Inspiration
I work primarily as an experience designer. A big part of this job is creating screens and artwork for different mediums of different sizes. While most tools such as illustrator and sketch do come with certain presets these are often limited. This means I often have to google and copy paste the dimensions from the results. One day when doing so, I forgot one of the dimensions (As I often do) and so had to go back. On counting, I had to go back and forth a minimum of 4 times and since I had forgotten this increased to 6. I did feel there was a better way. A while later it occurred to me when I had someone read the dimensions out so that I could type as they read, to use a voice assistant to do the same.
What it does
Pixel pet reads aloud any canvas size it is asked for to help you type the same. You can ask for a size in any unit you like and even just the height or width of that size e.g.: Alexa Ask Pixel Pet, what is the height of an iPhone in pixels?
Pixel pet was conceived with the following work flow in mind:
- Open up your software and open a new art board/ Canvas.
- Ask Pixel Pet for your size in the units you'd like them in.
- Type out the values in the corresponding fields as it is dictated.
- Ask for it to be repeated if you'd like.
For a video of it in action --> Pixel Pet website
How I built it
At first was the challenge of figuring out how to write a new skill. I don't come with any formal training on how to code. I started with the starter Fact Skill to help get my bearings. After working on another project I got started on this one. I was pretty sure I couldn't cover all the sizes up front so I chose to have it pulled from a place I could keep updating it. I chose to use AWS S3 since it lies within the same ecosystem as lambda. The next was to decide on the commands. 1.The numbers had to be read out digit by digit to make them easier to type in(In cases of numbers like 1000 it was read as a whole, ie one thousand instead of one zero zero zero)
- There had to be the option to repeat.
- Answers had to be to the point so that it wasn't annoying.
- Power users should be able to invoke it in a single word, ie Alexa ask pixelpet postcard.
Challenges I ran into
I had made a lot of mistakes and errors before submission which the team certifying the skill did help me rectify but it was a long process.
Accomplishments that I'm proud of
I was happy about the skill as a whole and ecosystem I was able to build around it with a website and accompanying video.
What I learned
There was a lot I did learn about designing for voice based interactions and on choosing the right phrases. It was refreshing to have to think with a completely different sense than usual.
What's next for Pixel Pet
The plan is to soon include sizes for more fields such as architecture and interior design. By adding new features this skill eventually aims to move into a space where Pixelpet will become indispensable in helping designers streamline their creative process. Another immediate additional feature being worked on is to work backwards from a size to figure out the type of canvas.
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