ARS: Insight on how to make your presentation more interactive & gain feedback

Another Tuesday is upon which means another piece of technology I have to spiel about. Today it's the very clever iml connector device. 

Twitter is a beautiful thing and this is how i found out this device by a retweet from a person I follow. Rachel Klien  posted an article about this genius bit of technology. The article was about how to get the most feedback out of an event you put on. This would work well for a person who teaches, if you were putting on a debate or doing workshops.

Know who said what in real time! This is great when looking back at your invite you can pinpoint peoples reaction to the exact statement who you're presenting.  The user can also take a picture of themselves, so there's a face to the comments which is great for networking afterwards.


'IML's smartcards provide a simple and efficient way to identify and track individual's responses. 100% accurate and secure, smartcards are personal ID cards that automatically link audience members to their keypad activity.

Individuals simply insert their smartcard into the IML Connector and the system will automatically identify their responses.'








The iml connector has a wireless microphone. No more running around to pass around the microphones to the audience. All the do when chosen to speak ( I dont know how that works but I'm guessing theres a button the people press giving their interest to speak and then the speakers choses a name, which in turn the person uses their individual connector to speak into)

There is a texting option, where the audience can participant in the conversation or ask a questions. Everyone's responses would be projected onto a screen an the front of the stage.





Now this feature is where the majority of the crucial feedback comes from. I love this feature sooooo much!

"including multiple choice, value, rating, prioritisation, text response, XY matrix and resolution voting. Receive greater audience participation and honesty through anonymity or track individuals' responses via smartcards - perfect for auditing, training and certification."


Like I said before this piece of kit doesn't have to be for an event this could be used anywhere!







They've thought of everything! You can even have your logo or sponsors information imbedded onto the device, just to give it that special touch!

Other feature including recording the seminar and listening to the seminar in a different language. This is a nifty piece of kit and I don't doubt it pretty expensive for one! I don't whether there is an option to buy as i've been searching and nothing! Maybe they only offer on a rent basis?  I hope there is an option that yo can print out transcripts of your event and the polling results.

All in all if i was a millionaire with my own company or teaching workshop I would grabs these!

Hope you enjoyed this Tech Tuesday!

Tech Tuesday: Trello

Hello! Yes I know it's not tuesday and i'm a couple days late but its be a hectic week! I'm going to save my excuses and get straight to it.

Today i'm going to talk about a online project management program i found while running Creative Championships. I needed a management software that everyone could see tasks and deadlines. Most of all it had to be free. I almost gave up but my fantastic research skills finally came across Trello! 

Trello is a free web-based (which is fantastic no clogging up space on your operating system!) project management tool made by a fog creek software.  If your a person that loves your lists or find it difficult to do think about more than one thing at a time, this tool will support you. Whether it's your doing a shopping list, planning a wedding, planning a holiday I assure you ever detail will be documented, most of all fill you with ease. 

 Here's what the user interface looks like. Trello is set up as boards. You can name the board i.e Reception Dinner and then underneath the main heading you would add the tasks onto 'mini cards'. i.e Caterers, you then would click onto that name and put more detail. On the mini cards you can create checklist, deadline dates, add pictures, videos, a voting system,word documents and many more. You can drag and drop the mini cards on any board you like.

If this is a group endeavour you can assign people for different tasks. Once any activity has been made on the card that a person is assigned to, they would instantly be sent an email. You can also add comments and have a discussion. You can colour co-ordinate the task will the label option too. You can have as many boards and mini cards as you like and also projects.

You will be pleased to now you can access Trello through your smartphone. There's no restrictions either like some apps where access is only web based.

Things I would like to see implemented:

1. At this moment in time when you add a label to differeniate tasks with colour it only put a slither of colour on the bottom of the mini card. I would like the whole board changed to that particular colour. Being dyslexic I find it easier when colour is used on the background, my mind seems to see structure better.  
2. Also I would like there to be an option where you can print your project as either single boards or all boards together. 
3. Video calling or instant chat option.
4. Reminders to members or yourself that a deadline is approaching.
5. There's an option where u can do a voting approach, maybe once the voting has finished it creates a mini pie chart that either you can present or print out.

I hope you've found this helpful! Happy projecting managing! 

Tech Tuesday!

I've decided to blog about gadget that i come across whether i think they're useless or a must to add to my collection. So today I start it of with this little number..... Would you saying when referring to this: 'good things come in small packages?"




Little Printer

"Little Printer holds a compact, inkless, thermal printer which prints in black on white thermochromic paper. A thermal head inside the printer selectively heats the paper as it passes, turning areas black to produce an image.While the paper required is specially coated, it is readily and cheaply available from high street office suppliers. We always supply and recommend BPA-free paper" 

Use your iPhone, Android or Windows smart phone to add 'publictions' that make you laugh, train your brain, enhance your cooking skills or just give you a fact a day.  Once you've saved the publication you then print it from your mini printer. You can schedule them to print in the morning you have a something to read with your cornflakes, have a light read ready for when you get home or have a night cap before your beauty sleep.

Not only can the app do that but it can connect to you can send a message home, you can send your to do list to print to stick up on your note board.
Little printer needs to sits by your broadband router and wirelessly connects Little Printer to the web. It  could be different to carry it round with everywhere you go.

  I think this would be cute in a cafe etc having quirky things on the back of the receipt.  It's not something that you couldn't go without but if money isn't an option than why not try it out.

The good think about this is that it's inkless! We all know that inks is so expensive to buy useless you buy it in bulk. However the website doesn't mention how much the paper rolls are going to be, how for repairs, how much for a new cable or router if lost or faulty.

This is a very cute product although at £199.99 it's a pretty expensive one. For more information or to order one (launch in April 2013) head to the website.

To teach or not to teach?

Now for the last couple months teaching has been on my mind. Even when i'm start on the beach with a rum punch in my left hand, my right is scribbling down a rough workshop curriculum. It would kind of be like my course i graduated from the University of Salford. It would be an open class to an array of people who are either design led or business/marketing led. For example on my course there was graphic designers, fashion designers, account managers, UX designers, photographers, 3D designers, set designers. You get the jist. We all were different but we learnt the same principles. How to get from having an idea to conception. This included a full investigate research, from questionnaires, looking at the competitors, interviews, group work, presentations, how we would market it, mock ups and so on so forth. We weren't just creatives', we are creatives' with the ability to investigate which is an asset to a company, we can do more then just design. Unfortunately the course has been cut due to budget cuts which is a real shame.

Are you as confused as me?

I would if i did teach, adults I feel some of the older population has got talent and want to make it on their own. The last 20 years technology has been progressing at a alarming rate (but great) and i feel that they just don't where to begin. I would consider doing after school sessions with secondary children because when i was at school the only 'design' was art class which i was told by the teacher not to take it up as a G.C.S.E because i was bad. charming! I did a SWOT analysis and things that would hinder me starting it up would be not having a reputation and a teaching certificate. But as i said this is just a thought.






I came across this website via twitter called Go-On, their main objective is to get the older generation using this fantastic technology that we have access to. They help the communities around manchester with the help of volunteers to teach them the basic IT skills and also how to use social media. The volunteers range from local businesses or individuals like you and I. I've put my request in to help out maybe it will help me to figure if teaching, if in my spare time or part time is for me.

I have never wanted to be a teacher, i've always wanted to be the one to keep learning. A friend of mine graduated from university the same time and wanted to work with the youth offenders. She tried and tried but couldn't get anyway. September of 2012 she started on a teaching programme and will finish this year with probably a guaranteed job offer. Dont get me wrong she enthused with what she's doing now, its her life and she loves it.  I dont want to be  disingenuous to the teaching profession, as a know a good few people who have gone into nursing and teaching because the majority of the time its guaranteed work.  I want to have the passion and the drive in the profession i choose and not be in it just because. However things are getting hard and it is time to start working and saving up for my pension! Lord knows David Cameron's not going to help with my heating bills!!


Either way i need to start working it been too long now.... lets hope the many jobs i've applied for something comes up!