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JESS ROLFE DESIGNS


Final Year Project

You2 Video



As another final year project, I chose to create a video using mainly Adobe After Effects. Part of the business plan is to present the idea to a judging panel at the Transmedia Exhibition. Transmedia is an end-of-year show for our University course to demonstrate our work and network with local design agencies and the people who attend. The ‘Pitch your Project’ is a 10 minute presentation, and therefore, I decided to create a video to help me show my idea visually.





Project Brief

As it was my idea to create a video to suport the You2 pitch, I created my on brief.

To design, develop, and create a video to support my pitch at the Transmedia exhibition. In the video it will show the key features 'You2' has on offer and show my competitor research.

Initial Ideas


I brainstormed ideas to start the project. This helped me to start my initial developments for the video. As I had previously created a website design, I decided to focus purely on creating a perfect and informative video that the judging panel would remember.







Time Mangement


I used 'monday.com' (link below) to manage my time wisely on this project.



monday.com


I also created a more visual timeline to put up on my wall to ensure I stayed on track.





Research

In order to continue with my video developments, I decided to research into what makes a good video. My previous research for 'You2' can also be found below.

You2 Previous Research

Please select the buttons below to go to the specific research section or just scroll through:


You2 Information

Video Research

Competitor Research


You2 Information



You2 is a platform for anyone with possibly a busier than ordinary life by making everyday problems, reminders, and chores more manageable. Through the user's phone or the You2 downloaded software (available on all smart devices including laptops, computers, etc.), the user speaks as they would to a person but saying "You2 I need help”, or any command that is customised in the user’s settings, to get the attention of the platform. You2 is a constant personal assistant getting users to work on time, answering people's questions, and relieving people’s mindfulness. Once the software is downloaded onto the user's phone or a device using the You2 software, users are advised to fill out a form so You2 can help the user's specific needs. Users will never have an endless to-do-list again.

Below is the 'You2' business plan containing all the information I needed.



Video Research



I found a website which gave tips on what makes a good pitch video. The main points I found were to keep it short, "what", "where", "why", "who", and "how", and show rather than tell. I feel I achieved this well in the actual video keeping it under 5 minutes to leave enough time for questions etc. afterwards.

Below I noted down notes of how I will apply my research to my video:

What = Personal Assistant Software

Where = Marketing Plan - I will start developing 'You2' in the UK, and then expanding and marketing into other countries after one year

Why = 'You2' will make people's lives easier

Who = Aimed at students, working parents, and adults who struggle with managing their time

How = Through marketing online (Social media, Facebook Ads, Google Ads etc.), doing various talks across the UK, visiting Universities across the UK, and providing mental well-being classes.



6 Tips for a Good Pitch Video

I wanted to ensure to hook and engage the viewer. This required me to include lots of visual elements but not overload the viewer with too much to see and information at once.



Competitor Research



Part of any buisness plan or idea is looking at competitors and finding what makes your idea more unique, that would therefore stand out to a consumer. It was important to include the main competitors in the pitch and show the viewer (the judging panel) how my idea differs.



Apple Siri:

Apple’s Siri is my biggest competitor, but there is “150+ things Siri still can’t do” (Keely, 2018). Things include: “creating a new contact, turn on/off the flashlight, share a note, photo, or apple news story, and take a screenshot”. This gives me areas to implement into You2.





Apple Siri

Keely, 2018 - 150+ Things Siri still can't do



Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant:

My next biggest competitors are Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant. Both devices/softwares work in a similar way to Siri, but Alexa “is not pre-installed into mobile phones” (Dennon,2019), therefore does not work to the same length as its device, and the Google Assistant “requires users to give access to a lot of data” (Tsao, 2018), which creates worry amongst users.





Dennon, 2019 - The Best Voice Assistants



Google Assistant

Designs

I sketched many ideas before developing my video. This enabled me to get my ideas onto paper to view visually. I then continued to create a digital storyboard design, and asked my peers and lecturers for regular feedback to keep improving my idea.




Initial Sketches

Storyboard Developments

Video Developments


Initial Sketches



Sketches of my first ideas for the pitch video.







Timeline sketch for the pitch video.







Storyboard Developments



I decided to develop my storyboard digitally on Adobe Photoshop to gage more of an idea about how the video will look.





I decided alot of the video elements looked rather similar, but developed the video as a draft to see how it flowed together.



Video Developments



I continued to develop the video based from the storyboard design. I firstly collected the videos from sesmester 1 that I had taken with the app and website designs in use to add to the pitch video. The video is under 5 minutes which was suggested in my research of what makes a good pitch video.





Below is the first pitch video draft.





Feedback

I gathered some feedback from my peers and lecturers before creating and developing the video further.



One of my peers suggested adding a voice over to the video to save me talking throughout the pitch. That also would ensure everything was said at the right time as I will be facing forward for the pitch, therefore, not being able to see the screen as much.



Developed Digital Designs



After looking at the first video draft, I was not taken back or intrigued. I then looked at incorparting some animation footage such as a person using the 'You2' software to make it more interesting. I was still cautious about providing the panel with enough information, so brainstormed, researched and sketched ways I could do this.




Brainstorming

Further Research

Further Sketch Designs

Character Creation

Brainstorming





Further Research



I found the following TV adverts that gave me some inspiration as to what I could do. I liked the idea of creating a digital character rather than using real-life people such as in the 'Confused.com' advert and 'Headspace' advert. I like how the design is kept simple and is a reflection of Occam's Razor (a theory learnt this semester which practices "simplest solution is always best in design").



Confused.com Advert

Headspace

I then also looked at my biggest competitor, Siri. I liked how they showed how Siri works and how people can use it, but because 'You2' is also for the users mindfulness, theres alot more components to show.



Siri

I liked the headspace characters so wanted my character for the video to be similar to the designs below.







After further reaserch into TV adverts, I decided to sketch out some ideas I had in mind, remembering this video is for a pitch, therefore, needing to display lots of information.



Further Sketch Designs





Character Creation



I liked the headspace characters, so therefore decided to base the 'You2' character off that. I sketched out how the animation could work and then continued with digital designs of the character using Adobe Illustrator.







Further Developments



I created a small animation using the developed 'You2' character, inspired by Headspace. I thought it would be a good idea for the character to change from red (a colour assosiated with anger), to blue (a calming colour, the same as the logo design).





I added a background to the video to bring more life to the animation. The background also adds to the anger/stress the character felt at the begining of the animation, to calm towards the end.





I felt it was quite child-like, especailly with the added background. I did like the concept though and thought I could possibly add it to the end of the pitch video.



Final Outcome

I was very pleased with my final outcome, and feel I created a cool, intriguing video that will support my pitch at the Transmedia exhibition.



Below is the final storyboard for the video.





Below is the final video and the script to support the video.





You2 Pitch Script (to support video)

0:00:00 - 0:03:00
“Welcome to the You2 software”

0:03:01 - 0:20:00
“You2 is a platform for anyone with possibly a busier than ordinary life by making everyday problems, reminders, and chores more manageable. Through the user's phone or the You2 downloaded software (available on all smart devices including laptops, computers, etc.), the user speaks as they would to a person but saying "You2 I need help”, or any command that is customised in the user’s settings, to get the attention of the platform. You2 is a constant personal assistant getting users to work on time, answering people's questions, and relieving people’s mindfulness. Once the software is downloaded onto the user's phone or a device using the You2 software, users are advised to fill out a form so You2 can help the user's specific needs. Users will never have an endless to-do-list again.”

0:20:01 - 0:27:00
“You2 will offer its users subscriptions. You2 Basic is completely free and includes only 4 basic elements of the software including: Time Management, Stress Management, Hangover Help, and Commute. These elements are offered for free as will benefit every day people who struggle with stress.”

0:27:01 - 0:32:
“You2 Extra is £15 a month but includes further features, suitable for users who need that extra help off a virtual assistant but do not want to pay excessive amounts. This package also offers customisable features. ”

0:32:01 - 0:40:00
“You2 Premium is suited for busy working parents that are put under a lot of pressure. This package includes all You2 elements. These elements can be found on the screen or on the You2 website. You2 also offers an educational and business package and more details can be provided on the phone.”

0:40:01 - 0:55:00
“Marketing plays a huge factor when starting up a new business. You2’s market is aimed at students, working parents, and busy adults who struggle with managing their time, and want to increase their productivity while maintaining good health and wellbeing. University students are under much stress, including worries for exams and writing essays, dealing with debts, and homesickness. I could advertise and arrange meetings with the 164 Universities across the UK and offer them educational packages. You2 would be installed into their computers and handed out to students, so their students can benefit from a monthly subscription while at University. Working parents and other adults who struggle with their time and stress will be encouraged to purchase one of the subscriptions. ”

0:55:01 - 1:02:00
“As a startup company, it is essential not to spend too much on advertising, such as creating TV ads. Luckily due to the You2 investment fund, I can spend quite a bit per month gaining recognition through Google and Facebook Ads, as well as for free through social media. ”

1:02:01 - 1:11:00
“Before You2’s first month, we will be advertising on social media, creating informative but fun posts about the You2 software. From April 2020, specific advertisement posts will be in force, to promote the product before the release date in May. After May 2020, the paid ads will be running, enticing more customers to purchase the software and subscriptions through the app and website. In further years, ads and social media posts will continue consistently. I will also run private wellbeing classes for up to 20 people at £40 a day in our office. I hope this will bring more recognition for You2 and encourage more subscriptions to be purchased. ”

1:11:01 - 1:22:31
“Researching the You2 competitors enables me to see what I can improve for my software to make it a better user experience. Unlike my competitors, who tend to focus on one area to help users, I have combined many ideas and created You2, only needing to pay for one service. Apple’s Siri is my biggest competitor, but there is 150+ things Siri still can’t do. Things include: “creating a new contact, turn on/off the flashlight, share a note, photo, or apple news story, and take a screenshot”. This gives me areas to implement into You2. ”

1:22:32 - 1:31:32
“You2’s next biggest competitor is Amazon’s Alexa. It works in a similar way to Siri, but Alexa is not pre-installed into mobile phones, therefore does not work to the same length as its device. I could ensure You2 works just as well as pre-installed softwares.”

1:32:00 - 1:40:00
“You2’s final big competitor is the Google Assistant. The Google Assistant requires users to give access to a lot of data, which creates worry amongst users. This is something You2 can look to prevent to ensure users stay happy.”

1:40:01 - 2:00:00
“The You2 software will be compatible with most people’s devices (including Apple devices, Smart Phones, Amazon Alexa device), as it utilises existing hardware. This enables users with current voice recognition devices will not need to replace their devices but instead, pay for the monthly subscription package for You2 and then link the software through the mobile apps. The You2 software is also unique compared to its competitors, as it goes the extra mile, (such as capturing photos, restarting their phones, and taking a screenshot) that Siri and the other competitors cannot do. You2 will also store regular travel routes (to ensure you leave for work on time), save frequent questions (so a WIFI network is not needed), and regulates your mindfulness. ”

2:00:01 - 2:49:32
“Please watch the iPhone App demo”

2:50:00 - 2:56:13
“Please watch the website demo”

2:56:14 - 3:03:10
“Thank you for watching, do you have any questions?”

((Video can be paused her for the panel questions))

3:03:11 - 4:04:26
“Please now watch the small animation advert for You2 to finish off the pitch”

4:04:27 - 4:30:00
“Thank you”



Here is the advert animation I also created to support the pitch. After further feedback, I developed the colouring of the characters and improved the overall video.





The 'You2' character goes from red (symbolising anger), to blue (the You2 colour scheme) showing the progression of getting calm when using the 'You2' software. I only showed one 'You2' element in the video but listed the other features out, due to wanting to keep the video short and snappy. Below are the character developments.





Below is also the app and website prototype, created in semseter 1.



App Prototype


Website Prototype






Key Sotware Used




I used various software I knew already and have learned from my last 3 years at University. It is important in third year to build on the skills we already know rather than trying to teach ourselves something new. This makes us more advanced in our specific areas of design. I did however learn Adobe Animate, but as I was already familiar with all Adobe programmes, alot of the controls and tools were the same.







Target Market




The You2 target market is aimed at students, working parents, and adults who struggle with managing their time, and want to increase their productivity while maintaining good health and wellbeing.

University students are under much stress, including worries for exams and writing essays, dealing with debts, and homesickness (Smith, 2019). I could advertise and arrange meetings with the 164 Universities across the UK and offer them educational packages. You2 would be installed into their computers and handed out to students, so their students can benefit from a monthly subscription while at University.

Working parents and other adults who struggle with their time and stress will be encouraged to purchase one of the subscriptions. Due to more than 100 million Alexa devices sold (Matney, 2019), these device owners may want to update their device by having the You2 software implemented, creating a better and more useable device in their homes.













Acknowledgements



I would like to thank the following people:



Paul Wilson, Steve Cross and the rest of the DMD Team, for always giving feedback and providing support throughout projects.



References



Smith, J. (2019). 5 ways to manage student stress | Prospects.ac.uk. [online] Prospects.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/applying-for-university/ university-life/5-ways-to-manage-student-stress [Accessed 17 Dec. 2019].

Matney, L. (2019). More than 100 million Alexa devices have been sold – TechCrunch. [online] TechCrunch. Available at: https://techcrunch.com/2019/01/04/more- than-100-million-alexa-devices-have-been-sold/ [Accessed 16 Dec. 2019].





Branding Guidelines





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