P2: Explain the changing media marketplace and how this has provided the opportunity for the proposed new product
Here is my research into the history of the large technology conglomerate 'Apple inc.':
Unit 26 Apple Research by Beau Beaumont on Scribd
This research has helped me gain an insight into how the media marketplace has changed by learning about the history of a key conglomerate within the industry of technology.
As is evident from the previous research and timeline, technologies have changed a lot and converged over time e.g. smartphones being able to play music, videos, games etc. This shift in technology has also been accompanied by a shift in the media marketplace and how products are distributed as a whole. For example, there has been a clear shift from physical media to digital over recent years. The area of film is a good example of this. Previously, if audiences wanted to watch a film that had been released they would buy or rent it on DVD or later Blu-Ray from a store such as blockbuster or HMV. Online services such as "Lovefilm" existed at the time, but they operated by sending out physical disks for rent that would have to be returned to them. At this time, the main marketplace for film was a physical system of disks and shops.
Through the years the media marketplace changed to favour a digital approach, with companies such as Netflix pioneering the online "VOD" streaming of movies and TV shows. Companies that did not change to meet this shift in the marketplace such as Blockbuster died out along with the old physical only marketplace.
The same goes for other areas of media distribution such as Video games, TV, Music, etc. All of these marketplaces shifted to a digital approach as Smartphones and Personal devices became more efficient at providing these experiences digitally than physical marketplaces. Even for applications where you would once have to seek them out are now more accessible than ever with literal digital media marketplaces such as the App Store or Google play store.
This changing marketplace provides great opportunity for my proposed new "Fitness" product to flourish. As most media marketplaces have become digital, services such as workout and fitness information are also much more desirable in a digital form. As opposed to buying an exercise DVD which would be inefficient for use in the gym and would include limited interactivity, users can download this fitness app with huge interactive possibility and in depth visual and auditory information to assist their workouts wherever they are on their smartphones.
It also allows for the distribution of the app to be done seamlessly through the various digital marketplaces available to us, reaching audiences from all platforms with minimal effort or cost on my part.
As is evident from the previous research and timeline, technologies have changed a lot and converged over time e.g. smartphones being able to play music, videos, games etc. This shift in technology has also been accompanied by a shift in the media marketplace and how products are distributed as a whole. For example, there has been a clear shift from physical media to digital over recent years. The area of film is a good example of this. Previously, if audiences wanted to watch a film that had been released they would buy or rent it on DVD or later Blu-Ray from a store such as blockbuster or HMV. Online services such as "Lovefilm" existed at the time, but they operated by sending out physical disks for rent that would have to be returned to them. At this time, the main marketplace for film was a physical system of disks and shops.
Through the years the media marketplace changed to favour a digital approach, with companies such as Netflix pioneering the online "VOD" streaming of movies and TV shows. Companies that did not change to meet this shift in the marketplace such as Blockbuster died out along with the old physical only marketplace.
The same goes for other areas of media distribution such as Video games, TV, Music, etc. All of these marketplaces shifted to a digital approach as Smartphones and Personal devices became more efficient at providing these experiences digitally than physical marketplaces. Even for applications where you would once have to seek them out are now more accessible than ever with literal digital media marketplaces such as the App Store or Google play store.
This changing marketplace provides great opportunity for my proposed new "Fitness" product to flourish. As most media marketplaces have become digital, services such as workout and fitness information are also much more desirable in a digital form. As opposed to buying an exercise DVD which would be inefficient for use in the gym and would include limited interactivity, users can download this fitness app with huge interactive possibility and in depth visual and auditory information to assist their workouts wherever they are on their smartphones.
It also allows for the distribution of the app to be done seamlessly through the various digital marketplaces available to us, reaching audiences from all platforms with minimal effort or cost on my part.
P3: Describe roles required to support content within the planned proposal
In the creation of any media product in the professional world there are several job roles that should be filled. Having several skilled and specialist team members means that every aspect of the finished product will be of a high quality.
Here I will outline some of the key job roles required in a team for an application product such as this one:
Here I will outline some of the key job roles required in a team for an application product such as this one:
Job Role |
Description |
Product Manager
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A product manager or project manager is the first obvious key role in any project. This role is typically filled by an individual with good business, communication and leadership skills. The role has a lot of responsibilities but the main goal is to ensure that the development of the app is on track, and that the app is in line with the original vision. They act as both a leader to the team and a liaison between the development team and the client, learning the client's vision and ensuring that the team share this vision.
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Design Team
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The design team is a crucial part of app development. This is the team that takes the client brief and requirements and plans the key elements of how the app will look, feel, navigate, etc. This is an important process as it relates directly to how the app presents itself and how user friendly the end result is, which of course is very important for making an app that consumers will want to use. Designers will typically start by creating simple structure/navigation diagram, completed by a Navigation Manager. After this is planned out, Visual designers and Content planners, as well as occasionally UX designers will focus on how the user interacts with the app and how the app appears visually.
A design team needs to be good at communicating their ideas with each other and to the PM. They need to be skilled at layout and navigation design as well as having a good eye for creating visually appealing designs and colour schemes. Further skills that would be useful are to be adaptable, and to respond well to feedback. Due to the wide range of skills necessary for the Design process, a skilled and varied team is key. |
Development team
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This team's role is to take the designs laid out by the design team, finalise the UX and layouts and implement these elements into an application package. This team is equally as important as they are responsible for bringing the vision and ideas to life in the form of a tangible product.
This team should be trained and skilled in coding for app development. Particularly, they should be knowledgeable in modern coding languages, as you want the app development process to be as efficient as possible and to utilise the best possible development tools. The most popular languages for modern mobile app development are HTML5, Java, C++, Objective-C, Swift and C# (as referenced by https://ubm.io/2FBgFWw) Developers don't have to be proficient in all of these languages, but should be proficient in at least one or two to employ in the app development and be able to justify the coding language of choice. |
QA team
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The QA (Quality Assurance) team are the first step of feedback and improvement in the development process. This team are typically trained in critical analysis of products, and should understand the aim of the product so that they can fully test it's purpose and capabilities. They will test all aspects of the app and write detailed feedback on the experience. This feedback will then be sent back to the development and design team, and improvements will be made based on the feedback.
This is a vital step in development of the app, as it allows for the app developers to ensure that any issues with the app are fixed and that the product is the best quality it can be for when it launches. |