Showing posts with label Design. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Design. Show all posts

Keep It Simple Stupid



We won! 

What a way to start 2021.

Over the years, on my journey in the Game Development Industry, I have been blessed with great friends. So when I found out that we as the Moran StoryLab would be participating in an all-female XR Hackathon this month I reached out to my friend Roy for some advice. 

Roy had participated in the previous XR (extended reality) Hackathon by the same company BlackRhinoVR and their team had won an award. I went through some ideas with Roy after which he gave me a task to research a few things. And one of those was the parable of the talents in the Bible.

I found this a strange way to approach finding Tech solutions but I trust Roy so I went ahead and looked for the parable to refresh my memory. That is when I saw the correlation between the message of the parable and the theme of the XR Hackathon which was "Eradication of Systemic Corruption using VR/AR Solutions".

The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-30

For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. 

Then he went away. He who had received the five talents made five talents more. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. And he who had received five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, "Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more."

His master said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master."

He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying. "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours."

But his master answered him, " You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

The overarching issue we noted as a team when it comes to corruption is mismanagement of funds so this parable resonated. However, while we went through our ideas as the Moran StoryLab team, we realized there is a need for people to be educated on various important issues such as the fact that we have paid taxes since we were children through everyday goods. Therefore even if some of us don't pay taxes directly from our salary, we still need to care how the funds are used. 

Another learning opportunity was that there are ways unknown by most that one can report corrupt officials anonymously while protecting themselves and their loved ones.

At first, our idea was jumbled up. We had so many problems we wanted the solution to solve. But thanks to the witty message by Brian Afande the Managing Director of BlackRhinoVR keep it simple stupid we decided to simplify our solution. So on the first day of the Hackathon when all the other teams hacked away, we went back to the drawing board to simplify our solution and bring some form of clarity.


The team going back to the drawing board

These were the most trying moments during the Hackathon but we somehow pulled through. Using the resources we had at our disposal, we saw it fit to make an educational augmented reality experience that teaches the user how to report corruption cases anonymously so as to protect their identities as witnesses.


We called our solution Whistle Blowing 101

As we've learnt from the parable we are all given responsibilities according to our abilities. We as a team,  after the short training we had received from BlackRhinoVR mentors, were able to come up with a simple solution that would help in solving a crucial problem. A problem so crucial that lives have been lost as a result.

During the presentation of our solutions, we made sure to mention a few of the many lives that were affected due to lack of knowledge on how to protect themselves. Those examples included John Githongo, David Munyakei and Boniface Mwangi who upon revealing corruption underwent some grave repercussions. 

Upon revealing the Anglo Leasing scandal, John Githongo sought exile in the UK due to claims of a threat to his life. After exposing the Goldenberg scandal, David Munyakei was sacked from his job at the Central Bank of Kenya. As a result, he was not able to buy some medicine he needed and later succumbed to the illness. 

Boniface Mwangi, on the other hand, had to send his family to the United States because his activism against corruption put them all in danger. As seen in his award-winning documentary film Softie the move affected his relationship with his family including his firstborn son almost denouncing him as a father.

It is as a result of such stories that people turn a blind eye to corruption because we do not know how to protect ourselves. There is so much to lose as individuals. However, now with our solution, people will know there are more secure ways of reporting corruption cases such as going through the Ethics and Anti-Corruption (EACC) website and filling in forms anonymously. 

In the parable, the "unfaithful servant" accused their master of some form of impunity but did not seem to have any evidence. Such accusations even to date fall on deaf ears; that is why to further our solutions upon funding, we would like to come up with a platform where people can upload videos and photos as evidence which will go through some form of fact-checking among other procedures.

In the spirit of keeping things simple stupid, we made our prototype the simplest and most straight forward way we could. We avoided making a prototype of how we envisioned the future software solution to look and resorted to stating it during the presentation. I loved how easy it was to explain what our solution was about and how when the judges sent questions our way we were all able to assist one another in answering them. 

The synergy throughout the Hackathon was amazing. Our bond as a team grew in leaps and bounds and now I look forward to working on a 360-degree video shoot together later this year. 

After the Hackathon, we had a Protecting Your Intellectual Property talk organized by BlackRhinoVR on the following Tuesday to prepare us for the future should our projects get funding for further development. 





We won 600 dollars by practising simplicity and now our 2021 is off to a great start. I would like to challenge you to find ways to simplify the things you do. Ease into them and find ways to relieve stress. Simplify the goals you have so that you have tiny little habits you do regularly towards the achievement of the larger goal. When you get the chance read the book Atomic Habits. And on that note. I wish you the very best this new year and remember to keep it simple stupid

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Let Yourself Be Perfectly Imperfect.


I remember watching my desk mate and fellow classmates walk past me during assembly to the front of the podium to receive gifts for doing well in exams . While this happened I would wonder when it would ever be me. At times I would daydream walking up the podium to get my Cadbury chocolate for grades well earned. Yet again and again, I would wake up and find myself in the same place leading on the other side, with no chocolate in sight apart from the occasional generous friend giving me a kionjo.

In the afternoon, after class, I would stay in behind longer than usual while my deskmate went for Hockey practice so that I could catch up on some reading. I would do the same during the weekends when she and other high performing students would go out of school for Sports competitions. 

I did not let myself get into Sports because I was scared that my grades would deteriorate even further. If only I knew what I know now as someone working in the Video Game Development Industry, on the importance of play in activating the brain for learning and strategic thinking. 

Anyway, I digress; my daydreams were the closest I got to receiving such a chocolatey gift. I know, I know you must be thinking gosh how petty. All the same, I am a human being and coupled with my raging teenage hormones at that time I was allowed to feel that way. 

Most schools did not have such gifts and students still did well. However, that was not my reality and for that, I felt inadequate. 

The fusion of art and tech is the future; creativity is getting more on demand during this time of accelerated digital transformation -- Wendi Ndaki

Don't get me wrong I had my strong points. I remember being awarded the second position for drawing a portrait during an inter-house competition. But now looking back, I realize no one saw it fit to give us brilliant creative students chocolate as recognition for our creative genius. It tells you a lot about the education system and the solutions for these ingrained mindsets that the sciences are the most important and should be given priority at the expense of the arts.

Anyway, I laboured through high school and ended up with a good enough grade to do a Diploma so as to qualify to do my Degree. This only happened because I am blessed with caring parents who made sure I went through my University education. 

I ended up in IT and I decided to embrace it. I eventually fell in love with it which led to me starting this blog and joining the gaming industry where I feel most at home because of how art and tech fuse seamlessly.

To be honest, one must be strong-willed and passionate about art to go through such experiences and still be at it. And because of that, I celebrate myself.

Having gone through the hardships I did during my time in High School, I have come to appreciate applications that gamify learning such as Mavis Beacon for typing and Duolingo for learning foreign languages. Because I love learning new things. It's just the method of learning I used in High School that did not work for me.

I learn best by doing practical stuff that is why Art was my favourite subject in High School and IT grew on me in Uni. 

I used to attend classes during the day and work in the ICT department in Uni at night. I would juggle that with doing assignments and also being an active member of a student-run organisation called AIESEC where I would eventually get elected as a Vice President. I even got to travel to Rwanda as a web design volunteer teacher in a High School in Huye through AIESEC.

My alma mater USIU-A made learning fun and my time on campus was full of adventure. I still remember the 24 hour ride from Nairobi to Kigali by bus for that volunteer opportunity. And how we would go to the Rift Valley region for leadership conferences on a regular, both through AIESEC and USIU-A as student leaders.

As I sit here writing this, my life still has its challenges but I feel like my past experiences ground me. I am more appreciative as my life takes shape and as I establish myself as a Creative Entrepreneur. 

I currently have clientele from both the Arts and Tech industries. I have travelled to numerous countries fully sponsored because I chose to be bold, follow my heart and do what I love. I recently spoke in a panel with CEOs and influential people in Kenya and I almost did not recognize myself. I received a good sum of money for winning as a team at the Hack Ur Culture Hackathon. My team Hack Circle also received funding from the Goethe Institute Joburg to further develop another solution we created at the same Hackathon.

I have found my calling in the fusion of the arts and technology and I intend to share this passion through the work I produce and hopefully make a difference through inspiring stories that encourage those hesitant to follow this path that it is possible to succeed in it.

It will be tough at times but totally worth it. Let it be imperfect as you start and watch it improve as you go. We are always on a journey towards an elusive perfection, so let yourself be perfectly imperfect. And try try try. Apply for those opportunities and then let go, meanwhile count your blessings and stay positive. All will be well.

I never got that chocolate in High School but I tried my best. Now I can buy myself all the chocolate I want with money earned doing things I absolutely love. What more could one ask for? I did my Diploma while my classmates were doing their Degree I felt low in the beginning but when I went to do my Degree I achieved more than I thought I would. And so can you, that thing that is putting you down right now will make for a great story in the future. Be kind to yourself and those around you and let yourself be perfectly imperfect.

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African Creatives to the World with Africacomicade's Gamathon


Did you know that the Video Game Industry is bigger than Hollywood? Well, it is and in 2020, the global games market is set to generate more than $160 billion and increase by 7.3% year on year. In Africa, the market for games has risen from $105 million to $570 million in just four years! The African population is young with the average age being 20 years. This will form the labour force of the future, as well as the gaming community that will raise the user base for games.

Africacomicade Founders

Oscar and Oluwatosin the Co-Founders. Their talk can be found
here.


The Africacomicade Gamathon is a virtual event that is hosted on itch.io. It is an initiative that was started by Oscar Micheal and Oluwatosin Ogunyebi to showcase African Creatives to the World. This is not only limited to the Creatives in the Gaming Industry but also those in the wider Entertainment Industry like film, music and content creation. Gaming is an industry that brings other industries together and this will become even more evident once you register for free and attend the training sessions and talks. 



The aim of Africacomicade is to let the world know we have African Game Developers who are doing well. And to invite Creatives of all kinds from Storytellers to Illustrators, Marketers to Animators, Musicians to Sound Technicians and more to learn how they can plug into this inclusive Industry. It is a chance to show all these people the job opportunities they can leverage.

The Gamathon started on the 24th and will be running till the 30th of this month August 2020. The first 5 days are dedicated to training through talks and panel discussions. A lot of insight into the gaming industry will be shared by Industry leaders. Then on the final two days, Creatives from different African Countries will team up and create games for 48 hours in the exciting Africacomicade Game Jam.

If you are a newbie, not to worry. There will be training sessions in the program such as using platforms like Buildbox which requires no coding to create a game but focusses more on logic. Communication about all these training opportunities will be done through the Africacomicade Discord channel. Gaming and Game Publishing companies will also come in and inform new as well as established Game Developers what they have to offer.

The training sessions are in an effort to assist in the education needed in the Gaming Industry. It seeks to highlight how there are endless opportunities for what one can do with their gaming skills. 

As a player you can become a professional game tester and assist Game Developers with the much-needed feedback during the different development phases of their games. You can also become a Professional Esports Athlete and stand a chance to earn just as much as the professional football players do.

So as you can see there will be lots of activities before the Game Jam this weekend. If you are a Creative and, to be honest, I believe we all are, you may want to register and learn how you can offer your skills in this fast-growing Industry. Also, note that there are lots of prizes to be won. I look forward to seeing more African Creatives building their networks and growing in the Industry. And I hope you will be one of them.



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Mbira : The Fun and Interactive Game Inspired by Zimbabwe



On the 21st of May 2020 Zimbabwe celebrated the beginning of their culture week. Google Doodle honoured this day with an interactive game of Zimbabwe's 1000 year old musical instrument called the Mbira. The creation of the Google Doodle was a collaboration of different people in different fields, from writers to musicians, to visual artists and game developers.



Every game has a story and the Mbira Google Doodle is no exception.
This interactive experience follows the story of a little girl from the day she first fell in love with the Mbira to when she grows up and becomes a musician that plays the Mbira in a band. I loved watching how her mother was supportive throughout her creative journey.


The interactive experience challenged the player to play 4 traditional and modern songs in 4 levels. The songs are titled Nhemamusasa, Bangiza, Taireva and Chemutengure.

They played by simply hovering over a key on the Mbira at just the right time, following instructions that were laid out at the very beginning of the game. What I found special about this particular google doodle is that the Google team actually took a trip to Zimbabwe and worked closely with the Shona people so as to capture the authentic culture of the people in the game.




In this case, the levels and chapters of the interactive experience are synonymous. This is unlike in normal games where levels are strict and you have to finish one level to proceed to another; I realized that did not apply here. On the final page of the game, you can click on replay and choose a chapter you would like to play again or create your own mbira songs in free play. The game's 4 levels went as follows:


Level 1: It starts with the little girl walking with her Mum who is carrying a baby on her back. When the little girl hears an old Man play the Mbira, she stops right on her tracks forcing her mother to do the same. She then pushes the mother towards the old man's direction. The old Man notices her fascination with the instrument, stops playing and let's her touch it for her very first time. After that we continue listening to some beautiful Zimbabwean music as we are instructed on how to play the first song Nhemamusasa.


Level 2: Here we see a man making a tiny mbira. What's even more special about this particular moment is that the little girl has also participated in making it. We are shown the little girl picking bottle tops and handing them to the man for him to fix them on the Mbira. Once it is ready, he hands it over to the little girl and joy is written all over her face and we later see her hugging it dearly. After this emotional moment the player is taught how to play the song Bangiza.


Level 3: Takes us to the girl - now older - playing the Mbira with her peers who are dancing and playing other instruments. Her mother is still by her side as she is the one who brings her to this space. Before we proceed with the game play, we are taught about how the large calabash gourds used to make Mbiras help amplify the sound of the music. Playing the song Taivera is the next challenge in the game.


Level 4: The young girl is now an adult and plays in a band with a large crowd watching. We are taught that the Mbira can be featured with electric bands in Zimbabwe alongside drums and guitars. Things go full circle when she hands down the instrument to a young boy just the way it was handed down to her years ago. 

This highlights how the Shona people have managed to preserve the Mbira  for 1000 years through handing it down to the next generations. We then play the song Chemutengure and just like the journey of the young girl our journey as players also goes full circle.



It is a sweet story and an amazing interactive experience that introduces us to the special instrument of the Shona people. I'd like to urge you to try it out yourself here.The music from the mbira is soothing and with the current state of the World right now, the Mbira Google Doodle could not have come at a better time. 

Here are some wise words to follow as we stay safe and healthy during this pandemic. 
"Time is a healer, pain is a teacher, music is a stress reliever, be a believer" - Sauti Sol. And on that note I will leave you with these soothing sounds of the Mbira from Zimbabwe. Enjoy!





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Meet Wanja: Learn How Her Simple Artistic Idea Won 100 Grand





She and I have lived in the same neighborhood and known each other since we were kids, yet for some reason I never knew she could draw until recently. See I was scrolling through my facebook feed and that's when I saw it...

It, was a picture of Wanja receiving a 100 grand dummy cheque from a mentor at the BLAZE Summit Eldoret edition. I was as surprised as I was happy for her.
  
In the interview below Wanja tells us about her journey as an artist which started more than a decade ago. The reasons why she took a couple of breaks in between, how she met some influential people thanks to her craft and the icing on the cake what idea won her 100 grand.


Meet Wanja Wa Wangeci and let's dive into her artistic world for a bit, shall we? Happy swimming 🏊. 

WAI stands for Wendi Art IT.



WAI: When did you discover you have artistic talent?


Wanja: In 2004 when I was in class 4, you get these maps that you are told to draw ... Yeah, I used to draw them so well that my friends would make me draw for them. That's when I realized, I was the artist in the class. It all started from there, then I started drawing cartoons.



WAI: That was Primary school did you move on to study art?


Wanja: No no, in fact I actually stopped drawing at some point, because I thought of it as just a hobby, something you do for fun. So I started again in 2016, when I joined an art school at Kasarani. I learnt about the school via facebook and since I was still in Eldoret, I joined the art school properly early this year when I was in for my holidays. I'm in my final year studying entrepreneurship at Moi University



WAI: What type of art do you like creating?


Wanja: I like drawing cartoons and creating charcoal and pencil art pieces. I do portraits too it's a way I use to maintain myself in campus. I draw for people and sell.





WAI: How do you market your artwork?

Wanja: I use facebook a lot and when I'm in a gathering where my friends are, I introduce myself as an artist. At school I subsidize the prices and the students are my main customers. They order, then come and buy from me and life moves on.





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Building Digital Footprints





"When you are on a lonely path, make sure you leave a trail so no one ever feels lost on that path"
 by Sriram Bharatam CEO & Founder of Kuza Biashara.

Are you a trail blazer?

Last year I actively embarked on a journey. A journey towards social media and digital marketing. I shared a bit of my experience  here with you.

However, at some point I felt overwhelmed and my social media activity tanked. This is because my efforts to boost my online presence did not seem to pay off. It also felt lonely because I had not identified someone who I could journey with.


#SheGoesDigital Team

2017 came with it's share of blessings though. Along with other 49 ladies. I got shortlisted as a beneficiary of a free social media/ digital marketing skills training by Kuza Biashara. In partnership with International Trade Center.

The selection process was very rigorous and it was  humbling when I received a congratulatory email. On our first day we were told that we had been selected out of an applicants pool of around 600 ladies. That, proof enough that many people are embracing Digital and Social Media Marketing as potential career paths.

I am very grateful to Kuza Biashara for the opportunity they granted us. I finally got to meet like minded people who were experiencing similar challenges. True to his words,Sriram had left a trail behind so that we would never feel lonely on that path again.

We are now spoiled for choice on who to pick as accountability partners. In addition to that Kuza Biashara is willing to support us, even after the training as we continue working on our digital marketing endeavors. 


Thank you Sriram

I did not pay attention to how many days were left for the training to end so when it was announced that it was coming soon. My heart sank. I will really miss the #shegoesdigital team.

The sessions were so informative, interesting and engaging. Special thanks go to Paul Hughson the awesome trainer that took us through a huge percentage of the trainings. His attention to detail and ability to draw examples globally and locally was impeccable. 



Paul


One exciting topic we learnt from Paul was Phygital Marketing. Phygital marketing combines popular trends in physical marketing and digital marketing.

Imagine doing your shopping while waiting for your ride home. Tesco now known as Homeplus banked on Korea's busy lifestyle.They brought virtual stores where the people were. Which was at the subway stations.

The only requirement was to own a smart phone. This is because they would need to use smart phones to shop by scanning the QR code of the images of the items they wanted to purchase on posters stuck on the subway walls.

The online purchase would then be delivered to them once they got home. As a result online sales increased tremendously.




Another store that has really worked on it's phygital marketing is Amazon. So cool!

Then there was James Keru the guy who cheered us on. He was the instructor that engaged the most with our content. Commenting on everyone's posts, after we created blog posts and wrote articles on LinkedIn

His words of encouragement and tips on how to improve will go a long way.  My take home from Keru was that it is better as a blogger  to write one article well than to hastily write many low quality ones. His success on Kuza Biashara's  blog also set a great example. It was evident that he actually did what he preached.

Since this is an Art and Tech blog. I will be sharing some of the tips I learnt during the training here with you so stay tuned. You could also subscribe to this blog so that you can receive updates on new posts directly as they come.


Keru

We all need the ability to communicate effectively and build rapport with our online audience. That way they will be more receptive when we introduce a new product or idea to them. This is where Avni Shah came in. She introduced NLP  (Neuro Linguistic Programming) to us.

We all looked forward to her exciting sessions. She always kept us engaged. The sessions revolved around concepts such as building rapport, eye patterns and perceptual positions just to mention a few.

These concepts are very important for anyone who talks and deals with other human beings, which is all of us. Just be careful when we meet and I ask you a question.

There are specific eye patterns that can help someone tell if you are lying or trying to recall a past experience. Alternatively you could try extend your blinks so that I don't tell if you are lying 😉. I will really miss Avni and her fun sessions.


Avni and Mariam (a fellow trainee) during one of the sessions

 Social media is facilitating online communication in a big way. Which is an important thing in this age where more and more people want to be their own bosses. and even more want to build their personal brands.

The sessions during my time as a Digital and Social Media Marketing Trainee at Kuza Biashara taught me many things. I can only mention so much on this post.

However more follow up posts are coming soon. So stay tuned, better yet drop your email address on the subscription box on the far right side of this blog for updates on new content.

Special thanks also go to Mugure, Vaines,  Esther, Julius, Cleopatra, Stanley, Yvonne, Chris and my fellow ladies for your awesomeness. You are all gems in my life. For all those who organized this training directly or indirectly we are grateful and we will always remember the sacrifices you made for us. Lots of love from me to you.

AA (Auspicious Art)
Wendi Mutisya
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