Portfolio
User Interface Designs
Alphapure's proprietor, Dwight Owens, designed and developed the following user interfaces:
Fire Weather Climatology References
The following tools help fire weather forecasters explore the various regions, seasons, and large-scale patterns associated with fire weather in North America. The first tool shows regions with overlay pattern distributions. Additional rollovers display specific seasonal information about each region. The second tool includes a calendar slider, which allows users to scroll across the months of the year and view seasonal changes by region.
Panel-based Learning Unit
This example panel menu from a series of units on watersheds loads panels independently allowing users to view content in one while the others are still downloading. A suggested order is indicated by the numbers, while the panels themselves are colorful and enticing. Each panel contains a multimedia presentation or learning exercise.
Media Assets Menu
This media assets browser from the Watersheds series shows thumbnails of graphics and animations from the unit, which may be clicked to access full-sized media objects, with accompanying expanatory text, for download and reuse.
Navigation Sidebar with Map-Based Situated Learning
This interface from the Shallow-water Waves learning module, includes a Flash-based expandable sidebar menu, on-page audio navigation controls, and a map-based interface to support various situated learning exercises.
Interactive Wave Calculator
This tabbed interface contains a multifunction "Shallow-water Waves Calculator," which lets users input deep-water wave height and period to derive numerous shallow-water wave characteristics. This calculator has been produced in two formats, one for traditional web delivery and one for delivery via Pocket PC.
Refraction Effect Estimator
Breaker Type Predictions
Shallow-water Wave Calculator for the Pocket PC (design layout screen capture)
Interactive Insolation Calculator
This interactive application allows users to examine solar insolation by latitude and season at different phases of the Earth's orbital cycles. Parameters can be modified freely using interactive sliders and resulting insolation curves "captured" for printing or comparison.
"Compariscope"
This unique application displays comparative levels of ice volume with insolation over the past 790,000 years. Users can freely display, hide, capture, and zoom on these curves.
Operations Timeline
This narrated timeline animation describes events and actions as they occur over time in response to a chemical accident or hazardous release. The interface includes a tab-based navigation strip, individual page navigation buttons, and a special topics slide-up sub menu.
Photo + Audio Scenario
This scenario segment contains an audio dialogue supported by photos, cartoon bubbles, and data images. The scenario pauses at various decision points and asks learners to answer questions or make decisions.
Multi-level Navigation Menus
This screen capture from a learning module on the aurora illustrates how six levels of navigation are seamlessly integrated into a single interface. A tabbed navigation strip along the top allows users to switch between main sections. The main display area provides menus to overview, details, and in-depth levels of content, while specific content pages are accessed via the page number buttons above, beneath the tab strip. A separate slide-up in-depth topic menu opens from the base strip.
Operations Timeline
This page-driven content section includes animated formula derivations that play to music and are segmented by derivation steps.
Multi-level Navigation Menus
This screen capture from a learning module on the aurora illustrates a dramatic use of blended media. In it, a photograph serving as the backdrop for a color brightness and wavelength chart helps to directly demonstrate the appearance of green emissions from excited oxygen atoms.
Chemical Processes Viewer
This interactive tool allows learners to visualize a variety of chemical reactions that occur in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Users can click the chemical formulas to play and step through short movies each reaction.
Javascript/DHTML Navigation Menu
This online learning module uses javascript and DHTML to generate the navigation widgets in the left rail, including topic, subtopic, and page-level access buttons.
Exploratory Learning for Kids
Mysterious Flying Objects
This screen grab from an exploratory learning module for kids is stripped to its minimum. A title in the upper-left reminds the learner of the current section, while the orange arrow buttons provide page-step navigation. The two animated pieces of wood entice learners with expanding yellow rings. When clicked, they animate to reveal wood that has been driven through tree trunks by intense hurricane winds.
Clickable Question Marks
These screen grabs from another exploratory learning module for kids shows animated question marks, which when clicked reveal content. Kids are enticed to read and explore the content because it must be 'revealed' interactively.
Game-based Simulations
This game asks learners to create a hurricane by manipulating key ingredients for hurricane formation: wind shear, humidity, latitude, and sea surface temperature.
Virtual Learning Environments
The Hurricane Strike learning module is situated in a virtual home, where the game player encounters people, dogs, television broadcasts, and a variety of simulated leaning activities.
The virtual laptop computer provides the context for exploring many of the embedded learning games and activities.
