We're proud to announce the development of an interactive simulation we completed over the holiday break for a University. This simulation allows you to get an in depth look at each stage of a Tsunami from an initial earthquake to the devastation left over by the wave. We have developed this as an interactive ride within the virtual world of Second Life. This simulation will be used by the oceanography department of the University and will allow the students to see what happens below and above the water line to help better understand the impact Tsunami's have on vegetation and the landscape. To learn about how we can develop a simulation for you contact us today!  

We are proud to announce the almost complete development of a music island for a university.  The university requested that we build serious game scenarios for their students to learn about music within Second Life.    This virtual world provides the ability for students to take multiple choice exams that are sent directly to the client’s learning management system to track the students’ progress throughout each exam on the island.   Not only are they able to take exams but we have built an interactive puzzle game in which they can put together the pieces of a musical instrument. By doing this they are awarded with that instrument which they are able to play virtually in Second Life.  Each instrument is customized to play for every avatar in world once they have completed assembling the instrument correctly. The virtual music island building was based off of a previous development we built a few years ago for the Disney Concert Hall. This building holds many interactive quizzes, puzzle-like games, and even a "name that tune" game for students to learn more about music appreciation. Contact us today to learn how we can build your serious game in Second Life.

With the relatively recent interest in moving to web based training more and more people are thinking about making a career change. The job of an instructional designer for computer based training is very interesting, highly rewarding but also not your average job. Individuals in this career have to be creative, have a comprehensive understanding of web based training development, training scenarios and scenario based training. They also have to know about e-learning development companies and how these companies provide services to the clients. While it may be hard to narrow down just three qualities of an instructional designer, the following are certainly at the top of the Designing Digitally, Inc. staff list. Communication Skills An instructional designer  has to be able to both talk and listen. He or she will meet with the client to determine their learning objectives and goals as well as ask the questions necessary to be clear about the training program desired. In addition communication within the vast number of professionals involved in developing the training is also a must. The instructional designer will work with the subject matter expert, the web based training developers, virtual world designers, project managers and the team in general. In addition to verbal communication the instructional designer will often be responsible for generating the copy or text that goes along with the training. This may include audio and video scripts as well as the trainer and participant manuals. Being able to develop games, simulations and training modules that people respond to emotionally will help with learning and motivation for training. Visualization Skills The instructional designer has to be able to visualize the end product before the first line of programming is ever generated. This really means seeing the big picture as well as all the details to provide a very accurate experience for the learner. This ability to visualize and see both from a designer as well as a user's perspective helps to ensure that the training is well structured, logical and at the appropriate level based on the target audience or training group. Designing Digitally, Inc. instructional designers definitely have these skills, resulting in amazingly lifelike serious games and 3D simulations. Knowledge Knowledge may seem like a big concept, and it really is when it comes to game based simulation and training. As the designer you will have to be able to know how people learn based on current research and approaches. You will also have to have a good foundation in a wide variety of theoretical and practical areas from the tools used in designing online trainings through to the most innovative of instructional strategies. While you don't need to be a subject matter expert in the specific field, having the knowledge what creative, unique and effective e-learning techniques best suit the training goals is going to be a key component of your job. Needless to say the instructional designer is also going need to have more than his or her fair share of creativity. If you think you have all these skills as well as some proven leadership abilities you may be a great match for this truly unique career. The highly skilled instructional designers at Designing Digitally, Inc. definitely have all these characteristics in our staff as well as the experience that has helped our company become an industry leader in the world of web based training. For more information on how we can build your web-based training modules contact us today!

There are lots of ways that businesses, schools, or government agencies offering online learning opportunities can cut their overhead costs. You may initially think about buying a software package that promises to allow you to do virtually anything in respect to e-learning development. However, just because there is the software available doesn't mean it is a good idea. Many companies, organizations, and agencies attempt to design their own e-learning modules only to find out they have spent considerable time, money and effort for a very low quality final product. Experience Counts Designing and developing e-learning modules and programs takes experience and a very particular set of skills. It is not just about putting information online; it is about creating an enjoyable, fun and entertaining learning experience for the participants. At Designing Digitally, Inc. our specialization is designing virtual training modules, simulations, serious games and virtual worlds. You simply cannot get that experience though using a software program no matter how comprehensive it may be. Experience also counts in knowing what your target audience finds engaging, entertaining and useful. This means that the e-learning developers have to have their finger on the pulse of what gaming and technology components can be used in the e-learning experience to ensure it is cutting edge and up to the expectations of the learners. If you put together a module on your own using the basic technology it is going to be out of date and behind the times before it ever comes online. Building in the Entertainment Factor The reason that most entities that use e-learning modules and game-based training is because these types of learning experiences are more interactive, less costly for long term use and have a higher satisfaction level for the target audience than traditional types of training and teaching. The higher satisfaction factor for the learner has to do with the entertainment aspect of an online learning experience. Adding serious games, virtual worlds and simulations make the entire training more like a video game, which is a familiar entertainment option for people of all ages. Unless you are a game developer, incorporating the entertainment component in a do-it-yourself type of e-learning software program is far too technical. Instead you will end up relying on the standard program offered by the software, which is the same as everyone else's e-learning program. Using a professional designing company provides you with the option to fully customize the e-learning program to create a unique, one of a kind training experience that is developed solely with your learning objectives and the target audience in mind. Creating the E-learning Experience Anyone that had participated in any type of game based training that wasn't professionally developed by specialists in the technology can tell you what was wrong with the game itself. Often the biggest problems reported is that there is no cohesive flow to the game and it doesn't address the learning objectives that it intended to cover. We have the experience that is needed to make the e-learning experience pleasant and captivating for the learner while ensuring the learning objectives are met. Your web-based training will be designed by our team to provide choices to user, give information in a structured manner, and to provide the learning opportunities that you want included. The way that the game flows will be entirely customized to your needs. Attention to every detail of the learner's experience is our specialization. This is certainly different than simply using a template which only provides so many options and learning experiences which may or may not make sense with your specific training requirements. We think of all the little things that you haven't. No detail is overlooked in the design and this ensures that the final product exceeds your expectations. Everything is considered when we work through the design and development including sound effects, backgrounds, additional features and elements to the learning experience. This framework for the e-learning experience and attention to each detail on every screen is just one of the many features that the professional e-learning developers at Designing Digitally, Inc. focuses on when creating the perfect match for your e-learning program. These professionals have years of experience in developing all types of training for small to large companies, organizations, schools and agencies. Cheap is Not Better Trying to envision, create and develop your own e-learning module will not result in a professional, high quality end product. While you may be able to get the basics done, dealing with the inevitable glitches, problems and issues that arise when the module actually goes live is more than most people can manage. In addition, as a developer you tend to focus in on what you like in an e-learning experience which may not be same technologies and options that your target audience for the training wants, needs or enjoys. What you are most likely to end up with is a training program that is web-based but not entertaining, engaging or effective. You have spent hundreds of dollars in software and hundreds of hours in development all for an e-learning module that is limited at best in its actual appeal. Working with the professionals at Designing Digitally, Inc. can prevent all these problems. Your information, your feedback and your ideas can be incorporated into the e-learning module but our experienced team of professionals will handle all the design, development and technical details. What you will end up with is an e-learning module that functions just as anticipated, runs without any glitches or problems and is set at a level that includes all relevant, new technology to provide a high level of both information and entertainment for the learner. This combination is sure to keep learners coming back for more and also provides you with the option to continue to do your job while we do ours. You will have a high rate of return on your investment in the training without any worries, hassles and the need to spend time learning about web-based development while also trying to do your own job.

If you’re interested in developing custom web-based training courses for your employees, but you’re having trouble getting upper management to buy-in, we can help. Knowing the strategic and tactical advantages of web-based training can help you convince decision makers that web-based training is appropriate for your team. It’s hard to list out all of the many advantages of web-based training, the following are the advantages we find most appealing. Strategic Advantages of Custom Web-Based Training   You can create a global workforce with customized instruction all over the world.   Custom web-based training is easy to adjust to employee wants and needs.   Companies can retain valued workers with continuing education, certifications, and more.   Your company will enjoy increased productivity and profitability by improving knowledge and skill levels.   Tactical Advantages of Custom Web-Based Training   Web-based training offers flexibility to learn anytime, anywhere, whether your employees are at the office, home or a hotel room.   Travel costs are reduced, including the cost of hotels, airfare, meals and other travel expenses associated with onsite training.   Edits and updates are easy to make without time lag or reprinting costs.   Tracking and management tools make it easy to evaluate and stay on top of trainee performance.   There are many more reasons why custom web-based training is beneficial for businesses, and Designing Digitally, Inc. can help you determine the best way to present your training materials in this format. For more information about how we can build your custom web-based training modules, contact us today for a free quote!

Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to announce that they have completed and launched the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority’s new Find Financial Freedom program! The Find Financial Freedom website boasts nearly 10 hours of interactive e-learning in a fun and rewarding game-like setting. Using a board game concept, students work through a mock scenario of paying off their debt and saving their money to purchase a 3D car and house at the end of the program. The ability to customize their home through a web-based 3D simulation, including upgrading their yard, adding a garage or pool plus more, enhances the user experience. Throughout each lesson they can earn money by correctly answering preliminary questions, review questions, as well as bonus questions. The bonus questions at the end of each lesson can cause a gain or a loss depending on whether or not the question is answered correctly. If answered correctly, students receive a extra money for scenarios such as having a yard sale or inheriting money from their uncle. If answered incorrectly, money is deducted from their savings for an unexpected expense such as new tires or medical bills. To help students succeed, the website also includes a number of tools, such as an expense tracker, discussion board, periodic savings calculators and more. Additionally, coaches, who are assigned to each student, help guide users throughout their learning experience through an internal messaging system. For the website administrators, reporting features within the site to detail student progression and learning capacity. Designing Digitally, Inc. is proud to have helped New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority provide their target audience with the tools they need to be financially responsible and looks forward to a lasting partnership with NHHFA as they continue to expand on their online offerings.

Anyone that has taken an e-learning course or a web-based training knows that the attention to detail in the design of the program really does make a huge difference. There is nothing more frustrating to someone that has taken the time to take a web based training module to find out that the entire program isn't cohesive in design or it is difficult to read, understand and navigate. Having the professionals at Designing Digitally, Inc. design and develop your web-based learning will ensure that the learner has the best possible experience online without any of the glitches that are so common in poorly designed and developed online learning programs. The Visual Experience Designing and creating a visual experience for your web-based training that is appealing to the learner and easy on the eyes is critical. When people try to create their own e-learning programs they simply don't have the experience in knowing what is going to be visually appealing to the user. The result of a do-it-yourself interface design is often a collection of different colors, fonts, buttons, features and even backgrounds that are distracting to the learning experience and end up causing confusion and taking away from the message. Knowing what works in creating a web-based training interface takes experience. Using our professional design team ensures that your training will be visually appealing to the learner. It will capture their attention and keep them engaged in the training or simulation to ensure maximum learning and skill mastery. The interface design we create will be professional quality; allowing the users to focus in on the learning not on trying to learn how to use the interface. Learning Experience Many web-based training modules lack a clear direction as to the learning experience. While having a consistent visual presentation to the user is important, so is the actual learning or skill mastery that is the objective of completing the training. If the interface design is not consistent with the learning that is taking place it is not going to reinforce the knowledge or skills that are being developed. Having the right interface designs adds validity and reality to the web-based training that assists the user and enhances the learning potential. Themes Themes need to be maintained throughout the web-based training interface as well. This includes the issues discussed above as well as other components such as sound effects, the logo locations and menus. These themes can also include the best options for providing branding throughout the learning modules that is subtle and incorporated into the overall flow of the experience. Many web-based programs simply add a logo or branding component here and there that is more of a distraction to the flow of the experience. At Designing Digitally, Inc. we have years of experience in developing web-based training. The design rules that we incorporate are tried and true and have been developed over time to ensure the highest possible learning experience, which is what you want for your training.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is proud to announce that we are sponsoring the 2012 Virtual World Best Practices In Education conference March 15-17, 2012. The conference starts this week in Second Life at the Rockcliff University Second Life Campus with over 30 presenters including our President Andrew Hughes. On behalf of our entire team we are excited to help educate our industry on what has been happening and what is to come in the virtual world realm. This conference is free to the public and will provide vast knowledge on using virtual worlds for educational purposes. For more information regarding the conference please see the information below Virtual Worlds Best Practice In Education Website Virtual Worlds Best Practice In Education Schedule Virtual Worlds Best Practice In Education Location Designing Digitally, Inc. Exhibitors Booth Location Our President (Andrew Hughes) Presentation Topics: Time: Saturday March 17th at 9:00 AM Pacific Daylight-Savings Time (PDT) Topic:Taking a proactive approach to virtual campus tours - 3D Virtual Campus Tours Location:http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/EduCommons%20Bravo/5/235/40 Time: Saturday March 17th at 2:00 PMPacific Daylight-Savings Time (PDT) Topic:Approaching Training For Generations Entering The Workforce Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20Library/245/11/31 Hats off to the Rockcliff University Consortium for once again hosting such an innovative virtual conference! We look forward to seeing you all there.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to see you March 21-22 at Learning Solutions 2012! We’ve got some exciting things going on and we’re looking forward to sharing them with you. Check out the schedule below to be sure you’re ready! Before you get there:  Download the Learning Solutions 2012 App - use this to plan your day! Follow us on Twitter and follow hashtag #LSCON for conference news and updates. Like us on Facebook for updates and to see examples of our work.  Wednesday, March 21 - Visit us at BOOTH 601 to: PLAY our Aircraft Marshalling SERIOUS GAME utilizing Kinect technology for your chance to WIN a $100 AMAZON.COM GIFT CARD (bring a business card*) 12:15pm - 1:00pm: Get moving after lunch! 5:30pm - 6:30pm: Play during the Welcome Reception!     Get your EXPO PASSPORT stamped (9:30am-6:30pm)    SPIN our PRIZE WHEEL to win one of many gift cards, a water bottle, or a can coolie - winner every time! (9:30am-6:30pm)    Learn about our innovative E-LEARNING and 3D TRAINING SIMULATION services (9:30am-6:30pm)     Thursday, March 22 - Visit us at BOOTH 601 to:  Play our Aircraft Marshalling SERIOUS GAME for your chance to win $100 AMAZON.COM GIFT CARD (bring a business card*) 10:30am - 10:45am: Take a break and have some fun! 12:15pm - 1:00pm: Done eating? Play to win! 3:30pm - 4:00pm: Don't miss your last chance! Get your EXPO PASSPORT stamped (9:30am-4:00pm) SPIN the PRIZE WHEEL to win one of many gift cards, a water bottle, or a can coolie (9:30am-4:00pm) Learn about our exciting E-LEARNING and 3D TRAINING SIMULATION services (9:30am-4:00pm)  We’re here to EDUCATE, ENGAGE, AND ENTERTAIN your learners. We’re truly looking forward to seeing you at Learning Solutions 2012! *Person with the highest score at the end of the conference wins! Gift card will be mailed to winner within 7 days of conference end.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is a proud finalist for the Federal Virtual World Challenge! Our team is excited to be selected as one of the few finalists for this annual event led by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s Simulation and Training Technology Center. The Federal Virtual World Challenge put the nation's top virtual world developers to the test in two areas of focus: "Engaging Learning" and "Holodeck - Making it So." Designing Digitally, Inc.’s submission of the United States Air Force Academy virtual tour is a finalist in the familiarization sub-category of "Engaging Learning." Finalists receive travel accommodation to demonstrate their developments at GameTech 2012 in Orlando, Florida where the winners will be announced March 29. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at GameTech! If you’ll be there, stop by the demonstrations - we’d love to meet you! If you can’t make it to the event keep checking back as we’ll make an announcement next week when we learn the results.

What’s the Value of Professional Employee Web-based Training Developers? How much bang for your buck do you get from choosing to work with professional Web-based training developers? Management needs to know what the value is for each dollar you spend, and Web-based training activities are not excluded. You may think that developing your training programs in-house is cost-effective and efficient, but the final product is often not as effective as you’d like it to be. Developing Web-based Training In-House When you develop your employee Web-based training in-house, it might appear as though you are saving your company time and money. For instance, if you are developing a one-hour long training course, it can take an estimated 800 hours for you to develop it on your own. For non-math whizzes, 800 hours is equal to approximately five weeks worth of work, but that’s only if you spend every breathing moment working on the development of your Web-based training course. If you break it down even further into 40 hour work weeks with one developer working on the project that equals 20 weeks worth of work. If your head is spinning from all these hours of productivity lost due to one project, you’re not alone. This is one of the main reasons why many people turn to companies like ours to develop their employee Web-based training for them. Developing Web-based Training with an Expert At Designing Digitally, Inc., what could take you 800 hours to develop on your own will take our team of multiple developers far less time. We live and breathe E-learning and have the experience and knowledge necessary for developing engaging employee Web-based training courses that save you time and money, but also have great outcomes. In fact, with our Web-based training programs, your employees will learn faster and course material retention is higher as well. What you develop in-house doesn’t have the benefit of our experts, who incorporate tried and true design rules to ensure professional-grade appearance, as well as the best possible learning experience. The end result is Web-based training that meets your specific learning objectives, is visually appealing and doesn’t eat up the time of your employees. If you want to know more about our employee Web-based training development services, browse our E-learning portfolio and request a quote today.

ITS INNOVATIVE VIRTUAL CAMPUS TOUR PRODUCT CAPTURED ACCOLADES FRANKLIN, OHIO - Designing Digitally, Inc. took first place honors in the Familiarization category in the 2012 Federal Virtual Worlds Challenge with its 3D virtual campus tour of the United States Air Force Academy. The Ohio-based tech firm used its 3D Virtual Campus Tours product to create a virtual replica of the campus that the Air Force Academy now uses for recruitment purposes. Designing Digitally, Inc.’s submission for the challenge was two-part. The first featured the first generation product the Air Force Academy currently uses. The second included enhancements Designing Digitally made to its campus tours product following the creation of the Air Force Academy’s virtual tour. "We are honored by this incredible recognition," said Nick Taylor, Director of Development. "We have been fortunate to have a fantastic partnership between ourselves and the United States Air Force Academy. Special thanks to the United States Air Force Academy for choosing Designing Digitally, Inc. to build this product." Designing Digitally’s 3D Virtual Campus Tours product is not only innovative, it’s also flexible to meet client needs. "Our system allows for multiple types of virtual campus tours, including self-guided and admission representative-led options," explained Greg Wark, 3D & Virtual Development Team Leader. 3D Virtual Campus Tours is meant to replicate the campus experience. When creating a virtual tour, Designing Digitally makes certain that each campus is built as photorealistic as possible. The company has more than seven years’ experience building virtual campuses in 3D, which surpasses others in the industry, said Wark. "The system we create runs in a basic web browser on our clients’ websites," Abby Hughes, Director of Client Relations, added. "Each tour is fully customized for the client. We can also incorporate interactive games such as virtual parachuting, basketball, hockey, flight simulator, trivia and more to enrich the experience for users." While the current version of 3D Virtual Campus Tours is so advanced it won this national award, Taylor said that’s not good enough. "We are constantly updating the system to be more and more innovative and to help our clients take a proactive approach to college recruitment." The system was originally designed to serve as a solution to a problem many campus recruiters face - the cost of travel. The idea was to enable students to "travel" to a campus without having to physically be there. The notion being: If they can see it and enjoy it, they’ll be more likely to attend, Hughes said. "This product does exactly that by allowing students to walk around as a 3D avatar that looks like them," Taylor said. "They can visit the dorms, walk around the campus to see how far the dorms are from the food courts, classrooms and other points of interest. It’s just like being there - only more cost effective." For more information, visit http://www.3dvirtualcampustours.com

Gamified may not be a word that you use in everyday conversation, but if you are planning on offering e-learning modules or game based training then it should be one that you learn. Gamifying is basically the process of enhancing online learning experiences by turning the presentation of material from a standard text or PowerPoint type of presentation into a more engaging, interactive immersive experience. This can be through the use of 2D or 3D simulations, serious games, alternative reality games and scenario based training. Designing Digitally, Inc. specializes in gamification of e-learning modules. This is because our team of professionals features both experts in the field of e-learning development as well as game programmers and developers. Working together these two groups are able to design and develop highly effective learning experiences while optimizing the game aspect. We can also evaluate your technology requirements and learning objectives to create the perfect match. This is particularly effective in bringing learners into the game and providing the opportunity to actually see themselves learning, doing and mastering the skills that are being taught. To get an idea of the importance of making the e-learning experience highly engaging consider the following scenario. You go into a training on a specific procedure that is important within a particular professional field and are presented with two options. You can take a standard class that has an instructor and a test or you can do an online game based training. You first choose the traditional option where you sit in a class and listen to a lecture. Of course you have some discussion and talk about some scenarios, but you never actually use the new procedure. After you listen to the instructor and take the test you walk out of the training with a generalized idea about what was discussed. The first time you have to use the procedure in the field is the first time you actually get to try out the skills you were presented with. In the second option you get to play a highly engaging game. There are great video graphics and animation, sound effects and the opportunity to virtually try different options and scenarios to understand the concept. The serious game is set up as a 3-D scenario with a real online game feel. You practice the procedure online several times in the game, gaining experience in a virtual world. You interact with the game and with characters in the game, giving a true sense of having done the activity in a real world setting. Which option do you think provides the e-learner with the skills, competency and understanding necessary to use the procedure in the real world? The gamified version of the e-learning program is going to be much more engaging, educational and entertaining for a learner of any age which in turn leads to great retention of the knowledge and learning objectives. In addition the virtual practice allows the learner to experience the benefits of the procedure or protocols, helping to ensure that they will use those skills the right way the first time they are actually required to do the activity in the real world.

We were pretty excited when we learned about the initiative being pursued at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy by Constance Steinkuehler, a senior policy analyst there with several advanced degrees who has received her orders directly from President Obama himself. It seems our President is aware that entire generations are now growing up schooled in the use of video gaming, and that there is much potential for using the medium for education and training. Or, as Mr. Obama said himself to Tech Boston Academy students in March of 2011, "I want you guys to be stuck on a videogame that's teaching you something, other than just blowing something up." In a very recent NPR story and podcast about video games and learning, it was revealed that the White House is studying the benefits of video games on those who play them, and ways that video games can be taken to the next level in terms of helping players to become more physically fit, for example, or for developing innovation through scientific crowd-sourcing projects using the video gaming model. This is quite stimulating stuff, because it’s exactly where Designing Digitally is working in the areas of E-Learning and 3D training simulations for various industries and agencies. We guess that makes us technological visionaries! Video Games to 3D Training Simulations to Skills Development & New Scientific Discoveries As Ms. Steinkuehler explains in the NPR interview, the initial research was focused on how the violent themes in video games might be affecting players, and how the minimal findings in that direction morphed the project into more positive directions on video gaming and its potential uses in fitness, education, problem-solving skills development & collaborative innovation. She found herself transfixed by the potential skills development possibilities that were inherent in many game systems: "And then that was the first time I downloaded a videogame. And the first game I downloaded was a game called "Lineage," by NCsoft. And at that point, after spending about a week watching people do tasks far beyond the level of sophistication that we would have asked them to do in our spaces and realizing that they were not only there voluntarily, they were paying to be there, I realized there's something here that we have to understand. So I dropped everything I was doing and switched gears and have studied games ever since . . . well, let me back up and say, you know, our federal investments in games have been going on since long before the Obama administration. You know, many of those games started off especially in the military space, around military training and simulations." So the bottom line is that even the White House is recognizing the educational and training potential that resides within the interactive online model used for gaming, which we at Designing Digitally work to turn into E-Learning applications and 3D training simulations for many types of industries across the board. As more and more companies and industries become aware of the efficiencies inherent in online 3D interactive simulations and E-Learning, expect to hear more from us about this exciting area of design and development. If you’re already on-board with the future of training and education, feel free to request a free quote from Designing Digitally, Inc. and let’s see what we can do for your company’s needs.

At Designing Digitally, Inc. we strive to ensure that the developments we create will provide a positive return on investment to the clients that we serve. Often times the ROI takes awhile to come to fruition, but regardless of time the ROI continues to be positive for each client that we work with. This cannot be anymore true for the State of Vermont DMV’s online permit drivers course. Designing Digitally, Inc. built the Vermont DMV drivers course in 2010 and it has now been live for a year and a half. The stats are in from this effort and it is apparent that by choosing Designing Digitally, Inc.'s interactive strategy to build the project has paid off. On May 1st,The State of Vermont announced the results of utilizing the module. The State of Vermont's DMV’s Commissioner stated the following in a press release: "Young people learn more when they are involved with a learning process that is interesting and fun," said DMV Commissioner Robert Ide. "This has proven to be the case. Since its launch a year and a half ago, the DMV has seen a dramatic increase in the number of individuals demonstrating they have the knowledge required to pass the DMV’s written exam. Prior to the availability of this tutorial, 55% of those individuals who took the DMV written test passed. The pass rate now exceeds 75%. The popularity of the DriveVermont tutorial is also evidenced by the fact it is receiving well over 3000 visits each month." This interactive learning tool can easily be accessed through the Internet on a home PC, which makes it a convenient tool for student drivers to use both by themselves and with the help of family members. To access the DMV’s online tutorial, visit http://www.drivevermont.vermont.gov/ A 2 minute preview of the tutorial can be viewed at http://dmv.vermont.gov/Interactive_Tutorial_Video

New technology quickly becomes old hat and the traditional options for serious games in web-based learning programs are no longer unique. How many times have you seen a serious game or e-learning program that is touted as engaging and interactive only to find it is a take-off on Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy? While these aren't necessarily bad e-learning types of games they certainly aren't new anymore and they definitely do not represent a true online gaming experience. At Designing Digitally, Inc. our goal is to keep moving forward with the options we offer in serious games and e-learning programs. Gamifying your e-learning program to us means creating a highly interactive, highly engaging experience for the learner that is in keeping with the technology used in the latest computer and video games. This is our major focus as we know that highly engaging online training results in better retention and mastery of the concepts the training is designed to provide. Gamifying e-learning and game-based training makes a lot of sense for several reasons. One of the major reasons is that your current traditional 2D e-learning information can be recycled by our online learning developers to create a true game experience. This can include adding scoring to the program, which will naturally trigger the competitive nature of the learners. With a little healthy competition learning goes up, especially if scores are posted and visible to everyone playing. Another key reason why gamifying your existing e-learning program will show real benefits is because it allows the learner to actually experience the information you are providing. Instead of reading about financial management they can actually experience being a person in debt that has options in the simulation to get out of debt. A firefighter or police officer can really engage in a particular type of procedure within a very realistic virtual environment. By practicing in a virtual setting the learner becomes more competent and comfortable with the new information. This type of training can be used for anything including protocols and procedures, skills training or learning new techniques. Practicing specific scenarios in a simulation is just like doing it in the real world, but requires no special mock-ups and costly time to coordinate with trainers. Learners can log on at their convenience and play the game, which is much more relevant than just reading information. A points system can be built into the e-learning experience to allow managers or supervisors to track a learner's progress. Specific correct choices can be worth points, with different choices in the scenario leading the learner down different paths within the game. This can be factored into the e-learning experience using a variety of different techniques and game ideas, all which are already conceptually familiar to the target audience. This totally new look at gamifying e-learning is adding to the interest in professional development and learning, allowing the company to increase the employees skill levels, competence and understanding of protocols and procedures. Below is a strong example of gamficiation for learning created by Designing Digitally, Inc.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is honored to be chosen as the 2012 Business of the Year for the Franklin Chamber of Commerce. Designing Digitally, Inc.’s mission is to not only provide engaging, educational, and entertaining online learning, but also to provide jobs and experience to people in and around the city of Franklin. We have been recognized by the Franklin Chamber of Commerce for our rapid growth, community outreach, and our effectiveness in recruiting talented people to the city. President Andrew Hughes said, "We have worked hard to find the best of the best in interactive media, game development, and online learning in Ohio and brought them to the city of Franklin. Being in this city allows us to pull people from both Cincinnati and Dayton to work here and it has been a blessing. The City and the Chamber have both been accommodating and open armed to a technology company not thought to exist in this area. We thank the City of Franklin and the Franklin Chamber of Commerce for recognizing our hard work, flexibility, innovation, and outreach for the community." Designing Digitally, Inc. will be accepting the Business of the Year award at the June Chamber of Commerce meeting in Franklin, Ohio. Congrats to everyone on the team at Designing Digitally, Inc. for this achievement! For more information about Designing Digitally, Inc. please click here.

Designing Digitally, Inc. is proud to announce that they will be continuing their partnership with the United States Air Force Research Lab in Dayton, Ohio. Designing Digitally, Inc. is providing virtual world technology support, infrastructure support, and virtual world instruction to the Tech^Edge Summer-at-the-Edge (SATE) program participants. The contract is a continued effort put forth by Designing Digitally, Inc. in 2011 that is now extended by the Air Force into 2012/2013. Andrew Hughes, the President of Designing Digitally, Inc. stated, "This is a great opportunity for the Air Force, Designing Digitally, Inc. but also the Universities in Ohio that are working alongside of us to provide innovative ways to educate and socialize with virtual worlds. We are grateful to have our contract renewed and look forward to working with ARFL for the next year. We will be exploring innovative ways to use Virtual Worlds and providing support for the Summer-at-the-Edge (SATE) which is a summer internship program for college students. Hopefully some of those innovations will be brought behind the walls of the base and can become military uses." The Tec^Edge center was created as a partnership between the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Wright Brothers Institute. It is meant to better facilitate educational and research partnerships between industry, government and academia. Dr. Rob Williams, research director for the Discovery Lab at Tec^Edge and the creator of the 1,000 student Virtual Discovery Lab concept, is responsible for running the Summer-at-the-Edge (SATE) program where students are able to work side-by-side with industry professionals both physically and virtually through OpenSim. The goal of the SATE program is to accelerate technology innovations important to Department of Defense and to grow future technology leaders. "You will see our faces around the building as we are here to integrate our company with the effort put forth by the Summer-at-the-Edge (SATE) program. We are delighted to share what we do with students," said Nick Taylor from Designing Digitally, Inc. "Some of the students involved in the Discovery Lab at Tec^Edge may very well be responsible for the next innovative breakthrough." About Designing Digitally, Inc. Designing Digitally, Inc. is a full-service interactive design firm specializing in E-Learning, 3D Training Simulations, and Virtual World Development. Company Website: http://www.designingdigitally.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ddinc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/designing.digitally.inc About Tec^Edge Tec^Edge is a partnership between the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory and the Wright Brothers Institute. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the center facilitates research and educational partnerships between academia, government and industry. It seeks to create educational opportunities while stimulating the growth of technologies companies and the advance of technology.

We would like to thank each and every person that has been a part of Designing Digitally, Inc.’s growth and success both in the past and today. Our effect on the community, our clients, and our employees is a result of the fact that we care about each one of you as much as you do about the company. Through the ups and downs, late nights and early mornings, our employees have continued to provide excellent service to our clients for over a decade. We want to personally thank each one of you for caring about the success of not only our company, but also the clients you serve. Designing Digitally, Inc. has had an award winning year with innovation in technology, business approach, and community efforts all over the nation. Our dedication not just to creating innovative projects, but also to ensuring that the services we offer provide our clients with an excellent return on investment has helped us to continue to grow each and every year. This past week we received letters of recognition from the House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate for the hard work and commitment to our clients by our innovative staff and we thought we’d share these with you as well: We can’t stress enough that without the caring and dedication our team puts forth to our clients, Designing Digitally, Inc. would not exist as it does today. Everyone appreciates a thank you now and then, and this post is our way of saying you’re all appreciated!

The rapidly growing 3D gaming engine, Unity 3D, has announced that Designing Digitally, Inc. is a finalist for the 2012 Unity Awards for the best development of the year in the category of serious games. We are truly honored that two of the six projects nominated for the award in this category were built by Designing Digitally, Inc. We are focused on revolutionizing the e-learning, serious games, and training simulation industry by using 3D immersive experiences for learning and marketing. With all of the hard work put in last year it’s great to see our efforts being recognized. The innovation by the creative team at Designing Digitally, Inc. powered by the Unity 3D gaming engine has amazed our clients and even ourselves at times. We’re excited and honored that two of our projects were nominated and will look forward to the announcement of the winner at the Unity 2012 conference on August 23rd in Amsterdam. Cross your fingers or toes for Designing Digitally, Inc.!

At Designing Digitally, Inc. we’re always excited when we learn of the work others are doing to advance the use of visual information for training processes and purposes, since a great deal of our work deals with creating visual-based training and educational programs for use on computer monitors, etc. 3D training simulations, E-learning and virtual worlds creation all deal with converting ‘traditional’ training and educational materials into interactive and often-times immersive content. That’s why we were quite excited to learn of the work of researchers in Spain at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). These men and women have been recording athletic exercises on the soccer field for FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) - the international governing body for Soccer - to use for training purposes for their assistant referees. The 500 exercises they’ve been recording all concern offside positions, and the exercises are all being recorded in stereoscopic 3D - basically using 2 lens instead of one to record the action in order to obtain a greater sense of depth than a 2D image.  As the article on redOrbit.com explains, "The objective of this innovation project is to improve the learning environment of the assistant referees with multimedia materials which offer a visual experience that is the most similar to what referees on the pitch experience, and which can train visual perception in decision-making calls on off-side plays." You’ll notice the mention in the quote above about offering a visual training experience that "is the most similar to what refereeson the pitch experience." Or, as UC3M professor Manuel Armenteros, coordinator of the project, explained, "The use of stereoscopic images will significantly improve the learning experience due to the fact that a 3D stereoscopic image learning environment generates a visual experience that is much more realistic than 2D." We couldn’t agree more, which is one of the reasons Designing Digitally, Inc. works to create fully immersive 3D training simulations, virtual worlds, serious games and many of our E-learning programs for clients - 3D imagery, especially incorporated with cogent training content - is simply more realistic and closer to true work experiences than "flat screen" 2D training or printed learning and training materials. Viva La 3D!!! Read the full article from redOrbit here.

 Designing Digitally, Inc. was recently awarded a contract to create educational and engaging E-Learning developments for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). These E-Learning modules are focused on the dissemination of the National Fire Protection Association's standards, specifically NFPA 13 - Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems, and NFPA 72 - National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code. Andrew Hughes, President of Designing Digitally, Inc., explained the new partnership. "We are honored to have NFPA as a client and will be working diligently to ensure that they have an effective E-learning experience for their end users. Our team will provide online education and training that will ensure the goals of NFPA are met while exceeding the expectations of NFPA and their learners." Designing Digitally, Inc. is working alongside NFPA subject matter experts to ensure that the online training modules will engage users and teach the standards effectively. These online learning modules will be made available through NFPA in the near future. Nick Taylor, Director of Development for Designing Digitally, Inc. stated, "It is exciting to work with such a well-known organization who is THE authority in fire, electrical and building safety. I'm pleased to be a part of a standardization that will be used all across the United States for the foreseeable future. "We look forward to the effort put forth by both organizations and will be excited for the National Fire Protection Association to release these learning experiences to the public in the future," Taylor concluded. About National Fire Protection Association NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. Company Website: http://www.nfpa.org Twitter: http://twitter.com/nfpa Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theNFPA About Designing Digitally, Inc. Designing Digitally, Inc. is a full-service interactive design firm specializing in web-based E-learning and training, 3D simulations and virtual world development services for education, government, military and industrial clients. Located in Franklin, Ohio, Designing Digitally, Inc. has developed a number of interactive virtual worlds, 3D training simulations and E-learning solutions for companies and agencies around the globe. Company Website: http://www.designingdigitally.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ddinc Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/designing.digitally.inc

We wanted to share with you about a really innovative project Designing Digitally, Inc. is excited to be involved with currently, which has the potential to help stroke victims relearn body coordination in order to perform basic daily tasks. Using the Unity 3D Gaming Engine along with Microsoft Kinect, we are creating 3D training simulations that will empower strokevictims to be able to practice and then perform daily activities thanks to virtual rehabilitation exercises they’ll perform in theirown homes. By tracking a user’s arm movements at the 6 degrees of access using Microsoft Kinect, the stroke patient can develop and potentially "relearn" effective ways of using their limbs - often reduced in functionality due to the effects of stoke. The gaming simulations are fun and entertaining, and allow the patient to practice new movements while becoming aware of how their arms are not responding appropriately in their current state. From Atari® to virtual physical rehabilitation - how time flies in the world of functional gaming and 3D simulations! Watch our YouTube video here to see an actual demonstration of this virtual rehabilitation simulation at work, along with narration from Designing Digitally, Inc.’s own president - Andrew Hughes. Have a creative day.

Just Around the Corner…. NACAC's 2012 National Conference Designing Digitally, Inc. is pleased to announce our participation in NACAC's National Conference for 2012. The National Association for College Admission Counseling is having their annual event in Denver, Colorado this year, October 4th through 6th. As their Attendee Information page explains it, "NACAC’s national conference is the preeminent forum for the college admission community. Join more than 5,500 secondary and postsecondary college admission counseling professionals to exchange ideas, learn from experts and experience the products and services to help you accomplish your goals." Speaking of "products," we’ll be there in booth 233 in the Exhibit Hall during all exhibit hours and we’re eager to show you some of the work we’ve been doing when it comes to online college recruitment - particularly our stellar 3D Virtual Campus Tours product that lets prospective students from anywhere view and tour a 3D virtual rendition of a college or university campus from the school’s own website. It’s a great idea whose time has come and we hope to show you how much it can help with student recruitment online as well as recruitment management and so much more. Look for 3D Virtual Campus Tours by Designing Digitally, Inc. We look forward to seeing you at NACAC in 2012!