actors like Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Matthew McConaughey. And of course, it includes a dash of Michael Caine to round it all out. This one’s going to be epic indeed – it’s being filmed with a combination of anamorphic 35mm film and IMAX photography.
* The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 [21 November] – It started with a spark in Catching Fire, and now the rebellion is searing into a blaze with Mockingkay Part 1. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen as she prepares to take on the Capitol – but not before discovering some harrowing secrets buried (Hunger Games fans – excuse the expression :P). If it’s anything like Catching Fire, I’m certain this one’s going to be another blockbuster. Julianne Moore also enters the franchise as Coin with this, so they’re certainly taking things up a notch.
* The Hobbit: There and Back Again [17 December] – Bilbo and the band of dwarves finally made it to the Lonely Mountain in Desolation of Smaug. But that film had one of the best cliffhangers I’ve ever seen, and it only builds up the expectations and anticipation for this final instalment in Peter Jackson’s prequel trilogy (yes, there, I said it like it is). This one will definitely include the Battle of the Five Armies – and the tragic consequences of it. We’ll get to see more of the glorious Smaug. And it’ll be interesting to see where they go with the Tauriel-Kili-Legolas triangle (Tauriel was a new character introduced by the filmmakers, played by the brilliant Evangeline Lily). It’ll certainly take on a darker theme as we slowly transition into Lord of the Rings territory. What I’m most looking forward to in this one: Gollum! Missed that guy in the second film. Let’s hope he returns. PJ has proven himself to be capable of interpreting the mighty Tolkien’s work, so let’s hope he manages to stand on his own with this third movie that will indeed have to draw on additional materials, given that the story arc of The Hobbit begins to dwindle now that we’re onto film three.
So there you have it: the movies I’m looking forward to watching this year. Be sure to visit Pixelated Thinking to read my reviews and thoughts on some of them. Follow me on Twitter to get the latest, too: twitter.com/RahulDowlath
A new year brings with it so many possibilities. The idea of a blank slate offers the notion that things start afresh, that there’s the possibility of setting a framework to live by that will add richness to your life. Whilst resolutions have become quite a contentious issue in recent times, I think it’s still nice to have a set of endeavors, a list of sorts that one should aim to live by over the next 365 days.
Here’s some things to strive by, things that I hope to live by in 2014:
Read more
Write more
Be curious; learn more
Accept change
Be like water – in fact, give this article from Brain Pickings (one of my favourite blogs) about Bruce Lee, Artist of Life, and his philosophy of being like water, a read. It’s both inspiring and intriguing.
I wish you well for the new year; here’s to more words, ideas and adventures.
Rahul Dowlath 