TCO LUX - 48HR SiBM Project Dashboard Refinement Challenge

Welcome to our first TCO LUX Challenge! The LUX is a "Live User Experience Design Challenge" that we like to run as a fast design challenge at a customer event or conference. This LUX challenge is LIVE at the TCO15 UI Design & Prototype Championship in Yogyakarta, Indonesia! Everyone is welcome to join - we will have onsite designers and everyone around the world can jump in and participate! 

The "TCO LUX - 48HR SiBM Project Dashboard Refinement Challenge" will be run during the next 48 hours. At the end of the challenge we will take the presentation screens you create and share your collective creative talent! 

We are very excited to provide this cool design opportunity to the Topcoder Design Studio Community - a fun way to showcase your FAST!! design skills!

The LUX Challenge Series provides you with an opportunity to show digital leaders from some of the largest brands in the world just how good your user interface and user experience (UI/UX) design skills are. LUX challenges are fast, fun, and have more chances for you to capture prize money. 

Note: This is our 19th LUX Challenge! No previous experience in a LUX challenge is needed to compete - jump in and give it a try! Make sure to follow the Challenge Forum and ask questions as things move very fast in a LUX challenge.

Challenge Details
The goal of this challenge is to take the provided design problem and refine the (UX)! We are looking for you to also think through how the application will be used and what new ideas/concepts you think might be interesting to our audience.

Challenge Timeline and Rolling Checkpoint 
The challenge is happening now at TCO15!
- Challenge Starts : 21 September 2015 8:00 AM EDT (7:00 PM Yogyakarta Time)
- Rolling Checkpoint will start : 22 September 2015 9:00 PM EDT (8:00 AM 23 September Yogyakarta Time)
- Challenge Ends : 23 September 2015 8:00 AM EDT (7:00 PM Yogyakarta Time)

We are offering 8 Placements! Plus $50 Rolling Checkpoint prizes!
1) $1500
2) $1000
3) $500
4) $250
5) $250
6) $100
7) $100
8) $50

Rolling Checkpoint Review ($50) 
Adam Morehead (adroc) will provide a design review if you submit your initial designs by (22 September 2015 9:00 PM EDT (8:00 AM 23 September Yogyakarta Time)
— Within the hour we will provide any design feedback/guidance
— you must watch the forum for your feedback! 
All qualifying* checkpoint submissions will win $50

TCO LUX Design Problem
This LUX is focused on taking the provided project dashboard design (see downloads) and updating, simplifying and refining the overall "experience". We want to make this an amazing and simple experience for our IBM Innovators.

The IBM Project Dashboard is a BRAND NEW dashboard that helps provide Topcoder access to IBM Innovators. The dashboard allows IBM to monitor and manage Topcoder challenges and communications with the Topcoder community.

We are looking to continue innovating on dashboard concepts and are providing you with the source from the previous challenge. We are looking for NEW and improved designs... Use the provided design to get you started but do not just make simple updates to it. We are looking for you to significantly improve the overall experience.

After review, the current design is still very complicated and we want to start removing unnessary functionality and features. We also want to make the experience a more modern and engaging experience. This should not be a duplicate of Topcoder Direct! This is an all new dashboard experience embracing the IBM Design Language.

An IBM Innovator may be running multiple Topcoder projects/challenges in parallel. Keep asking yourself the question "As a busy Innovator, what would you like to be informed every morning?". Put yourself in an IBM Innovator's shoes when you redesign this dashboard.

Design Direction
- We would like a more engaging experience like AppXpress (and similiar treatments like InvisionApp, Bluemix, Basecamp, Slack = keep it informative and simple)
- The Innovator might not know what Topcoder is - so what is the first time user experience? This experience might be how an Innovator always creates their challenges.
- An Innovator is going to want to learn about Topcoder, how to use Topcoder and what the Topcoder Community can help them build and solve.
- Simplify the dashboard experience - what truly is important information that will keep the Innovator "informed every morning"
- We want to embrace the principles of the IBM Design Language

IBM Design Language
We have been promoting the IBM Design Language all Spring and Summer - look to use it in this challenge!
- Design Language: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/index.shtml
- Layout: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/framework/visual/layout.shtml
- Typography: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/framework/visual/typography.shtml
- Iconography: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/framework/visual/iconography.shtml
- Color: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/framework/visual/color.shtml
- Interaction: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/framework/interaction/introduction.shtml
- App Inspiration: http://www.ibm.com/design/language/inspiration.shtml

Screen Size
- Resolution: Please use a minimum of 1024 x 768px 
- Please make sure that you create graphical elements in VECTOR format so graphics retain quality when resized.

Supporting Documents
- Initial Design: dashboard_design_initial.zip
(Note: the initial design is ONLY for content reference, our goal in this challenge is to redesign/refine the dashboard)
- Updated Sample Form: Sample-Submission-Form_updated.docx

User Stories
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida gets started with Topcoder Registration if she does not have a Topcoder handle yet.
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can login the dashboard with her Topcoder handle
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can get back to project/challenge draft(s) saved previously
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can create a new project and save it as a draft
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can get feed of project briefs, challenge briefs, latest activities, upcoming activities, latest forum entries in the Project Forum and helpful info.
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can get the details of a project/challenge
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can start a challenge easily and save it as a draft
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can review the submissions and provide comments quickly
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can select Checkpoint Placemennts and select final Winners
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can have access to any existing assets or inputs to the challenge to download/preview
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can refer to TopCoder FAQ
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can go to "Ask other IBMers" (an internal forum) to get support from other IBMers
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can post questions to the Copilot in the forum
- As an IBM Innovator, Ida can get innformation about Appirio and additional services

 

Required Pages
Note: Please do not just recreate the TopCoder Direct/Dashboard experience = this is NEW!
We want this to be simple and straightforward. 

00) Presentation Screen - 1920x1080 (16:9 Ratio)
- In a LUX challenge this screen is very important make it look good! (like you are selling your design!)
- Create a presentation screen of your design updates and features!
- Presentation Size = 1920x1080 (16:9 Ratio) - It must be this size!

1) Getting Started Page (Key Experience)
- Simple, informative and educational experience
- With a big “action” button to get started
- This page should say how to get a Topcoder handle, check for an existing handle and a link out to the Topcoder Registration 
- This page should provide content, information and helpful information for the IBM Innovator.
- The Innovator can also login from this page and be taken to their dashboard.
- The Innovator can get back to project/challenge draft(s) saved previously from this page

2) Simple Form
- This page is for capturing data, like AppXpress
- Simplify/update the form by referring to Sample-Submission-Form_updated.docx in Supporting Document
- We want to organize this content/forms to make it more logical 
- Name of project needs to go on front page
- Size of project needs to go on front page, with logic to hide stuff that doesn’t apply
- Some things will be auto-filled in by the user’s IBM credentials (email, name, location)
- Note that the form cannot be submitted unless the funding field is filled in
- Keep the text in second person (“your name”, “your email”)

3) Dashboard (Key Experience)
- This needs to be more simple - it currently feels/looks too much like Topcoder Direct
- Make key things big and visual - what is the hierarchy of content on this page?
- An indication or feed of latest activities, upcoming activities - all hyperlinks
- Latest forum entries in the Project Forum. The Innovator can click on the link and be taken to the entry page.
- A list of projects to quickly access a project. This does not need a lot of detail 
- A list of all the challenges for your projects + status + next action (if any)
- It should be very very easy to start another project/challenge. This could take you to the simple form
- Accordion content areas - is there a better/more simple solution?

4) Project Page 
- Project name & description
- Budget (probably just capturing project totals and not the other information) & duration
- Game plan: just a list of the challenges, in DATE order (very important)
- Links to the Project Assets (design files, code files etc) for all completed challenges (simple - think of things like Git)
- Forum link - access to the Project forum and activity pertaining to this Project 
- Reporting: Link to run a report on this project, costs of each challenge, rolled up into single row per challenge
-- plus totals, like at the top of the invoice history
-- plus link to reports UI, to run more specific reports

5) Challenge Page 
- Easy way to start a challenge!
- Simplified timeline (only key items): Start, Checkpoint, Final Review, Final Fixes. Dates need to be visible and clear without hovering
- Link to the Competitor view of the challenge (this can link out to Topcoder.com) 
- The # of Registrants & Countries
- The # Checkpoint submissions
- The # of Final submissions
- Link to review existing Assets
- Copilot Information

6) Review Experience (optional)
- How will an Innovator interact with all the great designs they will be reviewing?
- This will include the Design Checkpoint, Final Design and Final Fixes
- The ability to quickly provide Overall comments, Individual Submission comments
- Select Checkpoint Placemennts and select final Winners
- Design Final Experience: When selecting winners the prizes/amounts should be visible to the Innovator (they are currently not available unless you go to the challenge details)
- Development/Prototype Finals: Final Fixes - the ability to quickly see scores and track the multiple rounds of final fixes
- Innovator will need to have access to any existing assets or inputs to the challenge to download/preview 

7). Help Page (Optional)
- Where do Innovators ask for Help or find FAQ type information?
- How does an Innovator self-service the Topcoder experience?
- Help will link to TopCoder FAQ (a list of questions & answers)
- Help will link to "Ask other IBMers" (an internal forum)
- Ability to post questions to the Copilot in the forum
- Appirio Services: Information about Appirio and additional services an Innovator might be interested in.

Target Audience:
IBM Stakeholders, Innovators and Project Managers needing clear, simple and easy to use control and information for their Projects

Judging Criteria
- How well you plan the user experience and capture your ideas visually
- How well you simplify, refine and improve the overall experience
- Cleanliness of your graphics and design
- Creativity and simplicity are key to the success as it must be engaging to users.

Submission & Source Files
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x768 px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.

Submission File
Submit JPG/PNG files.

Source Files
All original source files of the submitted design. Files should be created in Adobe Photoshop and saved as layered PSD file, or Adobe Illustrator as a layered AI file.

Final Fixes
As part of the final fixes phase you may be asked to modify your graphics (sizes or colors) or modify overall colors. We may ask you to update your design or graphics based on checkpoint feedback.