I finally settled on an app to build for my Design class!  In fact, I had so much fun (hard fun!) with the first app that I built that I used a different tool to build a second one!  

My first app, called BabyComfort created with Appery.io was, admittedly pretty simple.  I had buttons to play either a prerecorded heartbeat or a lullaby.  The idea behind this was that a mother or father could use their smartphone to soothe an infant to sleep.  I thought some of the enhancements could be:

• Record a mother's or father's voice either reading a bedtime story or singing a lullaby.
• Recording a parent's heartbeat to play back to the baby in the crib (I read some research that stated a baby fed better when being held by their mother. . .  the research was inconclusive as to whether this was the mother's heartbeat or her voice)
• Perhaps the phone's vibrate function could be incorporated to "beat" in time to the heartbeat.
• Perhaps we could even develop a plush toy of some sort with a pocket for the phone.
• And the idea even occurred to me to be able to use the phone as a crib monitor.  A smart phone's audio and video capabilities might be used to broadcast to another smartphone, tablet, or computer so that a parent might monitor their child.

So what, you ask, does the train photo above have to do with soothing a baby?  Well, . . . nothing really.  That image, and the one to the left, are from the second app I built called TrainsDotDB.  I used a different tool called AppArchitect for this one . . . just because I wanted to experience something something different.  TrainsDotDB allows a user to collect information about a model train collection (that I happen to have).  Like BabyComfort, TrainsDotDB is pretty simple, it presents a form that allows a user to enter data specific to each locomotive or rolling stock (train car).  In some cases, these models can have some pretty high value, so keeping a record is essential.  

So, why two apps?  Well, BabyComfort, as a first endeavor, had an incredibly steep learning curve.  One minute I didn't know what HTML5 was, and the next I was using it to access a database.  After my, somewhat frustrating, experience with Appery.io I looked around for a different tool and found AppArchitect.  This tool was MUCH easier to use but was also VERY limited in its capabilities.  My takeaways?  I think just about anyone with a familiarity with computers can create a phone or tablet app.  The thing is, to create an app that is really useful and marketable one must have a significant knowledge of Java, HTML5, PhoneGAP, and numerous other app tools.

While neither of these was created to solve a specific problem, I did learn a lot about creating mobile apps.  Like many many other things in life, scratching the surface is pretty easy, mastery however, is another story.

Well, back to square one. . . or almost.  After consulting with my instructor Bill, I have come to the conclusion that making an app using image processing techniques will be far too difficult in the limited time and with my limited knowledge base.  So, for this first project I am off to something different.

I have always been a big fan of black and white photography and I have owned numerous film cameras in my life from which I believe I could produce pretty good results.  However, I have yet to find a decent app for shooting black and white images on my iPhone or iPad.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been out and spotted a scene that I thought would make a great black and white image.  I almost always have my iPhone with me but rarely carry my other camera, a Sony NEX5 which is much more suitable for black and white.

During my associates degree I learned about the Ansel Adams Zone System for black and white photography.  The premise behind the zone system is that each grey scale value in a photograph should fall into one of 11 categories.  Zone 0 is pure black with no detail. Zone 10 is pure white with no detail.  Caucasian skin tone normally falls in zone 6 (see diagram below).  I would like to create an app for my iPhone and iPad that uses a Zone System interface for black and white photography.

This app would allow a user to choose a particular section of a photo (similar to a spot meter) and lock it to one of the zones in the above diagram.  For example, in the following image a user might choose an area of the screen such as the deep shadow of the mountain on the left side of the screen and lock that luminescence value to zone 3.  The user could then adjust the brightness and contrast in the image to achieve the full range (if necessary) of the zones in the image.  A picture could then be taken resulting in the best and most desired tonal quality in black and white on a digital device.

OK. . . . new idea!  I've been working on the Cog Tools class Community of practice project.  At the same time, I am working through my Action Research project to improve online student retention through the use of technology . . . and I need an idea for this design class. . . . VOILA!  (or some other French adjectives).  One of my postulations for online retention is the necessity of a sense of community for online students and especially for those students who are economically disadvantaged.  Creating a sense of community will allow a student to build more of a sense of belonging in their online community and promote completion in their programs.  So. . .  in the true sense of three birds, one stone. . .  I am now thinking about creating some type of technological tool to support and promote communities of practice with online students.  Some type of CoP support tool.  Could be a website, an app of some sort or something else. . . . not sure yet.  More research needed!