Week 14 – Analysis

“Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr and Lana Turner” by classic film scans is licensed under CC BY 2.0

“Analysis gave me great freedom of emotions and fantastic confidence. I felt I had served my time as a puppet.”

Hedy Lamarr

SUMMARY

  • I played Super Mario Galaxy and analyzed it

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • While playing, I learned of some new moves that I didn’t know of/forgot, such as the Crouch Spin.

Game Analysis: Super Mario Galaxy

Summary

  • I chose Super Mario Galaxy for my analysis. It is a 3D platformer focused on obstacle courses, collecting, and, of course, saving Princess Peach from Bowser. I chose it due to the fact that it has always been a special and nostalgic game in my heart. I personally believe it is the best of the Mario games.

Game Play Analysis

Formal Elements
The Basics
Name of the gameSuper Mario Galaxy
The platformOriginally on the Wii, but the version I played was on the Nintendo Switch
Time played (should be at least 30 minutes)2 hours
If you could work on this game (change it), what would you change and why?I would make the camera work similar to how it does in Super Mario Odyssey, where you can move it freely instead of stiffly in one direction.
PlayersNOTES
How many players are supported?1-2
Does it need to be an exact number?No
How does this affect play?The second player controls the cursor used to collect star bits, but doesn’t get to do much else

First player is unaffected
Some types of player frameworks:Single Player – like Solitare.Head-to-head – 1 vs. 1, Chess.PvE – Player vs. Environment, or multiple players vs. the game. Common in MMOs like World of Warcraft.One against Many – Single-player vs. multiple (obvy).Free-for-all – Every man for himself (1 vs. 1 vs. 1 vs. 1..). Most common for multiplayer games, from Monopoly to Modern Warfare.Individuals Against the System – Like Blackjack, where the Dealer is playing against multiple players, but those players have no effect on each other.Team Competition – Multiple vs. multiple, i.e. sports.Predator-prey – Players form a circle and everyone’s goal is to attack the player on their left and defend themselves from the player on their right.Five-pointed Star – Eliminate both players who are not on either side of you.
Objectives/GoalsNOTES
What are the players trying to do?Collection – Collect stars in order to power the Comet Observatory, thus allowing you to save Princess Peach
Some common objectives include:Capture/Destroy – Eliminate all your opponents pieces (Chess).Territorial Acquisition – Control as much territory as you can, not necessarily harming other players (RISK).Collection – Collect a certain number of objects throughout the game (Pokemon).Solve – Solve a puzzle or crime (Clue).Chase/race/escape – Anything where you are running towards or away from something (playground game Tag).Spatial Alignment – Anything involving the positioning of elements (Tetris or Tic-Tac-Toe or that game at Cracker Barrel).Build – Advance your characters or build your resources to a certain point (The Sims).Negation of another goal – The game ends if you perform an act that is forbidden by the rules (Jenga or Twister).
Rules/Mechanics
There are three categories of (what the book Rules of Play calls) operational rules:Setup – the things you do at the beginning of a game.Progression of Play – what happens during the game.Resolution – How an outcome is determined based on the game state.
ControlsNOTES
What controls are used?L Joystick – Move Mario

R Joystick – Change Camera View

A/B Button – Jump, Swim

X/Y Button – Spin

ZL – Crouch

ZR – Shoot Star Bit

L – Camera Reset

R – Reset Pointer

+ – Pause Menu

– Suspend Menu
Was there a clear introductory tutorial?Yes, then you find the other controls via billboards throughout the levels
Were they easy to understand or did you find yourself spamming the controller?They were very easy to understand, but I find myself mixing up some of them due to muscle memory with other games combined with getting used to the Switch controls since I was a little more used to the Wii ones
Resources & Resource ManagementNOTES
What kinds of resources do players control?Star Bits, Stars, Health, Lives, Coins
How are they maintained during play?Star Bits – Counter in the bottom center

Lives – Counter in the bottom left corner

Coins – Counter in the bottom right corner

Stars – Counter in the top left corner

Health – A circle in the top left corner, the highest without a Life Mushroom (not to be confused with a 1-Up Mushroom) is 3
What is their role?Star Bits – The currency of sorts of the game. Used to feed Lumas in exchange for power ups or even more Galaxies. Can also be used to stun enemies.

Lives – Keep you from getting a Game Over

Coins – If your health is lower than 3 (or if it’s at 4 or 5 if you have the Life Mushroom), coins will raise it back up

Stars – Used to progress the game, Grand Stars are collected after boss battles and progress you even further than normal ones

Health – Keeps you alive and from losing lives
A resource is everything under the control of a single player. Could be the money in Monopoly or health in WoW. Other examples are:Territory in RISK The number of questions remaining in 20 Questions Objects picked up during videogames (guns, health packs, etc.)Time (game time, real-time, or both)Known information (like suspects in Clue)
Game StateNOTES
How much information in the game state is visible to the player?Total Information – Most information is available to the player, either through the tutorial at the beginning, basic Mario game knowledge, through various billboards, or just on the screen
A snapshot of the game at a single point is the game state. The resources you have, the un-owned properties in Monopoly, your opponent’s Archery skill all count towards the game state. Some example information structures are:Total Information – Nothing is hidden, like Chess.Info per player – Your hand of cards is only visible to you.One player has privileged info – Like a Dungeon Master.The game hides info from all players – Like Clue, where no one knows the victory condition.Fog of War – In video games, where certain sections of the map are concealed if you do not have a unit in sight range of that area. You also cannot see other players’ screens, so each player is unaware of the other’s information.
SequencingNOTES
In what order do players take their actions?Real-Time
How does play flow from one action to another?Unlike standard Mario games, SMG doesn’t have a time limit on it’s levels. However, some levels call for you to be quick, others call for you to slow down
Some structures include:Turn-based – Standard board game technique.Turn-based with simultaneous play – where everyone takes their turn at the same time (like writing something down or putting a card down in War).Real-time – Actions happen as fast as players can make them. Action-based video games.Turn-based and time limits – You have this long to take your turn.
Player InteractionCooperation
Some examples:Direct Conflict – I attack you.Negotiation – If you support me here, I’ll help you there.Trading – I’ll give you this for that.Information Sharing – If you go there, I’m warning you, a trap will go off.
Theme & NarrativeNOTES
Does it have an actual story structure?Yes
Is it based on a historical event (or similar)?No
Does the theme or narrative help you know how to play?Yes, somewhat
Does it have emotional impacts?Yes
Also, look for en media res (does it start in the middle of the game)?No
The Elements in MotionNOTES
How do the different elements interact?Very well
What is the gameplay like?It can be frustrating at times, but the astounding soundtrack also makes it calming
Is it effective?Yes
Are there any points where the design choices break down?No
Design CritiqueNOTES
Why did the designer make these particular choices?The designer likely made these choices in order to make the game look very appealing. Space is beautiful, and SMG really does acknowledge that. The game is also challenging, but not too much so.
Why this set of resources?Since the Mario franchise is so big, it becomes a challenge to make each game stand out, while also following the formula.
What if they made different decisions?If they hadn’t gone as far as they had with the beauty and sounds, along with the story and lore, SMG might not have been as special to me.
Does the design break down at any point?No
Graphics & SoundNOTES
Does the game art pair well with the mechanics?Absolutely
Did you find any bugs or glitches?Not that I know of/can remember
What about sound?The sounds of the game are very pleasing, at least in my opinion.

As for the soundtrack, many agree SMG has the best soundtrack of any Mario game (some go so far as to say any game ever), myself included. Songs like Comet Observatory (which gets grander and grander as you progress through the game), Luma/Family, and Space Junk Galaxy have and still do make me teary eyed both from their beauty and the sheer nostalgia they bring
Can you spot any technical shortcuts?No
Various Stages of the GameNOTES
To wrap up, some things to keep in mind (as if there aren’t enough already) as you play:Remember that most times you will want to use a spin jump rather than a basic jump

Make sure not to waste too many Star Bits on stunning enemies

When swimming in water or flying as Bee Mario, check the air/fly meter
What challenges do you face, and how do you overcome them?As you progress, the levels get harder, and some (mostly boss levels) can be very frustrating, but if you have power-ups and determination, you can get past them
Is the game fair?Yes
Is it replayable? Are there multiple paths to victory or optional rules that can change the experience?Yes; I haven’t finished it quite yet but I believe I’ve seen that there is an ending for when you collect all the Stars
What is the intended audience?People who are into the Mario franchise, 3D platformers, and a game with good lore.
What is the core, the one thing you do over and over, and is it fun?The core is the challenges in each level and most are very fun

This analysis form was adapted from https://notlaura.com/a-template-for-analyzing-game-design/

Resources

Books

Mr. Le Duc’s Game Analysis Resources

Game Design – Week 13 – Changes

COPY AND PASTE ALL THE CONTENT BELOW

“The successful free to play games are selling positive emotions. Not content.” – Nicholas Lovell

“It should be the experience, that is touching. What I strive for is to make the person playing the game the director.” – Shigeru Miyamoto

SUMMARY

  • Write your weekly summary here, last, at the end of the week…
    • Only one to two sentences of WHAT YOU DID
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

Screenshot from Sololearn.com

Construct 3 – Javascript

  • I completed up to the string operators lesson.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Screenshot from Extra Credits Channel
MDA image from Wikipedia

Eight Types of Aesthetics

  • Sensation (Game as sense-pleasure): Player enjoys memorable audio-visual effects.
  • Fantasy (Game as make-believe): Imaginary world.
  • Narrative (Game as drama): A story that drives the player to keep coming back
  • Challenge (Game as obstacle course): Urge to master something. Boosts a game’s replayability.
  • Fellowship (Game as social framework): A community where the player is an active part of it. Almost exclusive for multiplayer games.
  • Discovery (Game as uncharted territory): Urge to explore game world.
  • Expression (Game as self-discovery): Own creativity. For example, creating character resembling player’s own avatar.
  • Submission (Game as pastime): Connection to the game, as a whole, despite of constraints.

MDA Notes

  • Mechanics
  • Dynamics
  • Aesthetics

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 15 minutes
  • According to Wikipedia:
    • Mechanics are the base components of the game – its rules, every basic action the player can take in the game, the algorithms and data structures in the game engine etc.
    • Dynamics are the run-time behavior of the mechanics acting on player input and “cooperating” with other mechanics.
    • Aesthetics are the emotional responses evoked in the player.

Brainstorm Ideas for Each of the Eight Categories

  • At least one idea per category, but feel free to add more you your favorite categories
  • Write a short sentence for each idea with these three elements included in each description
    • Someone or thing fighting/struggling against Someone or thing for Someone or thing

DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

  1. Sensation (Game as sense-pleasure): The player enjoys memorable audio-visual effects.
    • Beautiful music and visuals, such as in Super Mario Galaxy, which does the best at this out of every Mario game, in my opinion. Of course, take into account the setting and the point in the game the player is in.
  2. Fantasy (Game as make-believe): Imaginary world.
    • Elements of medieval fantasy would be the obvious choice, but picture this. America in the 1920-30s, but starring mythical creatures in place of humans. There could be many allegorical design and role choices for each of the creatures and it would generally be an interesting idea.
  3. Narrative (Game as drama): A story that drives the player to keep coming back
    • Going back to my idea above. Something like this would probably work well as a story-based game. Perhaps one with chapters acting as levels.
  4. Challenge (Game as obstacle course): Urge to master something. Boosts a game’s replayability.
    • Place idea here…
  5. Fellowship (Game as social framework): A community where the player is an active part of it. Almost exclusive for multiplayer games.
    • Place idea here…
  6. Discovery (Game as uncharted territory): Urge to explore the game world.
    • Place idea here…
  7. Expression (Game as self-discovery): Own creativity. For example, creating a character resembling player’s own avatar.
    • Place idea here…
  8. Submission (Game as pastime): Connection to the game, as a whole, despite of constraints.
    • Place idea here…

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend 30 minutes in this ‘room’
Worksheet from bananatreelog.com
  • Go for a 10-minute walk, if it is safe to do so 
    • Reflect on this simple way to overcome negative automatic thinking by challenging and reframing the thoughts in a positive way.’
  • Writing a small paragraph reflection for 10 minutes
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

STUDIO (CREATIVITY)

Screenshot from Construct.net
  • Set a timer
  • Spend 30 minutes in this ‘room’
    • Read the Construct Manual Sections
      • Home
      • Getting started
      • Overview
      • Interface
      • Project primitives
      • Tips & guides
      • Behavior reference
      • Plugin reference
      • System reference
      • Scripting
  • Write a couple sentence description of what you learned
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

CONTROL ROOM (PRODUCTION)

Screenshot from Construct.net

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • Write only a few sentences of WHAT YOU LEARNED
  • In one or two sentences, describe a PROBLEM YOU SOLVED
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

  • Give feedback on this week’s class Content and Process
  • DELETE THIS WHOLE SECTION, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

Game Design – Week 10 – GTD – Getting Things Done – Part 2

Image from BiggerPlate.com

Teens are overwhelmed, partly because they don’t yet have the skills to manage the unprecedented amount of stuff that enters their brains each day.  – from LifeHacker.com

“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”

“You can do anything, but not everything.”

― David Allen, (GTD) Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World

SUMMARY

  • I worked on catching up in Geometry and Biology. Now I only have a few assignments until I’m all caught up.

PlayCanvas – Javascript

  • I completed up to the Mathematical Operators lesson.

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Screenshot from Animated Book Summary And Review at YouTube
  • I learned that having a system of getting things done can help you, well, get things done. Timers can help in getting these things done, but I find it only makes me focus on how much time I left.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

Screenshot of David Allen TED Talk
Screenshot of David Allen TED Talk
Screenshot from Animated Book Summary And Review at YouTube

Examine Two GTD Maps: Basic and Detailed

  1. Detailed map by guccio@文房具社 icensed under CC BY-NC 2.0
  2. Basic map from BiggerPlate.com embedded below

GTD-based Trusted System

Image from Trello.com
  1. Your phone

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • There were some cute ducks in the pond near my house.

STUDIO (CREATING MAPS)

  • Work on Biology project
  • Finish Game Design Blog Posts
  • Record voice for Choir

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • I learned that if I take some time out of my day to take a walk and enjoy time with friends, that will get me more in the mood for doing my work. Even though I get sidetracked sometimes, it’s better than being completely focused on work all the time and being unhappy.

Game Design – Week 7 – Tools, Time, and Rooms

CreativeCommons image Tool Stash by Meena Kadri at Flickr.com

SUMMARY

  • Last week was about how to have a steady workflow and what we need to do to get our ideas out there

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 15 minutes in this ‘room’
  • Pick a game engine you have access to at home
  • Find an interesting and effective YouTube channel playlist for training
  • Link that playlist here and write a brief description about the tutorials and the channel
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Game Genres from the Simplest and Most Difficult to Create

  1. Racing Game
  2. Top-Down Shooter
  3. 2d Platformer
  4. Color Matching Puzzle Game
  5. 2D Puzzle Platformer
  6. 3D Platformer
  7. FPS
  8. JRPG
  9. Fighting Game
  10. Action Adventure
  11. Western RPG
  12. RTS

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 15 minutes outside, if you can safely
  • Go for a walk. Think about your life as a narrative for today.  A story of today. You as the protagonist. What/who is your nemesis? Are you trying to win/accomplish something? What? Write notes here about what you thought… and experiment with your blog.  Maybe change the theme? Have fun!
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

STUDIO (GAME DESIGN)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 30 minutes in this ‘room’
  • Create 5 project ideas
  • Enter at least five core game (i.e. product) ideas to be considered for your own game development later in the year
  • These do not need to be very detailed ideas, just a few sentences to capture the main game concept
    • Write a detailed description of the game idea
    • Identify the game genre (detailed above in this post) for inspiration
    • Review  Robin’s 5 Original Ideas for inspiration
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

  • Spend 3 minutes on this activity
  • Give feedback on this week’s class Content and Process
  • The data you submit helps you demonstrate 21st Century Employability Skills
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

Game Design – Week 11 – Updating Workflow – Mind Like Water

“‘Be shapeless and formless.. like water’ (Bruce Lee)” by Akinini.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Have a mind like water.”

― David Allen,  GTD

SUMMARY

  • This week was really stressful. With all the work I had to get done combined with my brain refusing to focus on it, it was hard to get stuff in while keeping a good mental state

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

  • Set a timer for 30 minutes in this ‘room’
    • Continue with either ONE of the scripting languages below, Javascript (Construct 3 / PlayCanvas) or C# (Unity)  (NOT BOTH)

Construct 3 / PlayCanvas – Javascript

  • I completed the Module 1 Quiz

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Screenshot from Construct.net
  • Construct 3 is a good and versatile game engine that not only allows you to create games on any computer, including Chromebooks, but also on phones. It can be used to make very well made games, despite not being as code-based as other engines may be.

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

Screenshot from editor.construct.net

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend 30 minutes in this ‘room’
Image from bananatreelog.com
  • I have learned that taking time out of my day to talk with friends is one thing that keeps my sanity up during these difficult times. Especially since socializing is part of the fun of school.

STUDIO (CREATIVITY)

Screenshot from Construct Begginer’s Guide
  • I tried to play around with what the tutorial gave me. I added monsters that the player could shoot.

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • I learned which happiness chemicals do what in my brain and what to do to keep them up
  • I learned that my brain doesn’t like to do work, but I can help it ease into working by getting myself into a good mood by listening to songs as I work.

Game Design – Week 8 – Logic, Flowcharts, and Coding

“Binary code” by Christiaan Colen is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

When asked the most important thing I should teach my students, the MIT student I was interviewing simply stated , ‘ teach them logic.’ – Mr. Le Duc

SUMMARY

  • Write your weekly summary here, last, at the end of the week…
    • Only one to two sentences
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

  • Set a timer
  • Spend up to 15 minutes in this ‘room’ on either ONE of the scripting languages below, Javascript or C#  (NOT BOTH)

PlayCanvas

Screenshot from Sololearn.com
  • I completed up to the Strings lesson

CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)

Image from https://monkeyblogmonkeydo.com/2010/07/19/so-duh-pop-quiz-classic-video-game-flowchart-edition/
  • Screenshot from Brandon Grasley YouTube Channel
  • Screenshot from TodaysTuts’ YouTube Channel

Mr. Le Duc’s Flowchart Shape Guide

More Flowchart Creation Resources

LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)

OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)

  • Elizabeth Gilbert’s video made me think about just how little society believes in creative people, causing those creative people to not believe in themselves or be scared to pursue a creative career

STUDIO (GAME DESIGN)

PlayCanvas

Screenshot from Daniel Wood’s YouTube Channel Playlist

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • This week I learned that you can’t just keep putting off work. While I am still struggling with that problem, I have acknowledged and am paying the price with the stress of trying to get stuff in.

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

  • Submitted

Week 9 – GTD – Getting Things Done – Part 1

“Day 092/366 – To Do List” by Great Beyond is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Your toughest work is defining what your work is! –  Peter Drucker

SUMMARY

  • Write your weekly summary here, last, at the end of the week…
    • Only one to two sentences of WHAT YOU DID
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)

Image of David Allen at TED Talk
Screenshot from David Allen TED Talk

In this ‘room’ you are going to try Getting Things Done (GTD).

STEP 1: MAKE A LIST

Screenshot of David Allen TED Talk
Screenshot of David Allen TED Talk
  • All my Geometry assignments
  • Modules 3 and 4 for Biology
  • All my choir assignments
  • Game Design blog posts

STEP 2: NOTICE WHAT YOU NOTICED

Screenshot of David Allen TED Talk
Screenshot of David Allen TED Talk
  • Geometry assignments
  • Modules 3 and 4
  • Blog posts
  • Choir

STEP 3: SET A TIMER

https://giphy.com/gifs/time-clock-konczakowski-d3yxg15kJppJilnW
  1. Geometry – Start after school is done, set a timer for 2 hours
  2. Biology – Start after Geometry stuff is done, set a timer for 1 hour
  3. Blog Posts – Start after Biology stuff is done, set a timer for 45 minutes
  4. Choir – Start after Blog Posts are done, but setting a timer isn’t ideal for choir

OUTSIDE (PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)

David Allen image
Oct. 2020 Lucidchart interview with David Allen
Image from FastCompany Magazine, https://www.fastcompany.com/3026827/the-brain-hacks-top-founders-use-to-get-the-job-done
Image from FastCompany Magazine, https://www.fastcompany.com/3026827/the-brain-hacks-top-founders-use-to-get-the-job-done
  • Reflect on GTD and getting to the top of the colorful list above for a minute
    • How can the GTD process help you tame the crazy-busy dragon of modern life?
  • Then, go for a 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
  • Write a few sentence reflection
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

OPTIONAL EXERCISE – Literally, read the article and go for another walk 🙂

 Katia Verresen homepage
Katia Verresen, kvaleadership.com

“I coach C-suite executives and rising stars from the earliest startups to Fortune 100 companies. My passion is to help ambitious leaders achieve their full human potential.”  – Read more about Katia…

WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED

  • Write only a few sentences of WHAT YOU LEARNED
  • In one or two sentences, describe a PROBLEM YOU SOLVED
  • DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE

WEEKLY ACTIVITY EVALUATION

  • Give feedback on this week’s class Content and Process
  • DELETE THIS WHOLE SECTIONAFTER YOU ARE DONE

Developing Quality Workflow

What is Workflow?

Image Creative Workflow from Behance.com, https://www.behance.net/gallery/27919515/Creative-workflow-GIF

Work•flow /ˈwərkflō/

“The sequence of industrial, administrative, or other processes through which a piece of work passes from initiation to completion.” – lexico.com

What is a quality workflow?  How do we develop it?  Below are elements of the production cycle that most creative people move through as they create something.  First, we must identify the stages of project production. What is each stage and what are the quality checks for each stage.  Read on and find out!

Stages of Creation Development

Inspiration

How do we find ideas to develop?

  • We can use our experiences along with things that interest us to find ideas
  • Think of the idea and make sure it is good before acting upon it
  • Quality is in the eye of the beholder, but we should most look for original, interesting, and inclusive ideas
  • Everyone measures quality, especially yourself

Intention

How do we clarify our specific goal(s) for a project?

  • We use our thoughts and the people we discuss our goals with to clarify what our plans are
  • After thinking and writing your goals down, discuss them with other people to assure that it makes sense
  • Think of how your goals will help or hinder you in the end
  • Only you can measure the quality of your goals, with some help from others

Pre-production

How can we brainwrite, brainstorm, storyboard, and plan our ideas at this phase?

  • Once again we can use our thoughts to plan our ideas
  • Go on walks, discuss with other people, and think to yourself about how you want things to go
  • Imagine how people will view your ideas and project as a whole once it has been finished
  • The quality of this is measured by yourself and whoever else may be working with you

Production

How do we communicate with each other and execute our plan for this phase? This is where we actually make the project.

  • Use whatever the project requires, along with your brain and communication amongst your team
  • Discuss with your teammates about what is to be done as well as thinking it over yourself
  • Picture what the feedback of your project may be
  • You and your team, as well as the viewers, measure the quality

Post-production

How do we communicate with each other and execute our final stages of the project for this phase? This is where we publish the project.

  • We use the skills that we have learned from the project thus far and from outside works
  • Look over everything to make sure it is the quality you imagined in prior stages of the project
  • Compare your project to others you and other people have done, but don’t compare too harshly
  • Once again, the quality is measured by you, those you worked with, and your viewers

Presentation/Performance

How do we share our project with our learning community, advisory members, and the world?

  • The internet allows for a diverse group of people to see your work
  • Spread the word about your project
  • Look for feedback on what people think of your project
  • At this stage, everyone measures the quality

Feedback

How do we conduct a feedback session at the end of the project development cycle?

  • Articles and similar things can help you find out how your project was received
  • Actively look for feedback
  • Judge your project based on the positivity/negativity of the feedback
  • The quality is measured by everyone except for you

Recipe For Success: Jess Conn

Image of Bill Gates

Born: January 4, 1977, in Flint, Michigan

Personal Success Definition

I define success as the ability to, no matter how hard it gets, persevere.

Jess Conn is a successful judge. Because of the perseverance she showed all her life, she’ll forever have the title of The Honorable. Her life was and is full of many challenges she had and has to face, but in her own words, she’s a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Skills for Success

Jess Conn is 1) smart, 2) hardworking and determined, and 3) compassionate. All her life, the lowest grade she ever got in school was a B. In college, she came to be a Phi Beta Kappa. Due to being one of the few people of color in many schools she went to (both college and grade school), Jess constantly had to prove that she belonged. When even she herself doubted that she could succeed, she got right through it. Jess got her work done even while doing sports. In the field of law, being compassionate is a very good tool. Jess cared about those she defended as a lawyer, and those she decides the fate of as a judge. Due to this, she’s able to make the best decisions she can with the evidence presented, along with the ability to put herself in other people’s shoes.

Challenges Overcome

As a child, Jess didn’t exactly have the ideal family situation. This combined with the fact that, as stated above, she was one of the few people of color in many schools she attended meant that there was much stress in her life. However, throughout all this, Jess persevered and achieved her goal of becoming a judge.

Significant Work

Jess has done a lot of work prosecuting and defending in the military court justice system.