Brand New School Creates New Facebook Application

Our friend Jason Cohon from Brand New School has shared with us a Facebook application they have designed and created for Microsoft Outlook called “Creature Creator” for Seattle based agency, Cole & Weber United.

Here is Jason's break down of this fun new app:

The Outlook Creature App is a playful, interactive creature, visually representing your Facebook information and activity and allows the viewer to change the way it looks and presents your information (name, interests, status updates, posts, etc.). 

The Creature’s face, legs and arms are determined by its owner’s name (a relatively unchanging aspect of the Facebook profile), while being ever modified by Facebook activity. The stable elements are meant to provide the creature with a recognizable identity.

The transforming moods are based on status updates.  Using a process similar to Bayesian inference (word identification), it picks out expressions like “cool,” “good,” “nailed it,” “stupid,” to select an appropriate mood.

There is also an add-on feature.  These represent the user’s most recently “liked” music, books, movies, etc.  Again, these have the capacity to change, but will be more stable than other aspects of the creature.

The creature’s body is built from wall-posts.  Thus, an active wall creates a large body, while a lonely wall will create a tiny character.

The color of the creature is determined by colors mentioned on posts. When color key words are not found, the default, Outlook palette is chosen. 

A selection of Outlook’s features will be re-imagined in the context of the app.  Clicking a feature will have an effect on the arrangement of the creature’s body. 

The Creature Creator is a fun, interactive way for you and your friends to view your Facebook activity.