App Workshop Template

So you’re ready to lead an application inventor Meetup.

You can use or the following template or create your own meetup plan.

Our requests when you have a meetup.

• Register your meetup at Applications For Good Meetup Everywhere
• Take pictures or video and be sure to post them to your meetup group
• Come back here and submit your ideas on this site to turn them into projects and apps
• Follow up with your meetup members and with Applications for Good.
• And have fun!

There Should Be an App for That: invention activity template

Facilitator: Applications for Good at One Economy Corporation :  60 Minutes  (Generate Needs)  60 Minutes (Generate Solutions)

INTRODUCTION

This “App-for-That” template is designed to be used by organizations, student groups, hackers or any small group to help you prototype mobile and gaming applications. Anyone can lead the group.  Invite other technologists or specialists in design or development to co-facilitate with you.  We recommend from 3 to 12 participants per facilitator.     Publicize your work here.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Create prototypes that could be made into real apps to serve the Needs we see facing people
2. Bring life to ideas that are relevant to your community, family or organization
3. Create a way for people who might not normally think of themselves as inventors to participate in Applications for Good solutions and apps
4. Offer independent developers and organizational partners the ability to participate in the global movement of  creating public purpose applications

WHAT WILL PARTICIPANTS DO?

1. Observe and report on specific problems (user stories) facing them based on the Needs outlined at Applications for Good
2. Outline functionality of an app that could serve these needs
3. Visualize app components via storyboard to achieve a proposed design.
4. Compare and review app ideas with other participants
5. Understand basic features associated with current feature phones, and smart phones
6. Understand and be able to name user interface terms (icon, text, states, scrolling, etc.)
7. (Optional) Enter app ideas into Solutions at Applications for Good

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SUGGESTED OUTLINE:

Here are some slides if you want to use them with your group

I: Inspiration: (10 minutes)

A.  Welcome.  Look at some existing applications for social engagement and social good.  Use Applications for Good App Catalog for ideas or use these examples and discuss how the landscape of internet enabled devices and the services they provide might be changing:

View Virginia’s new Ipad http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndkIP7ec3O8

A quick slick demo of the capability of a tablet http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeDalRBjyJo

B. Describe the goals of Applications for Good. Found Here

1. Generate application Ideas that improve people’s lives
2. Create extended community around app development
3. Expose tech world to atypical members (minorities, women, youth)
4. Hack some Apps!

C. Let everyone know what you are about to do, the order of things, and what to expect.

II. Introductions: Choose One (10 minutes)

-Small Groups:
In a circle or forum, give each person 10-30 seconds to introduce themselves. Seed these intros with questions like:  What is one of the most amazing things and one of the most boring things you have seen in technology?  When was the first time you used a cell phone for more than making a call?  Do you use a smart phone? If so how? If not what would be the benefit?

-Larger Groups:
State a series of beliefs and ask people raise their hands higher the more strongly they agree with the statement.  Start simple, “I feel hungry or awake or tired” then get value-based. Here are some ideas.
I think the Internet has improved society. I think as a community member, that technology improves my life. I believe I have ideas to offer for creating tools people can use. I believe in a just economy. I think a neighborhood can change.

III: Present the Challenge (5 Minutes)

Primary question:

If you could design an app that would do anything to address the issues outlined below, or to make your own life better, what would it do and how would it work?

Using broad Need categories, describe the problems being faced by people or communities in your local area.  Discuss for clarity.  You may want to pick one need area, or something specific to your group to concentrate on.

IV: Should Be an App for That Part 1 (15 minutes)

A. Present a User Story as example of the kind of issues we’re looking at. (5 minutes)

B. As a group or set of small groups generate other user stories or anecdotes from casual experience. It could be as simple as, needing to know when the next bus comes, to something more complex like needing a budget planner or neighbor emergency contact tool.   Remember, at this point you are not trying to create an app.  You are only generating needs and stories that illustrate them.

If you have time, stories should include the following:

1. The story of an actual person, preferably someone the participant knows or has had direct experience with.
2. A description of daily experiences
3. A description of specific difficulties.  Generalities like “cannot find a job”, should be refined with questions like “What part about ‘finding a job’ is hard?”  Answers may include, finding job listings, applying for work or gaining new workplace skills.
4. (After the feedback) A short list of specific problems

Report stories back to the group and record on a list for teams to pick one to address in the second half.  (10 minutes) and ask participants to define as a group what the problem/opportunities are for each of the anecdotes.

END OF 60 MINUTE WORKSHOP

V:  What makes an App? (10 minutes)

A. Have the group define the components of a smart phone, a feature phone and a voice/text phone.  (Phone, camera, gps, text, accelerometer, voice recording, wifi, hotspot, camcorder, music player, hearing aid compatibility, other.

B. Discuss for clarity so that everyone understands what the tools are that can be used in app development.

Note: If you are working in a specific platform there my be additions or subtractions to this list

• Regular phones have these features:  Phone, camera, text message
• Feature phones have these in addition: email, send photo, may have full keyboard, some apps
• Smart Phones have these: gps, accelerometer, apps, maps, wifi, hotspot, voice to text etc.
• Tablets have these: larger screen, plus above
• Desktop has these: full access keyboard, without most location based services above.

C. Explain.  Should-be-an-app-for-that will generate application ideas in pairs or in full group using the user stories generated in part one, or those already published at Applications for Good.  Invite groups to work in pairs, trios, small groups or work as a full group.

Break: (5 minutes)

VI: Should Be an App for That Part 2 (30 minutes)

A.  Once in groups, pick a problem, need or user story outlined above to create an app for.  Make a long list of features your app might have.  Outline some of the functions.  Spend the first 5 minutes just getting as many ideas as possible.  You can always ditch the bad ones.  But you often can’t get to the good ones without testing several lesser ones along the way. (You can use this worksheet)

After about ten minutes you should be able to agree on several of the essential functions your app might have.  Now you can design them.

Use the graphic template of a phone face with cut outs of many app features to create a storyboard of your ideas. Applications for Good has pre-sized icons and elements that represent some of the components available on smart phones (iphone template in pdf). (android template in pdf)(android user interface images in pdf)(Camera, calendar, text, call, maps, etc.)  Draw in additional features as needed.  Use these design elements in a story board process with multiple copies of the phone face to create a prototype for the functions of your app that can easily be reported back to the group and either taken back to the lab or photographed for review.

Use speech bubbles (last pages of pdf) to add comments to apps.

B. In any order, participants should:

1. Name their application and describe its features and how someone would use it using the first page of the template.

2. Alternately, load the pdf templates in photoshop or other editor (if you have access to a lab) participants will create digital maps of their proposed app functionality.

VII: Selling Your App (15 Minutes)

Groups present apps to each other.  Presenting your app to the group forces the presenter to explain the functions.  Then open the floor for questions on each invention to look for weaknesses or to add ideas from the larger group.  If you have a note-taker s/he should be especially vigilant during this section to ideas that get sparked by the app inventions.  Group votes on best application for a prize if you have one,  or all participants receive equal incentive for their creativity and participation.

VIII: Closing, clean up (10 Minutes)

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Preparation:

Personnel

• Facilitator: Familiarized with Applications for Good, Needs and Solutions.  Facilitator able to lead an innovation game.
• Administrator: 1. Has recruited and confirmed the guest list, manage the refreshments, door prizes or incentives.  Be sure participants have signed waiver and media release if you plan to publish their work.  2. Observer and note-taker to watch audience and record for non verbal cues and other actions that may help in product development.
• AV Manager: Set up sound or video recording equipment and projection, ready to record group activity or to manage video or slide presentation.

Materials

• Demonstration apps
• Feature phone, Iphone, tablet,  Android phone or other demo devices
• Projector and video camera to demonstrate what is on the phone screen
• Computer speakers
• Whiteboard or over sized poster board, writing and drawing instruments
• Additional AV recording equipment to capture group activity
• Template hand outs for application prototyping
• List of challenge categories and descriptions or access to this site
• Incentives or prizes
• Slide show presentation
• 3×5 cards or note pads for initial participant notes
• Observation recording notepads or computers for SIL observers
• Sign-up sheet to collect names, email addresses, mobile phone model for follow-up (below)
• Laptop for remote participation and web casting.  Other SIL members can contribute or observe.

Recording:

Facilitator should collect, photograph or scan all app ideas to be returned to the Applications for Good.  Participant names should be recorded for future reference in relation to the app, in case it gets developed, we will want to talk to them.  Participants should be asked if they would like to contribute to the development of an app should it be produced at some point.

Whenever possible, all activities will be recorded and placed into the idea market format via the Applications for Good website.  We are available to host any webcast or  AV recorded.  Please contact us for details

Follow Up

Participants should receive a summary one week after the event to keep them engaged in the process and invite them to help produce apps that might be developed as a result of their needs assessment or brainstorming.  We hope to engage participants over time with notifications about new apps, deals on mobile service, membership in our tester corps and other opportunities.