Challenge Summary
Welcome to “VA Interactive Memorial App Design Concepts Challenge”. In this challenge we are looking for you to create the initial design concepts for a new responsive application that will allow friends, family and the general public, the ability to search for a Veteran and leave or view a digital memorial of the soldier.
The mission of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is to memorialize Veterans in perpetuity.
NCA does this through the national cemeteries as well as through various memorial benefits available to eligible Veterans, their spouses, and dependents. NCA maintains 3.5 million gravesites at 135 national cemeteries. Currently, there are only a few methods to memorialize and commemorate the people and the legacy contained within these cemeteries, none of which are digital.
We are looking to expand its interactive digital capabilities with a Web App that will allow friends, family and the public in general, the ability to search for a Veteran and leave or view a digital memorial of the soldier. A digital Memorial could take the form of: text image, or video.
You can imagine someone visiting one of the National Cemeteries, then this visitors takes theirs phones and capture photos of a gravestone. The application immediately recognizes the name and brings up the memorial.
Things to think about
- This web application must feel clean, modern and easy to use.
- A user needs to be able to easily find any information.
- Have in mind that a user could be from soldier’s family, friends, or the public
- We would like you to explore all possible concepts, ideas and technologies like: AI, AR and Geolocalization, to name a few.
- While this is going to be used mainly on Mobile phones we want to explore concepts on web (desktop) for virtual visitors who cannot access the National Cemeteries physically.
- This application should allow the registration of new users to access extra functionalities like: Saved Gravestones or plan tours of historic monuments/ grave sites, for example.
Required Screens
We are suggesting some screens based on the user case explained before, but we invite you to be open as much as possible and propose the screens that really support your concepts.
1) Welcome Screen
- When users first open this application what should they see?
- If user is logged in:
- Saved gravestones
- Tour Plans
- Main Navigation: What items make sense to navigate across the entire app?
2) National Cemetery Virtual Map
- This screen should serve as a virtual guide that will allow users to see and explore the different areas of the cemetery.
- What functionalities makes more sense on this screen?
- Real localization of user in map? AR views?
3) Gravestone Detail - Digital Memorial (Key Screen)
- Being this application meant to memorial each soldier, this screen must feel very complete on functionalities and capabilities.
- A digital memorial could be:
- Video information
- Photos / Images
- Infographic
- If a user is logged in, can save a visited gravestone to quickly access it in future.
4) News & informations
- This screen is meant to host any important information related to the National Cemetery Administration such like:
- News
- Events
- Cemetery Information
- Weather information?
5) Your concepts / ideas
- We are looking for your best concepts and ideas.
- Think on futuristic and modern functionalities to WOW our users and virtual visitors.
6) Presentation Screen - 1920x1080 (16:9 Ratio)
- Being an exploratory challenge, we want to showcase your concepts. So keep it simple and make it look good!
- If you were walking into a meeting and needed to sell your idea - use this screen to showcase your concept.
Important:
- Keep things consistent. This means all graphic styles should work together.
- Focus on the user experience.
- Think mobile first.
- Be innovative! Is the key on this challenge.
Screen Sizes:
- This will be a responsive application. So please use these specifics screens sizes:
Desktop: 1280px width or 2560px width if you work on a retina display, height increased as needed.
Mobile: Design for iPhone 6/7: 750px width and height increased as needed.
- Make sure you create graphics in 'shape' format, so when we resize graphics everything will still look sharp!
Branding
- Open to designer.
- Think on the target user, the location, the purpose of this application.
Target Audience:
- Friends, family and the public in general
Judging Criteria:
- Innovation (Important)
- How well you plan the interactive experience and capture your ideas and experience visually.
- Overall design, UI and user experience.
Submission & Source Files:
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission File
Submit Desktop PNG/JPG Screens. PSD source files
Source Files
All original source files of the submitted design. Files should be created in Adobe Photoshop and saved as a 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
Round 1
Round 2
The mission of the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) is to memorialize Veterans in perpetuity.
NCA does this through the national cemeteries as well as through various memorial benefits available to eligible Veterans, their spouses, and dependents. NCA maintains 3.5 million gravesites at 135 national cemeteries. Currently, there are only a few methods to memorialize and commemorate the people and the legacy contained within these cemeteries, none of which are digital.
We are looking to expand its interactive digital capabilities with a Web App that will allow friends, family and the public in general, the ability to search for a Veteran and leave or view a digital memorial of the soldier. A digital Memorial could take the form of: text image, or video.
You can imagine someone visiting one of the National Cemeteries, then this visitors takes theirs phones and capture photos of a gravestone. The application immediately recognizes the name and brings up the memorial.
Things to think about
- This web application must feel clean, modern and easy to use.
- A user needs to be able to easily find any information.
- Have in mind that a user could be from soldier’s family, friends, or the public
- We would like you to explore all possible concepts, ideas and technologies like: AI, AR and Geolocalization, to name a few.
- While this is going to be used mainly on Mobile phones we want to explore concepts on web (desktop) for virtual visitors who cannot access the National Cemeteries physically.
- This application should allow the registration of new users to access extra functionalities like: Saved Gravestones or plan tours of historic monuments/ grave sites, for example.
Required Screens
We are suggesting some screens based on the user case explained before, but we invite you to be open as much as possible and propose the screens that really support your concepts.
1) Welcome Screen
- When users first open this application what should they see?
- If user is logged in:
- Saved gravestones
- Tour Plans
- Main Navigation: What items make sense to navigate across the entire app?
2) National Cemetery Virtual Map
- This screen should serve as a virtual guide that will allow users to see and explore the different areas of the cemetery.
- What functionalities makes more sense on this screen?
- Real localization of user in map? AR views?
3) Gravestone Detail - Digital Memorial (Key Screen)
- Being this application meant to memorial each soldier, this screen must feel very complete on functionalities and capabilities.
- A digital memorial could be:
- Video information
- Photos / Images
- Infographic
- If a user is logged in, can save a visited gravestone to quickly access it in future.
4) News & informations
- This screen is meant to host any important information related to the National Cemetery Administration such like:
- News
- Events
- Cemetery Information
- Weather information?
5) Your concepts / ideas
- We are looking for your best concepts and ideas.
- Think on futuristic and modern functionalities to WOW our users and virtual visitors.
6) Presentation Screen - 1920x1080 (16:9 Ratio)
- Being an exploratory challenge, we want to showcase your concepts. So keep it simple and make it look good!
- If you were walking into a meeting and needed to sell your idea - use this screen to showcase your concept.
Important:
- Keep things consistent. This means all graphic styles should work together.
- Focus on the user experience.
- Think mobile first.
- Be innovative! Is the key on this challenge.
Screen Sizes:
- This will be a responsive application. So please use these specifics screens sizes:
Desktop: 1280px width or 2560px width if you work on a retina display, height increased as needed.
Mobile: Design for iPhone 6/7: 750px width and height increased as needed.
- Make sure you create graphics in 'shape' format, so when we resize graphics everything will still look sharp!
Branding
- Open to designer.
- Think on the target user, the location, the purpose of this application.
Target Audience:
- Friends, family and the public in general
Judging Criteria:
- Innovation (Important)
- How well you plan the interactive experience and capture your ideas and experience visually.
- Overall design, UI and user experience.
Submission & Source Files:
Preview Image
Please create your preview image as one (1) 1024x1024px JPG or PNG file in RGB color mode at 72dpi and place a screenshot of your submission within it.
Submission File
Submit Desktop PNG/JPG Screens. PSD source files
Source Files
All original source files of the submitted design. Files should be created in Adobe Photoshop and saved as a 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
Please read the challenge specification carefully and watch the forums for any questions or feedback concerning this challenge. It is important that you monitor any updates provided by the client or Studio Admins in the forums. Please post any questions you might have for the client in the forums.