tech, design, and business. mjølner update 3rd, 2014
DESCRIPTION
How can software differentiate a physical product, is Big Data the way to go, and what is F#? Find out in this issue of Mjølner UPDATE.TRANSCRIPT
”ALL WE NEED IS A BASIC IDEA AND ONE DEDICATED PERSON”
3rd Quarter 2014
Jørgen Mygind, Business Development Manager, TouchGFX
UPDATECover Photo: Maria Holmegaard, Nicklas Lindahl,
and Jesper Hedegaard, Mjølner Informatics
FROM IDEA TO PRODUCTFASTERAs history shows, design and software development
is often a very complex and time-consuming task. Our
history, however, tells us that you can create successful
products without a heavy and lengthy process. For more
than 25 years, we have put our diversity to work, hereby
ensuring both an innovative edge and a high quality of our
clients’ products.
We swear by an agile and iterative process with a strong
focus on trial and error. We wholeheartedly subscribe to
the saying: Fail early, fail cheaply. Our process is designed
to be effective, exploratory, and lightweight.
In the last months, we have taken our trust in this saying
to a new level and brought our proven process into new
formats that can take clients from idea to product faster.
Among case stories, tech trend breakdowns, and event
invitations, we bring you these new formats in this issue
of Mjølner UPDATE.
Learn how LINAK and Mjølner have differentiated LINAK’s
products with a service that motivates users to strengthen
their health.
The service supports the LINAK brand and the company’s
dedication to improve people’s lives.
See pictures from our TouchGFX Live workshop at E-14,
and learn how we took clients from idea to basic prototype
on embedded hardware in just five hours. In the same
spirit, we bring you the service of rapid app prototyping.
To give you your tech fix, we breach the big data buzz with
an article disclosing the business potentials of this tech
trend. Finally, we invite you to our F# event in November
sporting some of the absolute top experts.
Best Regards,
Brian Gottorp Jeppesen, CEO
EDITORIAL
UPDATECover Photo: Maria Holmegaard, Nicklas Lindahl,
and Jesper Hedegaard, Mjølner Informatics
FROM IDEA TO PRODUCTFASTERAs history shows, design and software development
is often a very complex and time-consuming task. Our
history, however, tells us that you can create successful
products without a heavy and lengthy process. For more
than 25 years, we have put our diversity to work, hereby
ensuring both an innovative edge and a high quality of our
clients’ products.
We swear by an agile and iterative process with a strong
focus on trial and error. We wholeheartedly subscribe to
the saying: Fail early, fail cheaply. Our process is designed
to be effective, exploratory, and lightweight.
In the last months, we have taken our trust in this saying
to a new level and brought our proven process into new
formats that can take clients from idea to product faster.
Among case stories, tech trend breakdowns, and event
invitations, we bring you these new formats in this issue
of Mjølner UPDATE.
Learn how LINAK and Mjølner have differentiated LINAK’s
products with a service that motivates users to strengthen
their health.
The service supports the LINAK brand and the company’s
dedication to improve people’s lives.
See pictures from our TouchGFX Live workshop at E-14,
and learn how we took clients from idea to basic prototype
on embedded hardware in just five hours. In the same
spirit, we bring you the service of rapid app prototyping.
To give you your tech fix, we breach the big data buzz with
an article disclosing the business potentials of this tech
trend. Finally, we invite you to our F# event in November
sporting some of the absolute top experts.
Best Regards,
Brian Gottorp Jeppesen, CEO
EDITORIAL
MOTIVATING DESIGN IMPROVES USER HEALTH AND BUILDS BRAND
CASE
Mjølner created LINAK Desk ControlTM for LINAK.
An application that builds brand awareness and
motivates users to benefit fully from their height
adjustable tables.
LINAK is a market-leading manufacturer of linear
actuators and a close partner to Mjølner. Our latest
collaboration is the LINAK Desk ControlTM application.
Service & Awareness
LINAK faces a challenge shared by many industrial
companies: When delivering a single component for
a larger product, a company’s public identity easily
disappears in the midst of brands involved. Creating
additional services that interact directly with end-users is
a great way to overcome this:
We wanted to create an application that could improve
user health while emphasizing the core of our product.
Being a trusted partner, Mjølner was a natural part in
achieving this goal.
- Bjarke Thomsen, SBU Sales Manager, LINAK
In close collaboration with LINAK, Mjølner designed and
developed LINAK Desk ControlTM.
Customizable & Informational
LINAK Desk Control™ is a small application for users’
work computer. With personal settings, it calculates the
number of minutes you should stand up each day in order
to achieve your desired calorie burn or ergonomic benefit.
The application then informs you when to stand up, how
close you are to reaching your goal, when you can sit down
again, etc.
Encouragement Versus Disturbance
The application posed two main challenges: First, when
dealing with health, it is essential that calculations are
accurate. LINAK’s own researchers developed a complex
formula for that purpose.
The second challenge was to create a design that
encourages users to incorporate exercise into their
workday without causing unnecessary disturbance.
Developers, UX’ers, and designers were all in for a challenge
here. The project called for important decisions on many
levels, and Mjølner’s ability to cooperate was central.
- Mikkel Yde Kjær, Mobile Manager, Mjølner Informatics
The Service Is the Face of Your Product
Services that interact directly with users give you a chance
to show the face of your brand.
LINAK presented the application at exhibitions this
summer to a very intrigued audience.
12 Custom Versions Already Sold
The value of the application is clear to LINAK’s customers.
It builds brand awareness while integrating the use of
their product in the daily lives of users.
LINAK has already sold the LINAK Desk Control™
application in 12 custom versions for different suppliers of
height adjustable tables.
Find the software at linak.com/deskline
LINAK Desk ControlTM in use
MOTIVATING DESIGN IMPROVES USER HEALTH AND BUILDS BRAND
CASE
Mjølner created LINAK Desk ControlTM for LINAK.
An application that builds brand awareness and
motivates users to benefit fully from their height
adjustable tables.
LINAK is a market-leading manufacturer of linear
actuators and a close partner to Mjølner. Our latest
collaboration is the LINAK Desk ControlTM application.
Service & Awareness
LINAK faces a challenge shared by many industrial
companies: When delivering a single component for
a larger product, a company’s public identity easily
disappears in the midst of brands involved. Creating
additional services that interact directly with end-users is
a great way to overcome this:
We wanted to create an application that could improve
user health while emphasizing the core of our product.
Being a trusted partner, Mjølner was a natural part in
achieving this goal.
- Bjarke Thomsen, SBU Sales Manager, LINAK
In close collaboration with LINAK, Mjølner designed and
developed LINAK Desk ControlTM.
Customizable & Informational
LINAK Desk Control™ is a small application for users’
work computer. With personal settings, it calculates the
number of minutes you should stand up each day in order
to achieve your desired calorie burn or ergonomic benefit.
The application then informs you when to stand up, how
close you are to reaching your goal, when you can sit down
again, etc.
Encouragement Versus Disturbance
The application posed two main challenges: First, when
dealing with health, it is essential that calculations are
accurate. LINAK’s own researchers developed a complex
formula for that purpose.
The second challenge was to create a design that
encourages users to incorporate exercise into their
workday without causing unnecessary disturbance.
Developers, UX’ers, and designers were all in for a challenge
here. The project called for important decisions on many
levels, and Mjølner’s ability to cooperate was central.
- Mikkel Yde Kjær, Mobile Manager, Mjølner Informatics
The Service Is the Face of Your Product
Services that interact directly with users give you a chance
to show the face of your brand.
LINAK presented the application at exhibitions this
summer to a very intrigued audience.
12 Custom Versions Already Sold
The value of the application is clear to LINAK’s customers.
It builds brand awareness while integrating the use of
their product in the daily lives of users.
LINAK has already sold the LINAK Desk Control™
application in 12 custom versions for different suppliers of
height adjustable tables.
Find the software at linak.com/deskline
LINAK Desk ControlTM in use
WORKSHOP
THREE PROTOTYPES IN THREE DAYS WITH TouchGFXWe invited a range of companies to challenge us
with their future GUI project at E-14. Three selected
projects were turned from idea to prototype in a live
workshop for all visitors to see.
The interest in TouchGFX is steadily growing and we
wanted to give professionals from all levels of the
Danish electronics sector a better understanding of the
possibilities TouchGFX offers.
Being Denmark’s largest electronics event, E-14 was the
perfect place to do just that.
Concept, Design & Implementation
Our TouchGFX-team of three, a user experience specialist,
a digital designer, and a software developer, took on one
project a day, turning a GUI idea into a working prototype
on Cortex M4 hardware, all in just five hours.
Day 1 - Prolon: Control unit for intelligent buildings
Day 2 - Nilan: Control panel for ventilation units
Day 3 - Confidential: Control unit for crop sprayers
At the end of each day, we gave the clients a package to use
in the next stage of the process.
This included concept descriptions, a collection of sketches
with elaborations about design and feature choices, the
prototype running on embedded hardware, and design files.
Additionally, we gave the clients advice on how to convey
design and feature choices to their organizations.
Push Your Product Development
The purpose of the workshop was to give potential clients
a better understanding of what they can achieve with
TouchGFX and how a project can unfold.
All without spending too much precious time.
The workshop is a simple tool for product managers,
developers, and others to estimate, plan, and develop
embedded GUI projects. All we need is a basic idea, one
dedicated person, and a few design guidelines.
- Jørgen Mygind, Business Development Manager, TouchGFX
Henrik Buhl Nielsen represented Nilan during the second
day workshop.
The workshop gave me a new understanding of use
scenarios and how we can utilize the animations, graphics,
and functionalities of TouchGFX and give our users a
better product experience overall.
- Henrik Buhl Nielsen, Electronics & Control R&D Engineer, Nilan
Nilan’s prototype included a ”change temperature”
feature, an ”open/close menu” feature, and an animated
warning screen. Furthermore, we implemented a home
screen displaying the temperatures inside and outside,
and the current ventilation mode.
Take Your Product Development Further
Your organization’s ideas and challenges might benefit
from a similar approach. We can help you develop the
idea, create the concept, and implement the prototype in
a matter of hours.
Jørgen Mygind
+45 30 98 41 15
IDEATION CONCEPTUALIZATION DIGITAL DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION PROTOTYPE
WORKSHOP
THREE PROTOTYPES IN THREE DAYS WITH TouchGFXWe invited a range of companies to challenge us
with their future GUI project at E-14. Three selected
projects were turned from idea to prototype in a live
workshop for all visitors to see.
The interest in TouchGFX is steadily growing and we
wanted to give professionals from all levels of the
Danish electronics sector a better understanding of the
possibilities TouchGFX offers.
Being Denmark’s largest electronics event, E-14 was the
perfect place to do just that.
Concept, Design & Implementation
Our TouchGFX-team of three, a user experience specialist,
a digital designer, and a software developer, took on one
project a day, turning a GUI idea into a working prototype
on Cortex M4 hardware, all in just five hours.
Day 1 - Prolon: Control unit for intelligent buildings
Day 2 - Nilan: Control panel for ventilation units
Day 3 - Confidential: Control unit for crop sprayers
At the end of each day, we gave the clients a package to use
in the next stage of the process.
This included concept descriptions, a collection of sketches
with elaborations about design and feature choices, the
prototype running on embedded hardware, and design files.
Additionally, we gave the clients advice on how to convey
design and feature choices to their organizations.
Push Your Product Development
The purpose of the workshop was to give potential clients
a better understanding of what they can achieve with
TouchGFX and how a project can unfold.
All without spending too much precious time.
The workshop is a simple tool for product managers,
developers, and others to estimate, plan, and develop
embedded GUI projects. All we need is a basic idea, one
dedicated person, and a few design guidelines.
- Jørgen Mygind, Business Development Manager, TouchGFX
Henrik Buhl Nielsen represented Nilan during the second
day workshop.
The workshop gave me a new understanding of use
scenarios and how we can utilize the animations, graphics,
and functionalities of TouchGFX and give our users a
better product experience overall.
- Henrik Buhl Nielsen, Electronics & Control R&D Engineer, Nilan
Nilan’s prototype included a ”change temperature”
feature, an ”open/close menu” feature, and an animated
warning screen. Furthermore, we implemented a home
screen displaying the temperatures inside and outside,
and the current ventilation mode.
Take Your Product Development Further
Your organization’s ideas and challenges might benefit
from a similar approach. We can help you develop the
idea, create the concept, and implement the prototype in
a matter of hours.
Jørgen Mygind
+45 30 98 41 15
IDEATION CONCEPTUALIZATION DIGITAL DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION PROTOTYPE
The workshop gave me an understanding of how we can utilize TouchGFX and give our
users a better product experience.
Henrik Buhl Nielsen, Electronics & Control R&D Engineer, Nilan
“WORKSHOP
The workshop gave me an understanding of how we can utilize TouchGFX and give our
users a better product experience.
Henrik Buhl Nielsen, Electronics & Control R&D Engineer, Nilan
“WORKSHOP
SERVICE
LESS TALK,MORE APP-TION!What if you were able to get to know your mobile
app before it was made? Our prototype apps make
this possible.
Prototype apps saves you time and money by making your
development process more efficient.
Communicate Quickly
Prototype apps reduce confusion about how ideas will be
realized. By having your idea on a device, you can quickly
communicate your wants and needs and thereby minimize
the amount of time spent on clarifying requirements.
Our prototype apps give you:
Direct Feedback by enabling you to share links and
input directly inside the prototype app, instead of
exchanging document files and pictures. This way,
collaboration becomes easier and more efficient.
Realistic Mock-Ups that reflect the apps’ final form,
regardless of platform. The best prototyped apps are
the ones that mirror the requirements of the final
product. Color, scale, pictures, and navigation, should
be used in ways that create the most realistic mock-up
possible.
Continuous Iterations that become a natural part of
your app design process. New screenshots are simple
and fast to upload. This enables frequent iterations
during the development process, giving you a better
end-product.
From Idea to Product Faster
To develop an app is often a long and complicated task. By
using prototype apps, the team is equipped with a better
communication tool. It eases the decision-making process
regarding design and function and takes you from idea to
product faster.
Get Started!
Let us strengthen the collaboration between ideators and
developers by optimizing the development process in your
organization with prototype apps.
Frederik Winstrup Johansen
+45 41 95 36 56
SERVICE
LESS TALK,MORE APP-TION!What if you were able to get to know your mobile
app before it was made? Our prototype apps make
this possible.
Prototype apps saves you time and money by making your
development process more efficient.
Communicate Quickly
Prototype apps reduce confusion about how ideas will be
realized. By having your idea on a device, you can quickly
communicate your wants and needs and thereby minimize
the amount of time spent on clarifying requirements.
Our prototype apps give you:
Direct Feedback by enabling you to share links and
input directly inside the prototype app, instead of
exchanging document files and pictures. This way,
collaboration becomes easier and more efficient.
Realistic Mock-Ups that reflect the apps’ final form,
regardless of platform. The best prototyped apps are
the ones that mirror the requirements of the final
product. Color, scale, pictures, and navigation, should
be used in ways that create the most realistic mock-up
possible.
Continuous Iterations that become a natural part of
your app design process. New screenshots are simple
and fast to upload. This enables frequent iterations
during the development process, giving you a better
end-product.
From Idea to Product Faster
To develop an app is often a long and complicated task. By
using prototype apps, the team is equipped with a better
communication tool. It eases the decision-making process
regarding design and function and takes you from idea to
product faster.
Get Started!
Let us strengthen the collaboration between ideators and
developers by optimizing the development process in your
organization with prototype apps.
Frederik Winstrup Johansen
+45 41 95 36 56
TECH
Big Data is a highly profiled tech trend, but how can
it benefit your business?
The three V’s of Big Data - Volume, Velocity and Variety -
does not provide a sufficient definition of Big Data from a
business perspective. Instead, the key lays in concentrating
on the nature of the challenges the technology can solve.
Describe, Predict & Prescribe
Big Data can describe a current or historic state, predict
future scenarios, and prescribe the actions a company
should make based on these analyses. Big Data should
therefore be seen as:
The complex technical discipline of handling data of
voluminous size and various forms at high velocity, in order
to solve problems of a predictive and prescriptive nature.
Three Gains of Big Data
Following the definition above, three main business
potentials of Big Data reveal themselves:
Cost Reduction by enabling you to scan business-
critical and vast data sets at a reduced process time
and cost.
Improved Decision-Making with better data models
that provide greater insights to decision makers and
real-time data analysis that can automate decision-
making in certain areas.
Service/Product Optimization with large and varied
data sets on the right platform. Optimize existing
services and products continuously, or contribute to
the development of new ones.
Business First
In the haze of the Big Data buzz, it is important to stay
focused on the needs of your company. The crucial thing
to consider is which questions you would like an answer
to. Then consider if Big Data could help answer these
questions.
THE BUSINESS POTENTIALSOF BIG DATA
LEARN MORE ABOUT BIG DATA
Gustav Kastrup Nielsen
+45 60 23 53 01
TECH
Big Data is a highly profiled tech trend, but how can
it benefit your business?
The three V’s of Big Data - Volume, Velocity and Variety -
does not provide a sufficient definition of Big Data from a
business perspective. Instead, the key lays in concentrating
on the nature of the challenges the technology can solve.
Describe, Predict & Prescribe
Big Data can describe a current or historic state, predict
future scenarios, and prescribe the actions a company
should make based on these analyses. Big Data should
therefore be seen as:
The complex technical discipline of handling data of
voluminous size and various forms at high velocity, in order
to solve problems of a predictive and prescriptive nature.
Three Gains of Big Data
Following the definition above, three main business
potentials of Big Data reveal themselves:
Cost Reduction by enabling you to scan business-
critical and vast data sets at a reduced process time
and cost.
Improved Decision-Making with better data models
that provide greater insights to decision makers and
real-time data analysis that can automate decision-
making in certain areas.
Service/Product Optimization with large and varied
data sets on the right platform. Optimize existing
services and products continuously, or contribute to
the development of new ones.
Business First
In the haze of the Big Data buzz, it is important to stay
focused on the needs of your company. The crucial thing
to consider is which questions you would like an answer
to. Then consider if Big Data could help answer these
questions.
THE BUSINESS POTENTIALSOF BIG DATA
LEARN MORE ABOUT BIG DATA
Gustav Kastrup Nielsen
+45 60 23 53 01
EVENT
JOIN OUR F# EVENTS!Meet Tomas Petricek and Mathias Brandewinder
and learn what F# can offer you.
We have teamed up with the absolute top of F#
specialists, Mathias Brandewinder, Microsoft MVP, and
Tomas Petricek, author and Microsoft MVP.
With these specialists, we offer you two F# events.
Building Stuff that Works with F#
Mathias BrandewinderTomas Petricek
F# via Machine Learning
More information and registration at mjolner.dk/event/fsharp
November 4th from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm - Finlandsgade 10, 8200 Aarhus N
November 3rd from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Finlandsgade 10, 8200 Aarhus N
Many standard F# libraries and tools, including the compiler itself, are developed as open-source and have a large
number of contributors. How does the F# community manage to build tested, frequently released, and well-
documented libraries that work? In this talk, we will look into the awesome F# tools, many of which can be used
with any .NET language.
Mathias specializes in the design and development of
decision systems and forecasting models. He has been
developing .NET applications for the past eight years, for
a variety of industries ranging from biotech to retail and
global health.
Tomas is a computer scientist, finishing his PhD at the
University of Cambridge. He has been using F# since
the early Microsoft Research versions many years ago.
He is the author of the popular (and F#-centric) book
Real World Functional Programming, and has written
numerous articles and StackOverflow answers.
Machine learning is the art of writing programs that become better at performing tasks by using data. In this hands-
on workshop you will learn how to use the power of F# by building simple but effective machine learning predictive
models and solve real-world problems. In the process, you will learn fundamental concepts and methods of machine
learning that are broadly applicable by software engineers. At the same time, you gain a solid foundation to start
writing clean and effective F# code.
EVENT
JOIN OUR F# EVENTS!Meet Tomas Petricek and Mathias Brandewinder
and learn what F# can offer you.
We have teamed up with the absolute top of F#
specialists, Mathias Brandewinder, Microsoft MVP, and
Tomas Petricek, author and Microsoft MVP.
With these specialists, we offer you two F# events.
Building Stuff that Works with F#
Mathias BrandewinderTomas Petricek
F# via Machine Learning
More information and registration at mjolner.dk/event/fsharp
November 4th from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm - Finlandsgade 10, 8200 Aarhus N
November 3rd from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Finlandsgade 10, 8200 Aarhus N
Many standard F# libraries and tools, including the compiler itself, are developed as open-source and have a large
number of contributors. How does the F# community manage to build tested, frequently released, and well-
documented libraries that work? In this talk, we will look into the awesome F# tools, many of which can be used
with any .NET language.
Mathias specializes in the design and development of
decision systems and forecasting models. He has been
developing .NET applications for the past eight years, for
a variety of industries ranging from biotech to retail and
global health.
Tomas is a computer scientist, finishing his PhD at the
University of Cambridge. He has been using F# since
the early Microsoft Research versions many years ago.
He is the author of the popular (and F#-centric) book
Real World Functional Programming, and has written
numerous articles and StackOverflow answers.
Machine learning is the art of writing programs that become better at performing tasks by using data. In this hands-
on workshop you will learn how to use the power of F# by building simple but effective machine learning predictive
models and solve real-world problems. In the process, you will learn fundamental concepts and methods of machine
learning that are broadly applicable by software engineers. At the same time, you gain a solid foundation to start
writing clean and effective F# code.
MOTIVATING DESIGN IMPROVES USER HEALTH AND BUILDS BRAND
THREE PROTOTYPES IN THREE DAYS WITH TouchGFX
LESS TALK, MORE APP-TION!
THE BUSINESS POTENTIALS OF BIG DATA
JOIN OUR F# EVENTS!
Mjølner Informatics A/S Finlandsgade 10, DK-8200 Aarhus N +45 70 27 43 43 www.mjolner.dk [email protected]