Mind map and Essay structures

Mindmap

Essay structures

For the future blog i will base on this essay structures to find more book and theory to support my essay due to my research previously are mainly base on article and journal. And I will use the theory to support my essay topic.

Mobile app design considerations

While searching for more research about app design consideration and interface design information , i find an interview about app consideration and suggestion from some professional in the industry.

Mike Gualtieri  explain that the importance of User Interface and the touch and gesture capabilities. These provide new ways of interacting with the app. Before designing the app, Mike advice that a great apps the designer need to understand your users better than they understand themselves. Mike also advise research before starting app is very important. Designer imagining what a user would find useful, usable, and desirable in the context of the app.

For mobile apps in particular, designers should consider the five dimensions of mobile design context: location, locomotion, immediacy, intimacy, and device.

J.D.Biersdorfer also give his opinion of what he think is important for app design. 

"I think the apps that work best are the ones where the user interface has been specifically designed for the phone screen and not apps that take the desktop approach (with lots of icons and menus) and try to cram too much into the space. A good app is also a stable app—well-tested and relatively crash-free."

J.D.Biersdorfer go straight which i totally agree and we find this in all the successful app for example like Instagram. The apps are focus on images and filter. There are not much of icon or design to confuse the user, and the simplicity keep the app relatively crash free. 

Best user interface need to include these specific element:

• Minimal features set optimized for compact screen size for common use cases.
• Nice font and readable font size is important for user to view.
• Features must be progressively displayed so user can view one screen at a time.
• Noticeable buttons are used to make interactions actionable.
• Interactions of the app should be conventional and consistent
• The interface design need to be simple and understandable so that the user needs little instruction.
• Information placement and arrangement need to be careful while design, don't allow too much font in one pages. Is very hard to get information from a small screen with so many fonts.

Webdesigner Depot. 2011. Mobile app design considerations for web designers. [online] Available at: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2011/09/mobile-app-design-considerations-for-web-designers/ [Accessed: 4 Aug 2013]

I found this that tell about waht are the consideration while designing an application so that i compare with instagram app design.

Mobile design consideration

Design an application is not that simple. During my research on how to create an application I found out that there are few consideration need to concern.

From
Microsoft Application Architecture Guide, 2nd Edition
a book created by Microsoft Patterns & Practices Team

In Chapter 24 is a chapter about Designing Mobile Applications

Is this chapter it show some of the consideration when create an application. After reading this chapter there are 5 points of consideration that a app designer need to focus when they are designing an application.

1. Decide what kind of application that you will build. In the book it noted that it may desing for a thin Web client or rich Internet application (RIA). Depend on what  kind of situation,
   "If your application requires local processing and must work in an occasionally connected scenario, consider designing a rich client. A rich client application will be more complex to install and maintain. If your application can depend on server processing and will always be fully connected, consider designing a thin client. If your application requires a rich UI, only limited access to local resources, and must be portable to other platforms, design an RIA client''(Microsoft Application Architecture Guide, 2nd Edition}
2. Make a decision on the types of devices you will support. When choosing a platform, designer need to understand all the features of the platform, example like. screen size resolution, performance, memory, battery life , GPS system , camera and so on.
3. Consider occasionally connected and limited -bandwidth scenarios when appropriate. (This is a very important for app designer) base on my personal experience sometimes when there are no network access user can't even launch the app which give user a bad user experience.
   "It is vital in this case to design your caching, state management, and data access mechanisms with intermittent network connectivity in mind; batch communications for delivery when connectivity is available. Choose hardware and software protocols based on speed, power consumption, and granularity, and not just on ease of programming."
4. When designing a UI for mobile devices, mobile devices require a simpler architecture, simpler UI in order to work within the constraints imposed by the devices hardware. Make sure the design and icon are simpler and easy to recognize.These are some of the main constraints need to beware in mind when designing, memory, battery life, ability to adapt to different screen sizes and orientations, security, and network bandwidth.
5. Design a layered architecture appropriate for mobile devices that improves reuse and maintainability. Use the concept of layers to maximize separation of concerns, and to improve reuse and maintainability for your mobile application. However, aim to achieve the smallest footprint on the device by simplifying your design compared to a desktop or Web application. Designer need to beware on designing a mobile devices that can be update after getting some feedback. Although every app will go through alpha and beta test but the will always be some bugs that can't be recognize after the app had been launch.

Extra Info 

Aerion Technologies Blog - March 15, 2013

Key Considerations when Developing a Mobile App

I found some similar key point consideration while create an application form this Aerion Technologies website. In this website it point out some of the key consideration while design an app. 

1) App Features:

Understand what application that a designer are designing and what problem that the app is trying to solve. From the problem solving designer will base on it to come out a series of features to solve that problem. Besides that, keep the app simple and suitable to solve the problem and hit your goals. Main features need to fix as early as possible and should stay on track throughout the project. New features can be added with subsequent upgrades.

2)Target Market:

Try to find who is your target audience. Base on their need and problem, a designer can design a problem solving application. Another important consideration when addressing your target market, is the design and UI (User Interface)

3)App Design:

The design of the app is the first expression that user will get, the most eye-catching design that will attract their attention.

Design rules of thumb:

Follow the Design Guidelines for iOS and Android for more UI and design info. Create a strong app icon. The icon can attract attention and portray the app’s purpose/use. 

Keep the design nice and simple. Don't confuse user by adding unnecessary element. The design needs to make functional sense.

Text, symbols and photographs must be clear and easy to view. There isn’t a lot of mobile screen space, so take full advantage of what is there. Interface design within an app is the best way to build a relationship with your audience. 

References

Aerion Technologies. 2013. Key Considerations when Developing a Mobile App - Aerion Technologies. [online] Available at: http://www.aerion.com.au/2013/key-considerations-when-developing-a-mobile-app/ [Accessed: 3 Aug 2013].
This website show the consideration of creating an application which i use to compare with Instagram  

Unknown. 2009. Larger Cover Microsoft® Application Architecture Guide, 2nd Edition. [e-book] Microsoft Press. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee658108.aspx [Accessed: 3rd August 2013].
I find this Pdf file of a book that created by Microsoft that teach people what are the thing that app designer need to put in mind while design an application.

Case Study: Way to Success from analysis instagram.

By understand how Kevin Systrom create Instagram and how instagram UI and UX is design, I found an case study article from a Former ReadWriteWeb Reporter, Alicia Eler. In that article it showed there are 8 points that instagram did right when create a business or an apps design.

Let link it together with the analysis i did previous and see the connection.

1. Instagram Operated as a Nimble Start-up
2. Instagram Cashed in on the Mobile Explosion
3. Instagram's Interface Stayed Junk-Free
4. Instagram Didn't Get Creepy
5. Instagram Married Visceral, Visual Communication & Community
6. Instagram Created a Valuable New Data Set
7. Instagram Didn't Worry About Making Money
8. Instagram Embodied a Cultural Shift Toward Photo Inboxes

1. Instagram Operated as a Nimble Start-up
 As we notice, Instagram is app create by a team of 13 people in San Francisco. Although during the stage of "Burbn" they use 8 month on private beta stage which is something that Mr.Systrom think that can improve, but Alicia say that it stay enough nimble to switch gears from burbn to an Iphone apps focused on photo sharing. And instead of enlarging their company force, they focus on growing the platform , and the development of the app.

2. Instagram Cashed in on the Mobile Explosion
During that time that instagram was launch in iphone is the time that camera apps and smartphone are so famous and with the perfect time and problem solving application design. Instagram was launch on Iphone as iOS app, and it successfully targeted the iphone-app user and become a hit around iphone user. From the timing and target audience is also one key that make Instagram success.

3. Instagram's Interface Stayed Junk-Free
Instagram interface designs are so user friendly and the features that included in the apps are so useful.
With the simplicity of the interface, user can easily hook up with it. The design are very clean, the icon design easily well place and easily recognize. Which make the user can concentrate on the images with the beautiful filter.

4. Instagram Didn't Get Creepy
Instead of saying instagram didn't get creepy, i think we should say that although Instagram is design as a photo sharing app. But it didn't limit user to only post,share or like the image. As the blog i post about How Kevin Systrom created Instagram , he say that instagram is like an open space, it is available to use as you wish.

5. Instagram Married Visceral, Visual Communication & Community
As Kevin Systrom had said focus on problem solving when he created the apps so user can use the apps efficiently. They focus on  capturing and sharing beautiful images. Kevin Systrom said that a simple images can tell an amazing story. And with this app, people have  an easy way to connect around images. By using instagram, it make the user easier to share their photo.

6. Instagram Created a Valuable New Data Set
As we all know the biggest Image data storage is from Facebook. But Instagram also has their own image storage database. When an Instagram user capture a picture, the app record a rich set of data that can be associated with a smartphone's sensors.  And with the hashtag that user apply will help categories the images into a group.


7. Instagram Didn't Worry About Making Money

Instagram only focused on building its community, user base and functionality rather than worrying about how the platform was going to make money. By not chasing the dollar on focus on the platform, it was able to focus on making the app better.
After Instagram was bought over by facebook, figuring out revenue streams is now something that Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and her team will have to worry about.

8. Instagram Embodied a Cultural Shift Toward Photo Inboxes
With the easy access to internet of smartphones and fast connection to share images this is a thing that make Instagram achieve to embodied a cultural shift toward photo inboxes. As the future of photo-only inboxes approaches, more people use photo-sharing apps to connect with their friends, the need for more visual communication will only intensify. The idea that social interactions will increasingly become visual and mobile is attracting widespread interest.


References
Eler, A. 2012. 8 Things Instagram Did Right. [online] Available at: http://readwrite.com/2012/04/11/8-things-instagram-did-right#awesm=~odnEYC63h49I37 [Accessed: 3 Aug 2013].
This online article that written by Eler to show and the analysis of the 8 things that Instagram did right .

Understand how to create app.

From the blog post that i post about how Kevin Systrom and their team succeed on creating instagram, he say that before start to create an app they focus on what problem they are trying to solve and for Instagram there are three problem they set to solve.

Beside that, there are a lot of consideration that we need to learn from instagram to create out a successful application. From i let from my class, we learn that User experience and User Interface is very important when doing interactive design such as website, application and even interactive installation. So for this blog i will try to analyse on the interface and the user experience of Instagram.

User Interface(UI) is a set of commands or menus through which user communicate with a program.User Experience(UX) encompasses all aspects of the end-user's interaction with the company, its services, and its products.

1. Friendly
2. Where is the location of the button
3. How to interact with it
4. what are the feedback after interaction
5. feature
6. stability
7. what people feel when using this application  

This are some of the consideration well we are designing an app interface. For Instagram, it use a very simple interface as their app interface design. By placing the button and bottom area so is easier for user to switch from pages to pages. To view the images, user just need to swipe to scroll up and down. To like a image user can choose to press on "heart' shape button or double tap on the image itself. And the comment is locate under the images.
When a user want to search for image or other instagram user. User just need to select the second page to key in at the search engine on the top of the screen to key in the name and search for the image or user.
When taking photo user just need to press the middle button which have a camera icon button to trigger the camera. After that just swipe the screen to scroll and select the filter that user need to use. After that user can choose whether they want to connect to their other social network to share their images.

Basically this is how it work. Very simple and direct. For my understand, the reasons why the interface is simple is because they are trying let the user focus on the images more. If the button is too fancy and complicated it will make the user out on focus and this will make UX no really relevant.

Although smartphones are very common to us, but the interface of an app still an issue for the app designer while they are design an app. Sometime the designer will go to over on the interface design and lose their focus on the problem solving and the user experience which will cause their application to a failure. Make sure button and font are easy to recognize; don't over due on the Graphic, keep it simple.

Besides that, stability and features are also some of the thing the app designer need to be more concern.
Even if an app has a good interface, you don't want it crashing every few seconds. Do some alpha and beta before release it. Test in different system to check is there any other bugs.
Features in the app is also one of the point that attract user. Don't combine everything, just focus something that had connection with the app and it is necessary to put it into the apps. Focus on what is the problem that you are trying to solve like what Kevin Systrom adviced.

How Kevin Systrom created Instagram

This blogpost i am going to analyzed how instagram became so successful.

After the meeting with lecturer this wednesday, he guide me to write my essay topic that link to our subject Multimedia design. And analyse how instagram became a success. And the way of success will give a some impact to the app designer on what to consider when designing a popular apps.

So i started to find some research on the research statement of instagram and some case study of instagram from the internet.

i found this video when i doing the research on how instagram success.

In this video,Kevin Rose ask Kevin Systrom the creator of Instagram how he created Instagram. 

From this video i understand by creating an successful, we need know clearly what is our objective. and what is this app trying to solve.

For Kevin Systrom he say that Instagram focused on one “must have” use case:

Sharing beautiful photos with your friends and family. You can see this line in the instagram official website. 

In the front part of the video, how Kevin Systrom talk about how he become a computer science engineer.

Instagram was initially “Burbn”, a check-in app where you could also add photos.Kevin Systrom was able to get the fund to create "burbn" and he find Mike to create it out.  They launched after 8 months of private beta, and saw little engagement from customers – apart from photo sharing, which was used actively. 

"Burbn" is not really an app. It is using HTML5, so people can use phone to open browser and login into website and it will pop out like a apps.

In the video, Kevin Systrom was in a trip and saw someone are using a photo app with filters and wondered why none of these apps had social functionality. And he realise that most of these apps make photo ugly. From that he and Mike Krieger starting to built a simple social photo app with just filter which is Instagram 

And during that interview, Kevin Systrom show that their focus is about photo.

First filter they created is xpro2.

From the use case they split out to the 3 problem they are trying to solve.

1. Making Photos Beautiful (based on their observation of filter apps)
2. Allowing You To Share Them on Multiple Networks (engineering for viral growth)
3. Making Uploads Go Really Quickly (making the user experience even better)

During Kevin study life he remember that the most famous photographic apps are mostly filter apps and this one the reason make him create this app.

They focus on the problem and try to create a solution that can use by everyone. Kevin Systrom also use his relationship with twitter co-founder and ask whether he want to use instagram and he get some help twitter co-founder.

In the end. Kevin Systrom they success to create this successful apps is although they are a small team of 10 people but they work hard on focus use case, and start up at a perfect timing .

He also noted that by creating instagram is like creating a database of useful (beautiful or entertainment and etc) images all around the world and show it on one platform. User have the freedom on how to use the app; it can use as an app to get information, to share image , to advertise and so on.

In the end of the interview, Kevin Systrom was asked to give advice on something he think he will fixed when he is able to go back on time, he advised that don't put your apps in the private beta too long, be confident and public it to get more feedback to improve on it.

And one thing that he think that they did great try focus on solving problem when creating an apps.


Extra information i get from the video is
Kevin Systrom studied in Stanford University
Had his 3 and half months internship with Odeo which created twitter. During the internship is when twitter are going to be launch. He also said that during the internship he get a lot of new experience that college didn't provide.
He also work in Google as the Associate Product Marketing Manager.
After he leaved Google, he starts up with Mike and create "Burbn" which became Instagram.

Reference

YouTube. 2012. Foundation 16 // Kevin Systrom. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nld8B9l1aRE#t=43m31 [Accessed: 2 Aug 2013].
This is a interview conduct by Kevin Rose with Kevin Systrom to discuss how Kevin Systrom success in creating instagram.

Case Study: 5 (Social media vs Professional in creative industry)

This article i found was posted by Olivier Laurent from British Journal of Photography. Basically this website share a lot of information about photography and lot of professional will share their experience and research on this website.

This journal that Olivier Laurent have do some research that are able to help on my research topic and this some of the point that are share in the article to support my argument. 

In the articles, Olivier used some quote from other professional to support that statement . Karim Ben Khelifa said that instagram  is a good tool to interact directly with the follower and is a social network that suitable for photojournalist rather than facebook. Karim also state everyone these days communicate with photographs.

Instagram was liberating for journalists and photographers, says Karim Ben Khelifa. "In most cases, we never really meet our audiences, and with Instagram you can interact directly with your followers. When you think about it, Instagram, more than Facebook, is the perfect tool for photojournalists. Everyone communicates with photographs today. Of course, when we post images on that platform, we're not necessarily telling a story like we usually do - with 15 images, for example. But there's a sort of romanticism, where we seek beautiful or incredible images."

This statement help me on supporting my argument on Instagram is social network app rather than just a photo editing and sharing application.

In the article Olivier also give some example of professional photographer using instagram to do some data collecting. Tomas Van Houtryve, a VII photographer, Instagram has allowed him to take pictures he'd stop taking altogether. Tomas Van Houtryve said that sometime he hesitate to take a photo due to the huge raw files but with instagram  he can just capture the moment he want. Although VII need some the perfectly images but something he still can use instagram or phone to capture photo as a visual notepad. When the idea take hold he will only go out with the more advanced camera.

But that is some other issue that were brought out by Olivier during his research. Facebook is using Instagram's data and content to generate revenues, which the photographers that using the apps lost their ownership and copyright of the images.

"with the fear of Facebook using Instagram's data and content to generate revenues, photographers have been rethinking their approach to the platform. Should they take the risk of losing ownership over some of their images in order to create a community of followers, or should they stop using the service altogether?"

"We've become complacent with the only commodity we have as photographers - our copyright - in our near unfettered embrace of sharing our content with for-profit companies such as Instagram," says John Stanmeyer, one of the original founders of the VII Photo agency. He also said that he want to owe  Facebook, twitter and Instagram and whatever other brilliant means of digital communication is invented to thrive and survive. He also respect that his friend and colleague is sharing their meaningful photo to the people out there with social network without caring the profit the can earn with it. 

Beside that some photographer use Instagram as a tool create awareness and gather followers.

It's for that potential that photographer Peter DiCampo and writer Austin Merrill moved Everyday Africa, a photography blog about everyday life across the African continent, from Tumblr to Instagram last October. "It has actually been the ideal platform for Everyday Africa, considering the project's goal is to remind a general public that Africa is more than just a place of extremes," As of 28 January, Everyday Africa had more than 17,000 Instagram followers and nine regular contributors, including photographers Shannon Jensen, Holly Pickett and Laura El-Tantawy, among others.

Ben Khelifa also agree that using instagram is a benefit to get resource to support their work. By sharing the photo and message by using social network can easily get more attention from viewer and in the future maybe will have some people that are interested to finance them.  He add "we see it, concretely, with Emphas.is," a crowd-funding platform he created with Tina Ahrens to help finance the work of documentary photographers and photojournalists." Photographers have to accept that while Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can help them gather a community of followers, these platforms are not interested in helping their users monetise their audiences.

(Emphas.is is an online platform where photojournalists can submit projects for crowdfunding by the public.)

Ben Khelifa says the debate isn't about what platform photographers should use. Instead, "the debate should be about click-through rates. If you have 100,000 followers with a CRT of 1%, it sounds small, but actually it means that 1000 people are ready to spend money on you. On Emphas.is, the average spent in 2012 was $113. So, with a click-through rate of 1%, that means you'd be getting more than $100,000 a year. This allows you to be independent."

But when comes to copyright issues, not everyone agree on the way forward."It is impossible for us, as professionals, to accept these terms," says photographer Ed Kashi. "First of all, it goes against everything we've worked so hard to protect for decades - that we own our work and can control it. But more than that, how can Instagram expect to monetise images of people who are recognisable without model releases? They aren't thinking clearly."

But Ben Khelifa argues that with the advanced technology everyone can easily print screen or download the images from the internet so, the question should be: can we fight these advances and the millions of people who are consuming images in that way? Or should we accept this new form of consumption and instead look at how we can bring them closer to us, how we can interact and benefit from them. 

Ben also said that if there are no audience, the images are pointless. So they should change a position to re-figure out the situation maybe in some point they can monetise them. 

For photographers, there are one way to secure their image copyright is too watermark the image before they share it online, making them unusable in advertising.

The app Marksta, which was developed by John D McHugh, himself a photojournalist, is to watermark the image after capture from digital devices before sharing on the photo sharing apps. 

John D McHugh also been testing other photo-sharing platforms such as EyeEm and Flickr beside instagram and he say that the feedback from EyeEm and Flickr cannot compare with the kind of number you get from instagram . He tells BJP. "Instagram has a massive community."

References

Bjp-online.com. 2012. The New Economics of Photojournalism: The rise of Instagram - British Journal of Photography. [online] Available at: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/report/2202300/the-new-economics-of-photojournalism-the-rise-of-instagram [Accessed: 2 Aug 2013].
This articles that post by Olivia had list down some of the famous photography though about the rise of instagram and how it affect their works.

Case study 4 : Instagram (part 2)

While doing some research for my essay, I found this interesting article which kind of related to my essay topic. In the article, the author share their experience and though about Instagram .

First article:
Instagram is debasing real photography by Kate Bevan (a freelance writer and broadcaster who specialises in technology and social media)


as the previous post that i had posted said that Instagram is app to

1. help promoting or advertising
2. small data size for fast sharing 
3. unique flitter to help edit the images

But  for Kate Bevan, she a has a different thought about Instagram, She say that Instagram/Hipstamatic/Snapseed filters are the antithesis of creativity, and make all pictures look the same.

In the article, she also noted that instagram is also tool that kill creativity. She explain that, not only Instagram but other apps like Hipstamatic/Snapseed etc filters are the antithesis of creativity. They make all pictures look the same. They require no thought or creative input: one click and you're done. 

I kind of agree of what Kate Bevan say if i stand on the position of a professional. If every professional used the same style is kind of a way of killing creativity. But from a normal people point of view, this statement are not that strong. Instagram photos can be a social media to communicate experiences with people. That is their use. And in some point, different people may have taken the same photos from different perspectives or apply different filters so is kind of original.

And from the article of "Is Instagram Killing Photography?" by Joel Bentley (a communications and project manager at Peer Giving)

He say that in some point that Kate Bevan is right. But he say noted that please do not blame the medium but the artist.

He argue that the problem with Instagram isn’t its limitations. He share some example in the article to prove his statement: 

"I have some incredibly talented photographer friends (check out @zachbulick, for example) who, while Instagram isn’t their sole outlet for creativity, enjoy working within the limitations that it imposes, and create unique, original photos that are, at their greatest, beautiful little nuggets of photos. Every medium in the world has its masters and its imitators. So don’t blame Instagram, blame ubiquity."

Instagram Invasion BY PROFESSOR JIM 

Professor Jim also did some responde on Kate Bevan's argument. He used an example from one of the book he has written.  He say that he have made a  similar argument in discussing the landscape photography if his parent's camera club years of the 70s and 80s. Pointing to the curious movement within digital photography programs towards adopting the colour grain and characteristics of particular slide films, and suggested that “Such visual enhancements offer a retro veneer that invokes a particular nostalgic mood, but they ignore the wider mode of how such technologies and the active pursuit of photography shaped the view.” (p. 286, Placing Memory and Remembering Place in Canada – sorry for the shameless book boosting!).

Professor Jim also noted that he didn't think that adding filter will affect the product outcome and he also say that is not a much to follow this kind of trends. He

 think that it’s more productive to ask why certain aesthetics find new traction in new technological form. 

In this article, he share the same argument that i posted in my previous which saying the new generation like to customize and personalize their photo and share it to tell that "i was here".

"Adding retro filters is about playing with the temporal dimensions of the photograph, juxtaposing the visual cues of previous eras with what we know is the current grounding of the 21st C digital object.  Whether or not this is a “reactionary” or “progressive” artistic endeavour is perhaps worth debating, but it is far from simply trying to make “bad” photographs look “good.”  Perhaps in an age that is arguably swamped with a surplus of images, such tweaking is an extension of our desire to customize, to personalize, to have our pictures say more than simply “I was here, then”."BY PROFESSOR JIM

References
the Guardian. 2012. Instagram is debasing real photography. [online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jul/19/instagram-debasing-real-photography [Accessed: 2 Aug 2013].
I use this site cause inside this website it show the impact of how instagram bring to photography.

Bentley, J. 2012. Is Instagram Killing Photography? - Peer Giving Ideas. [online] Available at: http://ideas.peergiving.com/resources/post352/ [Accessed: 2 Aug 2013].
Benley J give a opinion about is Intagram killing photography and this evaluate article had some same tough with mine so i used it for support.

ProfessorJim. 2012. retro | Lug the camera. [online] Available at: http://lugthecamera.wordpress.com/tag/retro/ [Accessed: 2 Aug 2013].
I found this article that post by professor Jim is very interest and inside one of his blog had written something that are relevant to this essay question.

Instagram

For this topic i had decided to focus my essay base on Instagram and what are the impact that instagram had given to professional in the creative industry.

But before i start doing my result on the impact i start on finding what is the background for instagram! the growing status of the user

As a instagrammer, i know the instagram is photo sharing social media which are similar to facebook and twitter but instagram is focusing on using a simple image to tell the story and share the images between friend and family.
And now instagram is available with 15 seconds video.

Instagram allow the user  to apply filter to their photo and or video. There are 19 filters available

1. Amaro
2. Mayfair
3. Rise
4. Valencia
5. Hudson
6. X-Pro II
7. Sierra
8. Willow
9. Lo-fi
10. Earlybird
11. Sutro
12. Toaster
13. Brannan
14. Inkwell
15. Walden
16. Hefe
17. Nashville
18. 1977
19. Kelvin

Instagram is develop by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger and it was released at year 2010 only for iphone user. By due to popularity and fund the get,  they decide to release another android version for all the android users in year 2012. Instagram was bought over by facebook for 1 billions in cash and stock in April 2012 and they close the deal at September 6, 2012. 

Instagram is a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends and family. Due to the small image size and the variable of filters, user can easily snap and photo and apply a filter and upload with the usage phone data plan to share it to their friend and family.

Due to this, Instagrammer have grown from 5 million users in 2010 to 30 million users in April 2012.. At Feb 2013 , instagram announced that there 100 million active users.

Instagram bring out a trends which it the Hashtag.  The "Weekend Hashtag Project" is a series featuring designated themes and hashtags chosen by Instagram's Community Team. Followers receive the weekend's project every Friday, and each project encourages participants to post creative photographs according to the designated theme each weekend.

Besides that user can use  hashtag to categories their images so when other user search on this similar hashtag they will be able to see the image you have share. Instagrammer also available to comment and like on other people images. And after instagram was officially under facebook it is able to tag your friend in the images or video.

Beside that you also can share your instagram photo to other social network for example like facebook or twitter and you can also locate where you took this image.

Follow is = to add friend in facebook. but follow no need to get approved from the friend. If you follow a person you are able to see the images that the person upload every time. But something some user will private their profile to limited the follower and secure their images. 

Due to the simple interface and interaction it help attract a lot user beside that a lot of celebrities, fashion branding or company use instagram as way platform to advertise and update their fans or their follower. 

Award

1. The runner-up for "Best Mobile App" at the 2010 TechCrunch Crunchies in January 2011
2. May 2011, Fast Company listed CEO Kevin Systrom at number 66 in the "The 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2011". 
3. June 2011, Inc. included co-founders Systrom and Krieger in its 2011 "30 Under 30" list. 
4. Instagram won "Best Locally Made App" in the SF Weekly Web Awards in September 2011. 
5. 7x7Magazine's September 2011 issue featured Systrom and Krieger on the cover of their “The Hot 20 2011” issue. 
6. December 2011, Apple Inc. named Instagram "App of the Year" for 2011.

References

 "Congratulations Crunchies Winners!". TechCrunch.AOL. January 25, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.

This is one of the website that show what award had Instagram won.

 "The 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2011".Fast Company. Mansueto Ventures. May 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.

This is one of the website that show what award had Instagram won.

Lagorio, Christine (June 27, 2011). "Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, Founders of Instagram". Inc. Mansueto Ventures. Retrieved October 4, 2011.

This is one of the website that show what award had Instagram won.

Swearingen, Jake (September 2, 2011). "SF Weekly Web Awards 2011: We Have Some Winners!". SF Weekly.Village Voice Media. Retrieved October 4, 2011.

This is one of the website that show what award had Instagram won.

"The Hot 20 2011". 7x7. September 23, 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2011.

This is one of the website that show what award had Instagram won.

 Tsukayama, Hayley (December 9, 2011). "Apple names Instagram top app of the year". The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company. Retrieved December 9, 2011.

This is one of the website that show what award had Instagram won.

Geekshut.com. 2013. Instagram hits 100M monthly active users - Geeks Hut. [online] Available at: http://www.geekshut.com/instagram-hits-100m-monthly-active-users/8930 [Accessed: 2 Aug 2013].
This website show the flow how instagram user grow.

REAL SYMBOLIC AND THE IMAGINARY

The Imaginary

For my understanding of imaginary, is something like a dream. For what Lacan explain the formation of the ego in the "mirror stage". Imaginary is that i imaging something that i aspect myself can achieve or some something i can do. The imaginary is mostly on the condition of "i think" after seeing something the havent been achieve or try before.

The Symbolic

Symbolic is like a icon of the imaginary or we can say like a description of the image of thing that are been imaging. "Lacan does not simply equate the symbolic with language, since the latter is involved also in the imaginary and the real. The symbolic dimension of language is that of the signifier, in which elements have no positive existence but are constituted by virtue of their mutual differences."

The Real
Real is something that wake you up from your imaginary . Which are totally opposite to the imaginary stage. "This order is not only opposed to the imaginary but is also located beyond the symbolic. "

Normally we can find this in our lifestyle. Let me link back to the my essay and say how it work.

For example you see a poster or and advertisement of burger from a fast food restaurant

We will start imagine:

Imaginary : The burger taste so good and after eat it should very full
Symbolic:  BIG MAC . 

Real : The burger look so small and taste normal only. The image of the photo are being photoshop.

Here another example, I think guys will normally agree about this:

Checking out on images of a lady:

Imaginary: The lady is so pretty.

Symbolic: the amount of like and comment of the picture. she like a model.

Real: The girl look normal. The image have been photoshop.

This also apply to instagram as well.

When a people say a square photo in a social network

Imaginary:vintage  photograph 

Symbolic: analog camera

Real: photo taken by instagram and apply filter on it.

The RSI will normal been found while we are reading a magazine about a product advertisement but after buying or trying it only found the Real about the product. Or even photography, people sometime will believe that buying a expensive DSLR can capture like that professional but after they buy they only notice beside the camera they need some knowledge and experience to capture the level of image.

Case Study 3 : INSTAGRAM

Instagram was published at October 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger for Mac user. But Instagram become a hit for every smart user and they decide to create another version for other smart phone brand as well.  And Instagram was such a hit, Facebook decided to buy it over with 1billion dollar.
I am an "Instagrammer" also although i am not active on posting photo but i find a lot inspiration from the post that some other artist post.


Pro impact for professional in Creative industry:Instagram is similar apps like photoshop which create to photo editing and sharing. This apps was created because they can do the same job as digital so they decided to challenge that assumption. They created Instagram to solve three simple problems

Instagram FAQ:

1. Mobile photos always come out looking mediocre. Our awesome looking filters transform your photos into professional-looking snapshots
2. Sharing on multiple platforms is a pain - we help you take a picture once, then share it (instantly) on multiple service.
3. Most uploading experiences are clumsy and take forever - we've optimized the experience to be fast and efficient.

(http://instagram.com/about/faq/)


Instagram: A Model in Mobile Product Design & Strateg By Alex MoazedInside this article, Alex said that Instagram has become a case study in mobile strategy success. Other companies are now looking to learn from Instagram’s smart growth decisions and well-timed executions. 

Alex also analysis  that why Instagram will become success is because of this three point:
1. It stayed focused.

2. It chose the right platform.

3. It focused on data, not monetization. 

(http://www.applicoinc.com/instagram-a-model-in-product-design-and-mobile-strategy/)

Due to the success of the application, i think a lot of professional in the creative industry espeicially programmer and app designer would like to achieve something that are similar or even better. Which make Instagram like a benchmark for them to achieve. 

Although people will think that Instagram is just a normal photo editing and sharing apps but i think it can be use on a lot of ways especially promoting! 

As an"instagrammer" i follow a lot of artist that share their design through instagram, sometime even myself will post some of my artwork to instagram. By using instagram we can easily share to ou social network and through our social network we are able to get some feedback from the viewer and is kind of like promoting our artworks as well.

And while i am doing my research i found this article about 21 Stunning Examples of Businesses Using Instagram  by Carolyn Edgecomb in Social Engagement on February 25, 2013 which kind prove what i say is true.In the article, it show the way how you can make the most out of your Instagram page.

1. Keep Your Content Fresh, Interactive, and Aligned with Brand Attributes

1. Get Your Customers Involved

1. Use Compelling Images to Drive Traffic

1. Curate Images to Tell a Story

If you are interested you can visited this link(http://www.impactbnd.com/21-stunning-examples-of-businesses-using-instagram/)

Cons:This apps it kind like help the designer or business to make another platform to share their artwork but kind give the advertisement industry some headache of coming out a new way to advertise product.

Because of the abilities of Instagram, a lot of people can easily snap and design out the photo they prefer themselves which make them no need to go get any help from the professional. They user will rather take the photo themselves with their high mega pixel smart phone and filter with Instagram rather than spending money on finding a professional. And they can share their photo to the social network right after the finish filter the photo. And this what everyone nowadays needed, "FAST".

From 21 Stunning Examples of Businesses Using Instagram article, we can see that a lot of business is start to do their own advertising with the use social network and Photo Sharing Application. As i said in the Digital Camera blog post. The photo that had shared is no longer concert about the quality, is about the content that are try to tell. If the viewer get the content they needed and the image are pretty and nice they are ok with it. This is kind of a bad impact for the photographer and advertising company.

 

Others:The design of the apps and how the photo is snap is also impact for the professional in the creative industry especially photograph. Instagram app i almost like a digitize Instant film camera with cool vintage filter for user to apply after snapping a photo. Which the photos are all in square layout. This question was bring out by lecturer while he explaining the topic and it kind grab my attention. 

Will square image layout become the next trend for photographer or photography mobile apps. As i notice from some of the social network interface there start to apply this layout to their photo thumbnail, which are all square. For example facebook, user need click in to view the full images.  And will this slowly affect on how the designer layout their design this something unknown. 

And because of the square layout of instagram, it give opportunity for other apps designer to come out some app to the user to crop and place their design before they upload into instagram.

References

Applico. 2012. Instagram: A Model in Mobile Product Design & Strategy - Applico. [online] Available at: http://www.applicoinc.com/instagram-a-model-in-product-design-and-mobile-strategy/ [Accessed: 3 Jul 2013].
i found this information while searching about instagram and this show the design of mobile product and the strategic of it .

IMPACT Branding & Design. 2013. 21 Stunning Examples of Businesses Using Instagram. [online] Available at: http://www.impactbnd.com/21-stunning-examples-of-businesses-using-instagram/ [Accessed: 3 Jul 2013].
This website show the successful Business that use Instagram as a tool to their marketing tool.

Instagram.com. 2013. FAQ • Instagram. [online] Available at: http://instagram.com/about/faq/ [Accessed: 3 Jul 2013].
From this website we can find what are normal question been ask by the user. And from the site i found some very useful information that relevant to this topic.

Salzburn Designs. 2012. Instagram Case Study - Salzburn Designs. [online] Available at: http://salzburndesigns.com/gaming/instagram-case-study/ [Accessed: 3 Jul 2013].
I found this useful case study about Instagram by Salzburn Design which help analysed what is Instagram about.

Case Study 2 : PHOTOSHOP

While doing the research about photoshop, when i type in photoshop in the google image this show at the first images.

As you can see photoshop are very strongly build as one the photo editing tool in every people mind.  Photoshop allow people to do a lot photo editing with it  cool functions.

As the essay question ask what is the impact that photoshop will bring to the professional in creative industry. I will that there are pro and cons. But one thing for sure photoshop is the one of the best tool that every creative professional nowadays will know how to function. And this tool also one of the tool that make everyone can become an amateur photographer or even designer.

Photoshop allows user to the most common thing which is digital manipulation of photos. this tool are used in almost all print, web and all the digital designer. Beside that magazines, tabloids, advertisement and even news channels have utilized Photoshop to make the celebrities or model to look younger, thinner, or even more beautiful. Beside use on touching up photo people it is also use object like food for advertising. The burger look nicer and bigger in the photo.

Photoshop also help professional creative earn  like just editing their photo. Some people will pay the professional to just edit or recover their photo. (based one self experience while working in a camera shop.) And the best thing about Photoshop is there are always CTRL+ Z for undo, for example like film photographer and manual graphic designer or painter, it is very hard for them to undo their mistake.

Photoshop is available for everyone, user just need to paid and download the application it can help save a lot of hard work with few simple click. This kind of make everyone a designer which is part of the objective of Adobe.

This is kind of big impact to all the Creative professional, if everyone can be designer that are not point of finding a professional which kind make the industry come out a lot amateur graphic designer and photographer.

With the help of the information in the net, younger generation can easily adapt all the skill. But is depend on the self learning part, if the user didn't updated their they will be take over by the next generation.

But when come to software, is still just a tool to help make the hard work easier, Experience and Knowledges is very important.  This is what separate between Professional and Amateur. Everyone can come out with crazy idea but only experience and knowledge that can help the people to make the idea  better and even more solid.

Photoshop also can be a software that influence other apps designer or programmer to come out some similar product like it. Since It has a very large target audience. Which kind of like an impact to the Creative industry since almost every design need to be edited.

Case study 1: DIGITAL CAMERA

Camera is always one of the popular tool for professional in the creative industry. To capture a photo to create advertisement photo, to capture studio photo or event photo or use it on research purpose to collect information.

When camera was still fulling manual, it is not that user friendly. Before taking a photo user need to understand where is light sources and where to focus to capture a photo. And to take a professional photo, the user also need to know the composition and the camera angle. After taking the photo user need to go into the dark room and do the post post production. There are no undo during this processes. So every steps also need some basic knowledge and planning to avoid mistake.

But as the technology getting better and better , digital camera is now available with different kind of features and price. Some of the camera even got the editing function as well. For example like the brand new series that CASIO produce, which is target the female buyers.  Example like TR 150, ZR1000 and the latest one the TR350. These are some of the popular camera that used by the female audience nowadays. Due the flexibility of the screen, the user can easily adjust the angle, after snap they can use the editing function in the camera to edit then they can use the latest features that available which is the wifi connection to upload their photo to their social network.

these images is from www.google.com

ZR1000, EX-TR150 and TR350(with wifi)

Although this features are programed to help to make the user's work easier but this cool features also give the professional in the creative industry life harder. Due to the friend usage of the digital camera everyone can be a photographer. Which mean digital camera give pro and cons to the professional. 

Pro: due to digitalize user can retake all the bad images. Infinity memory space. Software program to fix the error and reposition the image.

Cons: due to the easiness of the software and various type of camera, everyone can use it to snap photo.  Which lead to a lot of amateur photographer and video grapher in these days.

Reality Check: Professional Photography Is Going Away

"Photography is a numbers game, in that only a certain number of your shots will be professional quality. The more shots you take, the more professional quality shots you will get. This means that any moron with a good camera can shoot and shoot and shoot, and eventually get a prizewinner. He may receive an honorable mention in a photo contest, or sell a photo for use in a brochure, then thinks he has the right to call himself a “professional photographer.”

With the advent of computer technology, the days of processing our film and prints are gone. Most photographers show their work online and rarely make prints. Any who still do so are a true exception. A multitude of websites and programs have been created that allow you to post and share photos with anyone. And anyone can edit (or over-edit) their work, online or offline, using software. Why bother with expensive prints? "by  Talbert McMullin

Talbert McMullin say that this are causing the Professional Photographer is going away. Not photographer just the Professional Photographer.

Black Star Rising. 2013. Reality Check: Professional Photography Is Going Away | Black Star Rising. [online] Available at: http://rising.blackstar.com/reality-check-professional-photography-is-going-away.html [Accessed: 2 Jul 2013].

I used this article to check what are the photography people think about the photography industry and digital camera bring what impact to it.

I found this information while i search about how digital camera change the industry of photographer and this show up.

Five ways the digital camera changed us

By Tom de Castella

BBC News Magazine

First : "I was there"

due to digital  camera it change the people lifestyle. People will record down where they went and what they enjoy by snapping photo.

Second:" we are taking more photograph"

Due to technology and memory space that can be use. Nowadays people can snap up to 200 -300 images in an events.

Third:"People are better Photographer"
With the ability of shooting a lot of images in a go give higher rate to snap a better image. Comparing now and last time, when u need 5 images, by snapping 240 digital images the chance is always higher 24 film images.

Fourth:"Citizen journalist"

With power of digital camera, user can easily snap some incident that happen whenever and where ever they want.

Fifth:"We are all archivists"

All the images that the user snap and they upload to their social network had build up a huge image bank.

BBC News. 2012. Five ways the digital camera changed us. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16483509 [Accessed: 2 Jul 2013].

This article show five ways that digital camera changed us which have some connection to the essay topic.

Cell camera also bring some impact to Professional Creative these days. Now phone camera pixel are up to 14 mega pixels. And there are variable of photo edit apps available for the user to add filter, crop and touch up their photo and with the help of phone data plan the user can easily share the photo to their social network. 

Why will wireless camera phones revolutionize the photography industry

From this article "Why will wireless camera phones revolutionize the photography industry?"

in May 2003 by Evan Nisselson. He give a lot of example how cell camera affect the professional and the people.  

Evan Nisselson come out this article after he finish his book‘Love the Living of Life’. And say that when he is doing research for the book, he feel that bringing his cell camera is enough rather than bring the heaving SLR camera. And cell camera are always with the user no matter when they are cause their attached to the cell phone.

He did a short discussion with Bob Goldstein and he was talking the other day on the phone between about his research on how digital imaging is revolutionizing visual communications, and during their conversation Evan say that he use cell camera to capture down the research and point they make on the white board and another when he was on the road to work he say the several people that are doing the same that he did. Bob added some point, he said that cell camera all so command every one treat it like a normal camera. And the images that have taken, user will not think what it is take out of but what the content is about. If the content of the image is good nobody will have any problem with it.

In the article he also did a short discussion through instant messages Damon Kiesow who is a Sr. Photo Editor working the early morning News shift at America Online in Virginia. The topic is about how do you think cell cameras have and or will affect professional photographers. The result of the discussion is that cell camera got the ability of sharing and senting out other user in the shortest time. 

These point are similar to "Five ways the digital camera changed us by Tom de Castella". It show that the digital camera function are so easy. And the design of digital camera are compact user can bring  it anywhere anytime.

Digitaljournalist.org. 2003. Why Will Wireless Camera phones Revolutionize the Photography Industry by Evan Nisselson- The Digital Journalist. [online] Available at: http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0305/cameracorner.html [Accessed: 2 Jul 2013].

I use find some useful argument from some article that ague what phone camera and digital camera revolution impact to Photography industry.

Essay topic

I will be writing my essay base on Question no 6 which is

'Critically examine a popular usage of digital cameras, Photoshop, or INSTAGRAM , and it's impact on professionals in the creative industry.'

I found that this topic is interesting and more to my lifestyle and freelance work so i think it will be great to get more info about what are the pro and cons or cause and affect of the digital camera, Photoshop or Instagram will due to the the professional in the creative industry.

Key word for the essay research will be :

1. Digital camera
2. Photoshop
3. Instagram 
4. Impact on professional in the creative industry
5. popular usages

And from this keywords i will start my research and they way to tackle the essay topic.  Before that i need understand how digital , photoshop and instagram bring out the impacts. And what kind of impacts are there that can affect the professional in the creative industry ? good or bad? 

This are some of the guideline that help me while i am doing my research. 

We choose to go to the moon by John F. Kennedy

Me and my group mates (Leon, Evon and Shireen) had been given a great to analyzed and present during the class. And the topic that we need to prepare is "We choose to go to the moon by John F. Kennedy".

Based on our research on "who, when, where, what, how and why) we have create out presentation and analysis on the speech.

Who

• John Fitzgerald "Jack” Kennedy referred to by his initials JFK. (Born in May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), serving from 1961 until his death in 1963.
• 35th President of the United States In office from January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963

When and Where

• May 25, 1961(President Kennedy's historic speech before a joint session of Congress)
• 10 am, September 12, 1962 (Rice Stadium)
• Rice Stadium(Rice University)
• Houston, Texas , United State of America
• Capacity of 47,000 expandable to 70,000
• Estimated 40,000 people in the stadium said Rice Centennial Historian Melissa Kean.

Globally, the space race played out against the backdrop of the Cold War, and in the U.S. the space program shared headlines with the Vietnam War and the struggle for civil rights.

In Houston, NASA would pump more than $1 billion into the local economy in the 1960s and help the city blossom into the nation’s fourth-largest metropolis.

What

1. Society
2. Politics
3. Economy
4. Technology / Evolutions 
5. Exploration / Knowledge

How

• Formal
• Direct and understandable
• Inspiring quotes (William Bradford, George Mallory)
• Promising
• Confidence
• Facts
• Statistics
• Ambitious
• Smooth transition of phrase

Why

• To be the first in the space race
• To motivate
• Improve economy of the country
• Evolution of technologies
• Gain more knowledge
• Exploration of the outer space
• Freedom and peace

Why Motivating and Promising

• We can feel the focus of United States to become the leading space-faring nation by Kennedy speech.
• and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold.
• Kennedy's speech leaves us in no doubt that achieving this vision is good for everyone.
•  to solve them for the good of all men
• We can see the commitment done by United States to achieve the space leading vision.
• But it will be done. And it will be done before the end of this decade.

To be the first in the space race

He said that United States intended to take the lead in space exploration, both to ensure that the Soviet Union did not base strategic weapons in space:

• "and no nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space."
• "we mean to lead it. "
• "shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace."
• "shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding."
• "we intend to be first"
• "to become the world's leading space-faring nation."
• "we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead."
• "We have had our failures, but so have others, even if they do not admit them. And they may be less public."

John F. Kennedy Inspiring Quote

• "This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space."
• "If this capsule history of our progress teaches us anything, it is that man, in his quest for knowledge and progress, is determined and cannot be deterred."
• "We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people."
• "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win."

References

Er.jsc.nasa.gov (1962) JFK RICE MOON SPEECH. [online] Available at: http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm [Accessed: 4 Jun 2013].

Major, J. (2012) 50 Years Ago Today, We Chose to Go to the Moon. [online] Available at: http://www.universetoday.com/97329/50-years-ago-today-we-chose-to-go-to-the-moon/ [Accessed: 4 Jun 2013].

YouTube (2000) JFK - We choose to go to the Moon, full length. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouRbkBAOGEw [Accessed: 4 Jun 2013].

Wordle.net (2013) Wordle - Beautiful Word Clouds. [online] Available at: http://www.wordle.net [Accessed: 5 Jun 2013].