Name of Project:
Proposer: jkosem
Do you agree to open source all work you do on behalf of this RFP and dual-license under MIT and APACHE2 licenses?: "Yes"
Following on the far-reaching initial efforts to bring about mass adoption of IPFS by creating browser design guidelines to be brought to standards bodies and browser vendors, it is clear the guidelines work needs to be expanded to where it could achieve adoption quickest, on mobile. Smartphone use has eclipsed desktop, especially in emerging markets, where IPFS stands to better address use cases, patterns and concerns around data sovereignty, offline applications and security.
This programme of work will be the first of two, including research and design phases. Both will include not just use of mobile browser but wider mobile sharing and receiving workflows of iOS and Android mobile operating systems. This will provide a foundational effort towards IPFS on mobile platforms, informing both IPFS feature prioritization and the ecosystem and community building on the protocol.
An evaluation of IPFS for mobile applications that is grounded in research and design will be the foundation for adoption at massive scale. By researching existing usage patterns and behaviors, we can identify where IPFS could have the most impact, accelerating and amplifying the efforts of application builders.
Mobile is especially important to the wider distribution of IPFS and user base growth. IPFS could, with focused study on use cases and behaviours of mobile users for instance with sharing content and media, be an easier jump to using P2P in their daily lives. For instance, a solid and enjoyable IPFS mobile experience might allow perhaps skipping the desktop experience altogether for users coming to the platform.
The question of scope is constant in defining projects and areas of study. While the scope of this may initially be quite wide and shallow, this could be advantageous in setting up the groundwork for additional studies which would further refine thinking and recommendations as the field progresses. The value lies in making forays into the space, researching and designing that which has not been done to date, and creating a way to learn where to refine and redefine how IPFS is brought to more and more users.
The deliverable is a repository and report of research and analysis to inform the IPFS Mobile Design Guidelines. The research contains a contextual examination of the technical, security and usability issues with IPFS use on mobile, an examination of the current mobile sharing and receiving features and patterns. After establishing the investigation space, there would follow the interviews and analysis to develop a design direction. This would include interviews with and examination of the work of firms already doing work in this space such as Berty Technologies and Textile.
The following is the first of two phases of the rollout of the IPFS Mobile Design Guidelines. All of the research and design work is to be led or done by Jim Kosem with technical and project guidance and advice by Dietrich Ayala.
04 Mar 2020: Proposed date to start
03 Apr 2020: Proposed date to finish
| Milestone | Hours | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Kick off workshop - design, planning, setup and execution of sync remote workshop for stakeholders in order to help frame the research and highlight where and what to focus on. | 16 | €1,180.00 |
| Research recruitment - sourcing, evaluating, contacting and scheduling for non-technical and technical interviewees. | 16 | €1,180.00 |
| Survey review of mobile p2p applications - Identify and review features, capabilities, use-cases and authors of existing mobile p2p applications | 16 | €1,180.00 |
| Writing and publication of blog post introducing the project research | 4 | €295.00 |
| Review of wider and additional contexts that affect mobile beyond the mobile browser, for example power, bandwidth and security | 16 | €1,180.00 |
| Perform interviews of experts and non-experts | 32 | €2,360.00 |
| Consolidating of research notes and learnings from interviews and into a readable resource to contribute to the final design recommendations in public Github repository | 16 | €1,180.00 |
| Analysis of research and surveys to identify key learnings to lead the creation of design strategy | 32 | €2,360.00 |
| Creation and compilation of design strategy with recommendations to provide direction to the following IPFS mobile design phase documented in repository | 8 | €590.00 |
| Writing and publication of blog post summarising the project research | 12 | €885.00 |
| Presentation of the project at IPFS Weekly - including the production of slide deck, review, and present | 8 | €590.00 |
| Total | €12,980.00 |
€12,980 EUR
No VAT charged (Reverse charge – VAT is not settled under Article 44 of Directive 2006/112/EC)
As the project is research and design based, there is no need for software maintenance. However, what will be produced and delivered are content and design repositories and documents which are to be open source, freely available to the public and to be maintained by Protocol Labs.
- Jim Kosem (Researcher and designer) - jimkosem.com
- Dietrich Ayala (Protocol Labs advisor) - https://github.com/autonome
Github repository provided by Protocol Labs to follow
Jim is a designer with 20 years of experience researching, designing and helping build digital products and services for everyone from Intel, Samsung to the British Government Digital Services. He's currently working in helping make decentralisation usable. As co-author of the Protocol Labs IPFS Browser Design Guidelines, along with background in the blockchain space and extensive innovation and product experience, Jim is uniquely suited to help further IPFS's efforts in mass adoption.
[IPFS Browser Design Guidelines]
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