The “Black’s Wheel”: The “Black’s Wheel”: a technique to develop hypermedia narrativesa technique to develop hypermedia narratives..

Prof. Dr. Maria Laura MartinezProf. Dr. Maria Laura Martinez ( (ml.martinez@usp.brml.martinez@usp.br))

Journalism and Publishing DepartmentJournalism and Publishing Department

Prof. Dr. Sueli Mara FerreiraProf. Dr. Sueli Mara Ferreira ( (smferrei@usp.brsmferrei@usp.br))

Lybrary and Documentation DepartmentLybrary and Documentation Department

University of Sao Paulo (USP) - BrazilUniversity of Sao Paulo (USP) - Brazil

Communications and Arts SchoolCommunications and Arts School

User Centered Design Research Center (CEDUs)User Centered Design Research Center (CEDUs)

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The Black’s WheelThe Black’s Wheel

Roger BLACK & Sean ELDER Roger BLACK & Sean ELDER book: “Web sites that work” book: “Web sites that work” (1997)(1997)

Describes the Describes the narrative narrative structurestructure used by Black’s used by Black’s team that places narrative team that places narrative elements elements in a wheel-like in a wheel-like formatformat..

In In 20052005 we created the we created the technique called “The Black’s technique called “The Black’s Wheel”, introducing: Wheel”, introducing:

(1) (1) GRAPHIC DIAGRAMGRAPHIC DIAGRAM of of the narrative wheel the narrative wheel concept, and concept, and

(2) (2) GUIDELINESGUIDELINES for for building it, aiming at building it, aiming at facilitating nonlinear facilitating nonlinear content design with user content design with user focus. focus.

In In 20092009 we improve it again we improve it again creating, thecreating, the

(3) “(3) “ELABORATION ELABORATION DOCUMENTDOCUMENT” of each ” of each narrative element. narrative element.

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The Black’s Wheel DiagramThe Black’s Wheel Diagram

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The Black’s Wheel Guidelines and DocumentationThe Black’s Wheel Guidelines and Documentation

GUIDELINES:GUIDELINES:

(1) USER CONCERN(1) USER CONCERN (2) ELEMENTS (2) ELEMENTS

IDENTIFICATION IDENTIFICATION (3) INTERACTIVITY(3) INTERACTIVITY (4) MULTIMEDIALITY (4) MULTIMEDIALITY (5) PERSONALIZATION (5) PERSONALIZATION (6) NAVIGATION(6) NAVIGATION (7) LABELING(7) LABELING (8) DOCUMENTATION(8) DOCUMENTATION

ELABORATION DOCUMENT:ELABORATION DOCUMENT:

(1) Name of the narrative (1) Name of the narrative elementelement

(2) Label(2) Label (3) Summary of the content(3) Summary of the content (4) Journalistic speech(4) Journalistic speech (5) Interactive contents(5) Interactive contents (6) Quality of interaction(6) Quality of interaction (7) Multimedia contents(7) Multimedia contents (8) Incorporated (8) Incorporated

functionalities (tools and functionalities (tools and services)services)

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Case study MethodologyCase study Methodology

Multiple case-study designMultiple case-study design

(1) Research Questions to be investigated(1) Research Questions to be investigated::

Is the Black’s Wheel technique:Is the Black’s Wheel technique: understandable? / applicable?understandable? / applicable? useful? / Can enhance project?useful? / Can enhance project? complete?complete?

(2) Research methods selection(2) Research methods selection Document analysisDocument analysis Participant observationParticipant observation

(3) Case-study Protocol development(3) Case-study Protocol development

(4) Case Analysis (4) Case Analysis

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Case study ProtocolCase study Protocol

Protocol’s Protocol’s GlobalGlobal variables variables

1.1. Original Title.Original Title.2.2. Language.Language.3.3. Title in English.Title in English.4.4. When it was developed.When it was developed.5.5. Where.Where.6.6. Manager.Manager.7.7. Brief Description. Brief Description. 8.8. User profile. User profile.

9.9. The Black's Wheel The Black's Wheel Diagram.Diagram.

10.10. Wheel Unit Replication. Wheel Unit Replication. 11.11. Navigation Navigation

Representation. Representation. 12.12. Independency between Independency between

Wheel Spokes. Wheel Spokes. 13.13. Non-content elements. Non-content elements. 14.14. Size. Size.

Protocol’s Protocol’s LocalLocal variables variables

1.1. Original labelOriginal label2.2. Label in English.Label in English.3.3. Hierarchy level. Hierarchy level. 4.4. SummarySummary5.5. Journalistic speechJournalistic speech6.6. Interactive elementsInteractive elements7.7. Quality of interactionQuality of interaction8.8. Multimedia elementsMultimedia elements9.9. FunctionalitiesFunctionalities

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Case study presentationCase study presentation

Main objective: Main objective: Evaluating the Evaluating the

Black’s Wheel Black’s Wheel techniquetechnique

www.uspvirtual.usp.brwww.uspvirtual.usp.br www.eca.usp.brwww.eca.usp.br

Communications and Arts School BuildingsCommunications and Arts School BuildingsUniversity of São Paulo - BrazilUniversity of São Paulo - Brazil

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Case study Case study UniverseUniverse 30 works since 2005 30 works since 2005

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Case study Case study Sample UniverseSample Universe 1717 worksworks out of 30 (57% )out of 30 (57% )

Selection criteria: had used graphic

diagram to describe the Black’s Wheel

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Case study Case study Sample UniverseSample Universe 2 2 out of 17out of 17 .

2 was analyzed to evaluate the Black’s Wheel technique.

Case 1Case 1““Human Beings TrafficHuman Beings Traffic””

Case 2Case 2““GuianaGuiana””

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2 was analyzed to evaluate the Black’s Wheel technique.

Case 1Case 1““Human Beings TrafficHuman Beings Traffic””

Case 2Case 2““GuianaGuiana””

Case study Case study Sample UniverseSample Universe 2 2 out of 17out of 17 .

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1st research question: Is it understandable? 1st research question: Is it understandable?

Observations made in class:Observations made in class: students commonly apply students commonly apply

the technique the technique without without much difficulty.much difficulty.

Documental analysis: Documental analysis: Case 1Case 1

2005, 2nd. Semester.2005, 2nd. Semester. generally succeedgenerally succeed

applying the techniqueapplying the technique distinguishdistinguish clearly clearly

between the between the Information Information ArchitectureArchitecture and the and the Black’s WheelBlack’s Wheel. .

Nevertheless...Nevertheless... Documental analysis:Documental analysis:

Some teams prefer to Some teams prefer to textually describetextually describe the the elements in the wheel elements in the wheel instead of drawinginstead of drawing it (17 it (17 out of the 30 )out of the 30 )

Case 2Case 2 analysis analysis mix mix Information Architecture Information Architecture and Black’s Wheeland Black’s Wheel concepts. concepts.

Possible explanations...Possible explanations...

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2rd research question: Is it useful? 2rd research question: Is it useful?

Observations made in class:Observations made in class: the technique application the technique application

usually usually causes fruitful causes fruitful quarrelsquarrels around the around the non-non-linear linear storytelling.storytelling.

Documental analysis shows Documental analysis shows that The that The Black’s WheelBlack’s Wheel

facilitatesfacilitates understanding understanding at a glanceat a glance the whole the whole nonlinear story and its nonlinear story and its constituent elements andconstituent elements and

may may highlight the lack of highlight the lack of contentscontents that could that could enhance the story.enhance the story.

GLOBAL and LOCAL protocol GLOBAL and LOCAL protocol variables variables

Black’s Wheel technique Black’s Wheel technique evaluationevaluation;;

AlsoAlso be useful to assess be useful to assess the hypermedia narrative the hypermedia narrative by identifying project by identifying project weakness and strengths. weakness and strengths.

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3rd research question: Is it complete? 3rd research question: Is it complete?

No, No, it isn't completeit isn't complete althoughalthough it can be applied it can be applied

to the hypermedia to the hypermedia narrative design with narrative design with relative relative successsuccess, as , as previously seen. previously seen.

Navigation representationNavigation representation into the Graphic diagram: into the Graphic diagram:

has has no clear modelno clear model, , needs needs more discussionmore discussion.. Case 1Case 1 uses a uses a creative creative

navigation representationnavigation representation which doesn’t match which doesn’t match completely the Information completely the Information architecture’s navigation. architecture’s navigation.

Journalistic speech Journalistic speech modelsmodels compatibilitycompatibility and and co-co-

existenceexistence into a into a hypermedia special report hypermedia special report isn’t a consensusisn’t a consensus. .

Needs Needs more thinkingmore thinking under under multiple case perspectives.multiple case perspectives.

Elaboration DocumentElaboration Document recentrecent introduction and introduction and

application,application, could could not be evaluatednot be evaluated in in

this case study this case study yetyet. . Their application Their application should be should be

monitoredmonitored. . ......

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Conclusions Conclusions

The Black’s Wheel, besides The Black’s Wheel, besides being at a research stage, has being at a research stage, has shown to be shown to be

a graphical technique that a graphical technique that facilitates the visualization facilitates the visualization and constructionand construction of the of the hypermedia structure andhypermedia structure and

also an also an efficient strategyefficient strategy for Online Journalism for Online Journalism classes.classes.

It’s an It’s an Open TechniqueOpen Technique can enhanced with other can enhanced with other

people’s contributions. people’s contributions.

Future works:Future works: Development of an Development of an online online

databasedatabase that collect and that collect and document cases, document cases,

will use Protocol variables will use Protocol variables to to standardize information standardize information collectioncollection. .

The working The working URL baseURL base will will be: be: http://http://www.cedus.usp.brwww.cedus.usp.br//hypermedianarrativeshypermedianarratives

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Thank you!Thank you!

M Laura MartinezM Laura Martinezml.martinez@usp.brml.martinez@usp.br