I'll present the full project later.
After two months working on the joint project with Anisah. In one week, we completed the equivalent of a month's work remotely on two different continents. The time difference and different working hours didn't help.
Having a good idea of the direction we're heading in, this week we met with the team of developers who will be accompanying us in the construction of our platform. After much brainstorming on the various technical details. The meeting was fruitful, and we're confident that everyone has a good understanding of our expectations for this platform.
We are in regular communication with the developers and receive updates on an almost daily basis.
At the same time, we work with a designer, a friend of Anisah's, who helps us choose colors, fonts and, of course, the logo.
Did you know that 80% of users are impacted by website colors before making a purchase? And that each color tends to trigger a certain emotion. For this process, the designer needed a lot of information, such as our "target". Male or female, their age, interests etc.
Each target group has a preferred color for its actions on the web, because not everyone perceives colors in the same way. Colors also define a company's identity, or brand identity. What's more, taking into account the colors used by our competitors can also work in our favor.
To give you an example, the blue of Facebook aims to inspire trust and transparency in their activities, but also to offer you a sense of security and calm.
It's almost as if everyone knows something about color science.
Otherwise, I know the colors I use in Trame, and strangely enough, they also work here.
In the facebook example, blue represents the archangel Sachiel, the rectifier, the righter. Blue is linked to Jupiter or Zeus. It symbolizes overcoming power and vengeance to find forgiveness. It also represents Joyous Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, or mercy (Hesed) in the Kabbalah.
I could write a whole novel about it, but that's not the point. I'll leave you to your own interpretation of Facebook blue.
So a good part of the project is well underway, and I hope to be able to tell you exactly what it's all about within the next month.
To tell the truth, we made good progress on a lot of things this week, but we were feeling a kind of frustration in expressing our ideas.
It's true that we're two teachers, and not having a board to express our ideas. It's like a magician without a rabbit. He can do magic, but if there's no rabbit at any point. We're all disappointed.
Except that when you're living out of a suitcase, and given that we travel a lot, a painting is very big to carry around, and really impractical.
I went through airport security with lots of strange things, and was questioned a lot by the security people for various reasons.
I'd like to make an aside and tell you this story.
A few years ago (like 6,7), I was working on a connected object project. It was a big pebble with an NFC tag inside. And on a work trip, I took the opportunity to bring 3 samples with me.
Inevitably, when I went for my X-rays, the guy told me I couldn't travel with it in my bag. It's true that the pebbles are a bit big, and if I hit someone with them, I think I'd put them in chaos.
I explain to him exactly what the pebble does. Of course he doesn't believe me, so I give him a demonstration. And just as I bring my phone up to the pebble, he sees the phone react to the stone. He can't believe his eyes, completely forgetting that he's airport security. And I feel like I've got a kid in front of me, saying: "Dude, that's amazing! I'm on my ass!
And after a more than friendly chat, he'll let me go home with my pebbles.
So the whiteboard wasn't an option. Even so, we'd need at least 3 or 4.
It turns out that the apartment we live in has three large bay windows. And I remember there are pens for writing on the windows.
On one of my excursions to Western Union to withdraw money. I'm faced with another failure on that front.
A little frustrated, I decide to wander around the mall. There I find a stationery store. I explain that I'm looking for a whiteboard that I can roll up to carry around. (Yes, all in Spanish, Charlotte) Unfortunately, they don't have any.
But I find the holy grail, a pen for writing on windows. PERFECT!
For the anecdote, every time I asked the girl in the store for the price of something, she passed each item 3 times in front of the reader. I thought her machine was malfunctioning, but there was a noise every time.
I think I got ripped off on the price of the pen. I paid 5 euros for it. I like getting ripped off on that too. And it will force me to be more vigilant.
Once home, I arrived with my miraculous find. This led to 6 hours of reflection on our project. We ended up doing the exercises of a business plan with a basic structure.
And just listening to us talk, and thinking about the different aspects of the project. Each of us contributing his or her part. We were able to answer all the questions of a comprehensive business plan. Including everyone's strengths in the project, but also a timeline, as well as our strengths, weaknesses, business opportunities and threats.
I regularly did these exercises in the corporate world, especially during seminars with lots of colleagues. Although these days could be fun, they were very often long and led to pointless ego battles.
In 6 hours, we were able to analyze, listen to each other and formulate our thoughts in a structured way. And I think that's how this tool is supposed to be used.
And yes, the windows are dirty now, and the living room looks like the lecture hall of a passionate mathematics teacher. But what a joy!
Ah, and I've finally managed to withdraw some money here!
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