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GUA Forums - Blogs http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to http://www.vbulletin.com/ . en Sat, 19 May 2012 02:37:22 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.mygua.org/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg GUA Forums - Blogs http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php Movember http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=76 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:17:51 GMT I am growing a moustache this year for Movember. I have decided to put down my razor for one month (November) and help raise awareness and funds for... I am growing a moustache this year for Movember. I have decided to put down my razor for one month (November) and help raise awareness and funds for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

What many people don’t appreciate is that close to 3,000 men die of prostate cancer each year in Australia and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime - many of whom don’t seek help. Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved and I am hoping that you will support me.

To sponsor my Mo, you can either:

• Click this link http://au.movember.com/mospace/309666/ and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account
• Write a cheque payable to ‘Movember Foundation’, referencing my Registration Number 309666 and mailing it to: Movember Foundation, PO Box 292, Prahran, VIC, 3181

Remember, all donations over $2 are tax deductible (in Australia).

Movember is now in its sixth year and, to date, has achieved some pretty amazing results by working alongside The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCFA) and beyondblue: the national depression initiative. Check out further details at: http://au.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs.

If you are interested in following the progress of my Mo, click here http://au.movember.com/mospace/309666/. Also, http://au.movember.com has heaps of useful
information.

Thank you ]]> mike1 http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=76 Job Tracking vs Prinergy dashboard http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=75 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:30:02 GMT In 2007, Prinergy team created the web-based Dashboard tool. We think it was rather cool-looking, and had a great premise, in that it was viewable... In 2007, Prinergy team created the web-based Dashboard tool. We think it was rather cool-looking, and had a great premise, in that it was viewable anywhere in the plant, with no installation.

We heard that it had some limitations, in that Prinergy couldn't tell you how many plates were expected, only how many it had sent. Also same for proofs, and pages. And then some users wanted to know more details about prepress errors, and throughput, and potential capacity - a real system 'dashboard'. At the same time, CSRs and some production coordinators needed to know more about what came before Prinergy, and especially after prepress: when does the job leave the plateroom? When did the outsourced bits arrive? Did the whole thing ship? What's the hold up?

Some of you have gotten pretty creative in using custom fields in Workshop to show different information you care about & making Workshop a more one-stop tracking tool.

So as we work toward Prinergy 6, we are thinking about tracking. Some very esteemed customers (and valued readers of my blog :) ) have told us 'don't bother with tracking, that's the MIS job & it is fine'.

Certainly once once we get into tracking, it is a short jump to wanting to rearrange a schedule... how much of that is Prinergy's job is another question altogether.

SO a few questions to consider:
- WHO needs to track jobs in the plant? CSRs, we think, and also production managers/prepress managers. Probably every department manager needs to know what is coming & what is in their department, and to let other departments know what has already moved out of their zone & into the next.

- HOW do each of these user types track job progress now.
White boards? bar codes integrated with your MIS System? piles of job tickets that you can see when you poke your head into each department? Some combo of each?

Honestly, we dream of big surface UI on a wall or table. Where you would select with a touch & look at groups of jobs that you care about for different versions. And mini iPhone tracking tools... that would let you check in from home easily (without having to necessarily call the nightshift).

We think this can be Prinergy's domain, especially in the digital environment where the distinction between press & prepress is not as clear as in litho.

What does the voice of the "real world" say??

mockups of possible job tracker to follow....
jacqueline

Feel free as always to mail us directly in the User Experience Design Group jacqueline.gullion@kodak.com ]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=75 Back to school: submitting simple jobs http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=74 Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:57:25 GMT It’s the first week of school for kids across North America, and the design blog is back. No, we haven’t been taking the summer off over here at... It’s the first week of school for kids across North America, and the design blog is back. No, we haven’t been taking the summer off over here at Prinergy Design HQ.

We’ve been spending the last months designing & evaluating the steps involved in submitting a job to print production, and we’ve built a working prototype of a new job submission tool.

Email me if you have 1 hour to try it out in an online meeting. Jacqueline.gullion@kodak.com

There is a mockup attached as a PDF & your feedback is totally welcome.

In this design concept we are exploring a big “WHAT IF?”

What if a CSR was the only person to touch a job between it coming into the plant & being queued up for plate or digital print?

We think that if we gave Prinergy enough of the information about your plant’s press & finishing equipment, and we limited the jobs to the simple jobs that do not require the special expertise of a prepress operator, then Prinergy could actually preflight & make the imposition automatically. A CSR just has to visually inspect a job & maybe email a low res mockup to their client.

This seems to fit, from our research in your plants: there are many jobs that come in via email, FTP or 3rd party storefronts. Despite your best efforts at automation, it seems like some customers just can’t get on the InSite & web to print bandwagon yet. It also looks like CSRs spend a lot of time filling out paper job tickets, or order entry tickets that then Prepress has to decipher & then find the right Preps template, add the marks, get the files in etc etc.

I timed one very fast prepress operator at 8 minutes from files in to proof, but we subject her to 35+ screens & dialog boxes! Just to get a simple business card through. Surely we could trim this down to 2 minutes or less & 1-2 screens? And if the job is a really low-margins item (like a lot of digital jobs & short run offset jobs) surely we could reduce the number of touch points, so Prepress stays focused on the more complex work, while the CSR does the order entry & kicks off system processing at the same time?

Well, that’s the idea in this job submit tool. I’m ready to hear what you think & please do sign up for a quick usability try out to learn more & see the job tracking & scheduling tools too!
Jacqueline

Attached Files

Prinergy 6 submitter- detail5.pdf (1.08 MB, 373 views)

]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=74 Design Concept C http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=73 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:04:12 GMT This is the 3rd concept for a CSR/Prepress Planning UI for Prinergy 6 Higher Speed workflow for simple digital & offset jobs.

In addition to any of these would be a plate/print scheduling or queue-management tool, based on the concept we have in Prinergy 5 Digital Direct.

Again the details are left out of this concept. The main difference here is on the visual, non-linear flow.

- emphasis on filling out parameters & system does the rest
- discourage the user from interacting hands-on with the imposition on every job. However, on the 2nd PDF, you see the bubbles collapse into an accordian UI that makes room for an interactive workspace. In the example, it is imposition, though similar tool would be available to manage preflight and upload of pages.

Again, how does this suit your CSR & prepress workflow? What ideas does it give you? What are your questions?

**Attached as a PDF**
Comment here, or feel free to email me.

We have all these concepts to test us to try to get the RIGHT design, then we'll work to get the design RIGHT. I'm looking for volunteers to talk in more detail & consider how your own work will fit in the the next round of detailed designs, so let me know if you are interested in a 1 hour webex session.
jacqueline

jacqueline.gullion@kodak.com

Attached Files

	DesignConceptsC.pdf (250.9 KB, 224 views)
	DesignConceptsC2.pdf (331.5 KB, 209 views)

]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=73 Design Concept B http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=72 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:56:13 GMT Hi again
Here's a 2nd possible UI for Prinergy 6 Higher Speed workflow for simple digital & offset jobs.

In this concept, you see
- emphasis on tracking jobs
- emphasis on fill out parameters & system does the rest
- encourage the user to do interactive imposition, preflight and other tasks. Interactive workspace is very prominent. You would expect that full Preps-like functionality would be available in the Impose tab
- work on one step at a time
- emphasis on workflow
- prompt user to resolve problems

We would expect to still have a job ticket to get the work on each job started.

How does this suit your work? How does it compare to the other 2 concepts? Limitations? Benefits?

**Attached as a PDF** feel free to annotate & send back to me at jacqueline.gullion@kodak.com

Attached Files

DesignConceptsB.pdf (261.0 KB, 203 views)

]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=72 Design Concept A http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=71 Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:51:49 GMT Hi GUA
Here's 1 possible UI for Prinergy 6 Higher Speed workflow for simple digital & offset jobs.

This is a concept only - the details are purposely left out. However, what you can see is
- emphasis on tracking jobs
- emphasis on fill out parameters & system does the rest
- discourage the user from interacting hands-on with the imposition, though likely providing that function at a deeper level
- emphasis on workflow
- guide user to resolve problems
- allow system to handle many hundreds of active jobs & filter in a list

What do you think about this concept? Would it work for a CSR to do some proportion of the work without having to get Prepress to get deep into the preflight or impose hands-on work?

What are the limitations?

Open to comments & 2 other alternate concepts immediately following.

**Attached as a PDF** feel free to annotate & send back to me at jacqueline.gullion@kodak.com

Attached Files

	DesignConceptsA.pdf (334.9 KB, 213 views)
	DesignConceptsA2.pdf (317.2 KB, 189 views)

]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=71 Stay connected beyond GUA http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=70 Mon, 29 Jun 2009 03:15:16 GMT twitter.com/toddchronister (http://twitter.com/toddchronister) facebook.com/toddchronister (http://www.facebook.com/toddchronister)... twitter.com/toddchronister
facebook.com/toddchronister
premedia.toddchronister.com ]]> tchronister http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=70 Scenarios for higher speed workflow on simple jobs http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=69 Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:12:17 GMT Hi again GUA Our products here in Unified Workflow are designed around user scenarios - lifelike situations of people using our software. ... Hi again GUA

Our products here in Unified Workflow are designed around user scenarios - lifelike situations of people using our software.

These scenarios come out of site visits by Apps Engineers, calls to the response centre, and a major user research project the User Experience Design Team did in the last 12 months. We've visited & talked to many sites, and the scenarios are based on what we observed.

We use the scenarios to tell us what components the UI should include, what features to build (and to exclude) and to evaluate our design - once we're done, did we meet the goals of the scenarios?

I've attached the Scenarios as a PDF.
Feel free to comment here, or email me back with other remarks:
-- how does your workflow fit with /deviate from these scenarios?
-- what other scenarios were you hoping we would design for?

The *stars* of the scenarios are users named Ann and Kevin. These are composites drawn from research with real people at real printing plants.

Ann is a CSR/Planner,
Kevin is a Production Manager, both in a plant that prints a mix of digital and litho jobs.

Now, these scenarios may change, they may be added to, new ones will be added, some may be deleted. We can't promise to take everyone's suggestions & directly implement all of them, but we certainly hope you'll challenge us to think through and anticipate how printing workflow will be in 3-5 years.

Jacqueline
jacqueline.gullion@kodak.com

Attached Files

UserScenarios.pdf (150.4 KB, 499 views)

]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=69 P6: Higher speed workflow for simple jobs http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=68 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:12:38 GMT Let's get this conversation started with one of the mantras for prinergy 6:
Higher speed workflow for simple digital & offset jobs.

We understand that one pressure on print service providers is to be more efficient in producdtion. In addition to supporting automation, we aim to design P6 so operators can quicker & more efficient in getting simple jobs into the system, checking for problems, fine-tuning impositions, and getting those jobs printed & out!

Some shops told us about "light touch workflows", or 'one touch products'. You told us these pieces are simple, predictable, and don't require intensive planning decisions or prepress troubleshooting, but probably can't be totally automated, due to slight variations (maybe in press sheet sizes).

So here's the first chance to contribute to P6 design-by-blog & give us some more real-life perspective to design:

1. What counts as a 'simple' job in your plant?

2. What is the % of 'simple' jobs?

3. What are the bottlenecks with simple jobs now?

Messed-up incoming files? Fine-tuning the imposition? Different sheet sizes all the time? Prepress busy doing higher-return, complex jobs?

4. What are the proofing requirements for the simple jobs?

As soon as I see a response to these questions, I'll post some design concept mockups!

Jacqueline ]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=68 Prinergy 6 Design Blog http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=67 Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:52:08 GMT Hello GUA Members
The Unified Workflow team has recently started development for Prinergy 6 & the User Experience Design team is open for your input through this blog.

Here we'll post mockups, conceptual sketches, questions, and scenarios that the development team is working with.

In the GUA spirit of collaboration, problem-solving & frank debate, we hope you'll follow this blog, answer some questions, comment on the designs, and pose new problems, to help us design the workflow tools needed for the future.

GUA members are known to be forward-thinking & open to the challenge of imagining beyond how things work today, so we're looking forward to hearing from you.

here we go!
jacqueline & the User Experience Design team ]]> JGullion http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=67 Welcome Andrew Brent Clifford http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=66 Sat, 23 May 2009 13:58:43 GMT Welcome Andrew "Drew" Brent Clifford

Born: 3:26 PM cst, 7 lbs. 12.5 oz. 20 inches.

Mom and baby are perfect!!!

WFRV Channel 5 and the Hospital PR agency, RedShoes PR picked up on the fact I was twittering from the birthing suite and sent a film crew to do a story... The rest happened so fast, but the news story is here below follolwed by a few choice action shots.

UPDATE: Web gallery posted with all the pics. Click here.

~

]]> tclifford http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=66 Plea from the President http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=65 Thu, 07 May 2009 18:11:39 GMT GUA Members...

I want to take a quick moment to tell you what the GUA conference means to me. I can sum it up in one word "Feedback". I did a tally of the Top 10 Prinergy feature requests from the Phoenix, Nice, Las Vegas and Lisbon GUA Conferences and you know what... 15 of the 40 features listed will be in either Prinergy 5 or 5.1 and 18 of the 40 features will be in Prinergy 6. That's 33 out of 40 possible features requests making it into future versions of Prinergy. These are ideas YOU came up with.

Bottom line, Kodak listens to its users and the GUA is a perfect way to get your voice heard. How many features can you say you have requested and were actually implemented by any other software or hardware manufacturer? I'm betting not 82.5% of them.

Please take a moment and watch this short video I put together.

I would love to see you at the GUA 2009 conference in Orlando, Florida, May 17-21.

It's not too late to register!!

For all the latest information, please go to http://www.gua2009.com

See you there!

thomas ]]> tclifford http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=65 7 Things about me... http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=64 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:04:06 GMT I have been really into Twitter for the last few weeks, learning and growing and making it a fun outlet to meet new people and build my "social network." I was asked by Jamie to blog about 7 things that will help people get to know be a bit better... here goes.

I am the largest closet drummer in the world. I have always wanted a drum set. From my early formative days to this very day I am drawn to a drum set. Large or small, percussion always pulls me into the mood. I have always been a hard core RUSH fan. I'm pretty sure its the massive drum set Neil Peart uses that really makes me smile and gets by blood moving along. The way he maneuvers the drums..he is a master of his trade. Don't believe me, check this out. I always meant to take drum lessons when I was young. I took piano lessons as prerequisite to playing drums, but for whatever reason, I never did it. Whenever I would go over to my friend Eric's house, I would sit at his drum set and jam like I was a rock star. To this day there are still a set of drum sticks in my closet and whenever I'm feeling really in the mood, I'll air drum to something fun just to let out some energy. Someday I will have a large digital drum set just to sit and enjoy.
5 years ago I was sent to China for business. I had the opportunity of spending 17 days in Hong Kong and Shenzen, China to visit overseas printing operations. I visited so many places and saw so many things that I have never seen before its kinda hard to get your hands around all the new sights and sounds. I think of all the lasting impressions I will have from my trip to the far east the fondest would be the gracious Chinese people. Before my journey to Hong Kong and Shenzhen. China, my whole impression of the Far East was one that CNN, Fox News and USA Today had me believe. Soldiers marching in the streets, people working in factories like robots and systems that are backwards and technologically behind.... I was wrong...so wrong! My experience in China was nothing short of a life changing experience. I tell people that my trip to China was the best thing I have done since the birth of my children...bar none. What I saw paled anything I would have dreamed.

My new found love, honor, respect for the people I met is unimaginable. My stereotypes were shattered from the very start. What I saw was a pure of love, love of life, respect for there country and for the people in which they worked and served. So many hard working people trying to get from Monday to Tuesday and from here to there...just doing there thing. My experience in China was one I will never forget. Both my personal and professional life has been changed...for the better I can only hope!
I ~~hate~~, scratch that I loath walnuts. Nasty, icky, yucky!
I love Texas Roadhouse rolls! Honey butter and all--forget about it!
I served a full time mission for the LDS Church. I served for 2 years in the Nevada, Las Vegas Mission back in teh late 80's.
I, along with 3 of my brothers, are HUGE eBay fans. I have purchased 3 of my last cars on eBay, Volvo 850 Turbo, GMC Envoy and Cadillac SRX. My brother Chris buys and sells used Honda's Mercedes and Porsche's on eBay and each one of my siblings is driving an eBay vehicle purchase.
I build a pretty mean pinewood derby car. With the help of some tools and skills from my friends over at Derby Champ, Tommy III, my 8 yr old son, was able to win 59 of 60 races last year. This years pinewood derby is in 2 weeks so we are actively building and crafting the vehicle as we speak. The mantra you need to say over and over is "wheels and axles, wheels and axles--weight in the back" and you'll will win every time. See for yourself.

And just in case you didn't care for any of the 7 above, I'll throw in a few extras:

Growing up I had pet cats named Fred and Barney, bothers. One day as I pulled out of the driveway, I accidentally drive over barney :<. Note to self, never fall asleep on the tire when someone intends on driving the vehicle.
During my high school years I was in the AV club, hard to believe, but yes I was.
I'm an Eagle Scout, Both me and my younger brother Mark received our awards on the same evening.

That all folks...

Rock on! ]]> tclifford http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=64 300 Club Brrrrr http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=63 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:30:40 GMT

Here in N.E. Wisconsin its currently -14 F with a wind chill at -37. YUCK. Schools are all shut down and the town is pretty much Sloooow going. I was watching the some show in cable that I can't remember the name of, but the show was about the south pole. They talked about a ritual called the 300 Club. From the 300 Club blog

"The 300 Club is a mid-winter activity at Pole so named for the -300°F temperature shift one experiences when running from a +200°F sauna to the Pole and back when the outside ambient temperature hits -100° or below. The air is so dry here that it's possible to sit in a sauna that warm without getting scalded, and it's also possible to make a several minute walk to the Pole and back without losing fatal amounts of body heat. Air is a poor conductor of heat, and ultra-dry air at two-thirds of sea level pressure is even worse. Still, there are some safety-related traditions, such as the buddy-system (never do the 300 Club alone), wear shoes or boots, and there's no shame in wearing gloves or a face-mask."

Now that's what I call hard core!! ]]> tclifford http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=63 $300,000 Zenith Defy Mens Watch http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=62 Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:43:45 GMT

Looking for the timepeice for the guy who has everything?? Want to make sure his gift isn't one that someone else may have? Well this is the watch for you.

Incredible dive depth of 1000m. High-temperature resistant bracelet in black titanium: Solid titanium structure reinforced by Kevlar lateral inserts.

This automatic winding mechanical movement is distinguished by its unique gyroscopic tourbillon cage, and off-centered time display. Composed of 166 individual components, the tourbillon construction also incorporates both spherical and conically-geared wheels, as well as six ball bearings; the unique design promises optimal horizontal positioning of the regulating organ. The Zenith Zero G Tourbillon watch is crafted from black titanium, measures 46.5mm in diameter, and is equipped with sapphire crystals on both front and back, as well as a unique crown protection device. The off-centered dial is made from a combination of carbon fiber and aluminum.

Hat tip Exotic Excess Find this on Amazon ]]> tclifford http://www.mygua.org/forums/blog.php?b=62