Production system and paradigm adjustment in collaborative works for designing mobile application; Visual Novel engine (VisNoE) case study

Abstract

To create mobile applications, technical skills in informatics are needed. However, visual interface design is the key selling points in applications. Visual designers usually have little proficiency in neither informatics knowledge nor technical skill. Therefore, visual designers have some level of dependency on information engineers to create a mobile application. Furthermore, there are paradigm difference in visual designer and technical designer in seeing the problem. Products created by engineers tend to have rigid system and clear right or wrong situation. Meanwhile, visual designers tends to see a design is properly solve the communication problem or they just missed it, but there's no definite terms as right or wrong. A collaborative study has been made to analyze the opportunities and threats for designing mobile applications. The final products created are in the form of Visual Novel, a J2ME generated mobile application. Designers are required to create storyboards and visual arts, and engineers are required to create an engine and toolkit. Each field of study is merged by routine coordination meetings. The research result shows that the necessary adjustment in production system is highly needed especially in designers point of view in order to smooth the collaborative studies. However, designers need also work with more structure in order to be able to create mobile applications..