Selected projects: UI development
Echo Lake

“Beautifully intuitive, Echo Lake’s thoughtful design will bring out the writer in everyone.” — CD ROM Today Magazine

Echo Lake was a unique consumer desktop multimedia application. Released in 1995, Echo Lake was marketed as a ‘multimedia family album’, a program where you could collect your family stories, along with audio and video, and create books you could share with your family.

Echo Lake was the brainchild of Greg Long and was being created for Delrina. We were recruited to brainstorm feature and interface possibilities, and then to develop, prototype and execute the interface.

We created a few design iterations, rapidly prototyped in-house, and then created complete artwork and design specifications for the Delrina programming team in Seattle. The final software offered a drag and drop, icon-based multimedia authoring environment, bundled with scrapbooking and storytelling activities, all wrapped in an inviting 3D rendered immersive interface.

We learned a lot collaborating remotely with the development team in Seattle. In this pre-web time we used our FirstClass BBS MackereLink, internet email, and the telephone to coordinate with the developers and Greg Long. The remote working relationship functioned very productively. We initially underestimated the value of face to face meeting between the developers and us. There was a marked increase in the effectiveness of all communication during and after the first in-person meetings.

Echo Lake shipped — to rave reviews — and we continued to work with Delrina, exploring interface ideas for their fax software and other home office products.

The main interfaces developed for Echo Lake:

file management interface: Turn a crank to create new documents, or ‘books’, which can be stored on the magic bookshelf. A wall safe behind a picture on the wall can be used for private books. To edit or read books sit down at the desk...

document authoring: Beneath the lush wood and leather surface is a multimedia storytelling tool with an icon driven drag and drop interface.

BEAUTY IN THE DETAILS: 1. ‘Menu’ box and drawers. Sounds, pictures, videos and even links to other books can be dragged onto book pages. 2. Examples of the menus that pop up when content objects are selected. 3. Cursors offer context sensitive feedback, for a very tactile interface. 4. Concept rendering of an idea starting machine. 5. Some of the categories and icons for grouping stories.

Selected projects:

 Echo Lake Public Access Kiosks Southam True North Canadian Encyclopedia Simon & Schuster R&D Freaky Stories Mighty Mites on AOL next

Selected links:

 Recent work Burying the Fish, by Cory Doctorow Mackerel.com circa 1996

Contact smackerel:

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email dave or kevin@smackerel.net comments