Reaction All Years

Okinawa’s Ongoing Struggle: US Military Bases and Local Opposition

This case study examines the U.S. military’s historical and ongoing presence in Okinawa, Japan, and its profound effects on both the environment and the local community. Okinawa hosts over 70% of the U.S. military facilities in Japan, resulting in significant environmental damage, including water pollution and waste. It also faces social unrest due to incidents involving U.S. military personnel and the noise and safety concerns from the bases. The Okinawan government’s response to these challenges, particularly regarding sustainability efforts, crime prevention, and tourism development, is also explored. This project delves into how the military’s presence affects the island’s reputation, local life, and future prospects, offering recommendations for long-term solutions to balance security needs with the well-being of the people.

ProLibro: Communities 2.0

Communities 2.0 aims to provide a dedicated space for discussion and collaboration within ProLibro. The current
system lacks an interactive forum where users can engage in meaningful academic discussions. By integrating
Communities 2.0, ProLibro will offer enhanced communication features, making it a more comprehensive digital
learning platform.

Communities began from a group of Xerox engineers that wanted to leave ‘tips’ for other engineers reading
through dense reference content – the core philosophy being that “we don’t just learn from content, we learn from
each other”. Through this system, publishers were better informed when planning iterative releases of their
reference content, and this user interactivity enhanced both the content and ProLibro’s app experience. While this
system worked for some time, the lack of follow-up and back-and-forth discussion limited the potential of the
Communities product.

This project is primarily focused on developing the foundation of the overall UI and design of Communities 2.0,
rather than a fully developed production-ready product. The client’s goal is to have a proof-of-concept to then
further refine with their full-time development team to eventually release Communities 2.0 officially.

YellowSapphire – Web Design and Development

Our team of Interactive Media Design students, ‘Last Case Design’, has been invited to deliver a functional, responsive website, incorporating a CMS for easy updates, for our client “Yellow Sapphire IT and consulting services”. YellowSapphire is a business & technology consultancy specialist company founded by Adesh Shah. Their primary focus is on providing methods and solutions for businesses and institutions to incorporate AI technology into their work structure to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace. They also provide individual services including IT consultancy, E-Commerce solutions, and custom software solutions. They have asked us to collaborate with them to produce a re-brand and re-design of their website to facilitate a soft relaunch of the brand, strengthening and defining its online presence.

This process began by first meeting and conferring with the client, understanding their goals with the brand, sourcing relevant work, and developing an understanding of the client’s current vision for their brand identity. In our first conversations with the client, we learned that the story of a yellow sapphire was personally important to him. Since YellowSapphire is close to a personal brand for him, we were able to determine that both a strong yellow colour along with a jewel would be key to the desired identity of the brand.

We conducted further research using a variety of methods such as user personas and analyzing competitor websites and brands. We met with the client on a weekly basis to show ongoing deliverables and ideation, getting their input and approval at each step from early color pallets and logo redesigns to low and high fidelity wireframing and prototyping, right up until Webflow development and the deployment of the finished site. Collaborative prototyping resulted in a single-page website design that begins with strong branding, an updated logo, a banner image, and strong calls to action, followed below by client offerings, showcases, and previewing the Blog section, which expands to individual blog post pages.

In the end, the design we have created leverages the Webflow platform to provide a flexible, visually engaging, interactive website experience that showcases and highlights core service offerings, such as software development, digital transformation strategies, and technology and AI consulting solutions. The new website features an intuitive layout with easy navigation, ensuring potential clients can quickly access relevant information and understand offerings and services at a glance. Additional sections like a blog for industry insights, client testimonials, and a portfolio of past projects serve to enhance credibility and provide a platform for thoughtful leadership in IT and consulting. The completed project now delivers a functional, responsive website, incorporating the Webflow Content Mangement System for future easy updates. In this project we have developed a custom logo and cohesive color palette and branding that better aligns with the clients desired brand identity. These elements have resulted in a polished, professional online platform that strengthens the company’s brand presence, connects effectively with clients, and sets a strong foundation for future growth. 

CaDDi AI Inc. – Documentary Style Video

This documentary-style project was created for CaDDi AI as part of the Interactive Media Design program at Algonquin College. The goal was to produce a 2–4 minute promotional video that introduces the app, explains its unique features, and highlights its benefits to golfers.

The production process began with in-depth research and ideation, where we worked closely with the client to understand the “why” behind CaDDi AI. The initial pitch meeting allowed the client to share the inspiration behind the app, and a follow-up kick-off meeting helped us align on creative direction and style. Weekly consultations allowed us to refine the script, shotlist, and overall approach to the video.

In pre-production, we focused on developing a detailed shotlist, storyboard, and scouting locations. Since the video was documentary-style, we wanted to create a narrative that felt authentic and informative. Locations were carefully selected to reflect the app’s journey, such as the EY Centre Golf Convention; the client’s first opportunity to introduce the app to customers. We also filmed at MakerSpace at Algonquin College, where the client crafts golf accessories like divot repair tools, showcasing his involvement in the physical creation of the tools that complement the app. The interview with the client, filmed at Algonquin Studio, was a key element, providing valuable insights into the app’s development and its benefits to golfers.

Production came with its own set of challenges, particularly filming in winter when no golf courses were open. To overcome this limitation, we strategically selected alternative filming locations that allowed us to maintain an authentic feel. The footage from the EY Centre Golf Convention provided real-world context for the app’s introduction, while the MakerSpace footage highlighted the client’s commitment to creating quality golf tools that align with the company’s mission.

In post-production, we worked on refining the video through editing, motion graphics, color correction, and audio editing. Animating the CaDDi AI logo helped reinforce the app’s brand identity, while the final video’s polished visuals and sound made the promotional content engaging and professional. We also integrated background music to set the tone and enhance the overall viewer experience.

This project exemplifies the importance of careful planning, creativity, and collaboration in producing a high-quality documentary-style video. Despite challenges like filming during the winter months, the final video effectively promotes CaDDi AI, showcases the app’s functionality, and emphasizes its benefits to golfers, making it a valuable marketing tool for the client.

HireTechGenius

Wants to build a product that helps technology, and technology-adjacent companies hire the best design and development resources. Hiretechgenius will be a platform for HR, startups, and executive teams to conduct technical evaluations of a candidate. Hiring can be bifurcated into two main but interconnected segments:

1. Psychology or the Motivation of the Candidate and
2. Technical Evaluation to understand the candidate’s technical ability.

The HireTechGenius platform will currently focus on the technical evaluation of a developer and a designer. Currently, for our MVP, we are still in the process of finalizing whether we want designers to be our end users or developers to be our end users to evaluate them on their technical abilities. We also envision that with the existing new technologies with artificial intelligence to identify and correct the written code and AI to use for user interface design, we see that a lot of technical round evaluations can be automated using artificial intelligence and with the help of machine learning, evaluations could be faster and remove the human bias while interviewing a candidate.

Wytchcog – A Visual Development Process in Creating a Style Guide

The Visual development process and creation of a style guide for a table top role playing game “Wytchcog”.

1. Initial Concept & Worldbuilding

– Defining the visual identity, tone, and lore
– Researching historical & fantasy influences
– Mood boards & thematic exploration

2. Core Aesthetic & Style Definition

– Establishing key art styles
– Selecting colour palettes & material references
– Defining artistic inspirations

3. Character & Environment Development

– Silhouettes & shape exploration
– Key assets & storytelling elements
– Iconic objects & game pieces

4. Key Art & final Intergration

– Finalized Art work and Render
– Cohesive visual alignment with game mechanics
– Preparing the final visual style guide for production

Pyralume Web App Prototype Design and User Testing Kit

The Pyralume web app serves as a networking and community-building tool for filmmakers, fans, critics, festival personnel, and other industry professionals. Unlike traditional streaming services, Pyralume emphasizes fostering connections, showcasing portfolios, and engaging in community-driven interaction rather than passive content consumption. To enhance its usability and user experience, our team, Momentum Media, created a reusable User Testing Kit to help inform future iterations of the app’s front-end design.

Our project was divided into two key components: refining the Figma prototype and developing a comprehensive User Testing Kit. By improving the prototype, we streamlined navigation, optimized user workflows, and aligned the interface with the needs of Pyralume’s diverse user base. The User Testing Kit serves as a reusable tool, enabling Pyralume to gather feedback and iterate on its design effectively.

Through this project, we created an intuitive and engaging experience that empowers filmmakers and film enthusiasts to share, critique, and connect over their passion for film.

Ottawa Art Gallery Promotional Video

Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG) is one of the top cultural organizations devoted to presenting both historical and contemporary Canadian art. OAG, a vibrant venue that unites artists, tourists, and the community, is essential to promoting artistic expression and making the arts more accessible. However, to effectively convey OAG’s mission and draw in a larger audience, captivating multimedia content is required in an increasingly digital world. 

Our team, Gallery Frameworks took on the task to produce a promotional video that demonstrate  

OAG’s rich exhibitions, immersive experiences, and influence on the local arts community. The purpose of the video is to promote OAG’s status as a cultural center in Ottawa, boost audience engagement, and improve its online visibility. 

To do this, we concentrated on telling a compelling visual story to capture the essence of the gallery using carefully curated footage and dynamic visuals to create an engaging narrative through the visitor experiences and exhibition highlights. The finished product is a useful marketing tool that will assist OAG in reaching a wider audience, including tourists, locals, and art lovers. 

This project highlights the value of storytelling in promoting culture by fusing art and digital media. In addition to showcasing OAG’s artistic contributions, the promotional video will improve the gallery’s relationship with the community and entice more people to visit and interact with it. The promotional video will strengthen the gallery’s community engagement by showcasing its artistic contributions, fostering cultural appreciation, and creating an inviting and accessible experience for visitors. This project will therefore help OAG achieve its long-term goals of promoting art accessibility, showcasing artistic ability, and strengthening its place as a pillar of Ottawa’s flourishing arts community.