Juggling the Business and the Art

Some of the research being conducted for "The Last Escape"

Whenever you work on a big project you have to accommodate the ever shifting requirements that will bring it to fruition.  In the case of the puzzle/escape room under development there are several different tracks operating at the same time.  The business planning is essential for many reasons, the most prominent in my own mind is the fact that I should be practicing what I preach.  I am currently teaching two separate courses at the University of Washington Tacoma in entrepreneurship, one as an  undergraduate course and the other as part of a continuing education certificate.  Both use business planning as the infrastructure for building out your company on both an operational and a funding level.  Plus of course it is an incredibly valuable tool for a successful outcome.

So I am working on that.  Finding a venue, creating a proforma, developing marketing materials, organizing and recruiting a team, procuring funding and performing recursive reality checks are all the plates spinning right now in my off time from my day job.  I am really enjoying myself.

Additionally, there is the creative element.  The whole point of this was to produce something fun with theatrical elements.  The balance here is going to be the practical flow of the puzzles that will be challenging, exciting and fun to do as a team, the story that needs to be told over the course of an hour that will have several endings based on how far the teams progress toward the escape, the characters who will inhabit the room from the gamemaster to the limited role playing that can be infused into the customers and how much historical accuracy can be integrated into what is a fictional situation.

I am working on that.  This requires a bit of research and experimentation.

The good news is that I have the complete skeletal structure of the puzzle elements as they lead to locked boxes, strange riddles, brain teasers, hidden rooms and required tasks.  When I write stories I often have it worked out completely in my head.  Once I put it on paper I realize where I have holes to fill and characters to develop.  It is never complete until the third or fourth rewrite (for me).

In this case I have the story down.  However instead of rewriting it I need to run it.  I need to know the realistic time it might take ten people working together to finish each challenge.  It can't be too hard or to easy.

There are also several pieces that will need to be fabricated or procured.  Then there is a set to build.

My next post will talk about the people who are helping me get this done.

Bringing an Escape Room to the South Puget Sound

Real life room escape games have been cropping up around the United States with greater frequency over the last two years.  These stylized escape games which pit creative problem solving against a ticking clock started in Hungary and took off in Japan where they are extremely popular.  In our own area there are currently no less than five puzzle room companies in Seattle and at least one that I know of in Redmond, with many in Portland as well.

Theatrically speaking there is a spectrum to the experience.  On one end of the spectrum there are simple puzzle rooms that are filled with a variety of puzzle types.  Small teams of people work together to figure them out until each puzzle leads them to meta puzzles which leads you to the means to leave the room.

On the other end of the spectrum are thematic escape rooms.  These carry a story or plot line along with the necessary puzzle solving to make the escape.  They are immersive to a place or time and can heighten the urgency of the clock.  Think a prison break or escape from a mad scientist’s lab.

It is this story driven type of puzzle and escape room that I will be bringing to Tacoma (in conjunction with some great local partners).  I wanted to create something that would be a combination of stage play and puzzle room, with the idea that plotting, story line and stagecraft such as lighting and special effects would enhance the experience. 

At its core it will still be type of physical adventure game in which people are locked in a room with other participants and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of puzzles, find clues, and escape the room within a set time limit.  But there will also be a plot, characters and a story line added to the experience.  

It would be possible to put it together today and run a beta of it next week (and I was tempted to).  However, I would rather up the quality as much as I can.  This means more time and money to build a dedicated set, create special puzzles and purchase props.  So I am going to run a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for a higher end product through perks that will include first patron advance ticket sales, puzzle sponsorship and hopefully some cool swag.  At the very least, this will give me the opportunity to spread the word, find some beta testers and up the quality of the experience. 

If you are interested let me know, and look for the upcoming campaign.

"Know him, Hear him, See him, Free him" - Assisting Houdini in His Last Escape

The Virtual Scavenger Hunt 2015 Addition

About 12 years ago I was thinking of how to create an assignment that was both an examination of search tools and hopefully a lot of fun.  I also wanted to open their eyes to how much personal information was available on the web.  So for my class Living and Working in a Virtual World I put together a virtual scavenger hunt.  Back in 2007 I wrote about it here on this blog.

I have been conducting the hunt once or twice every year since, depending on when I am scheduled to teach the course.  Each year, as search technologies and specialized sites such as RedFin, LinkedIn, Twitter, Expedia, Amazon and Facebook further dominate our lives, the items on the list have gotten easier to find and retrieve.  

It may be a bit generational, but most people don't seem to care how much personal information they give out online.  I myself gave up on the concept of privacy a long time ago.  Erik Hanberg recently quoted me, probably quoting someone else, probably quoting Erik with this little gem.  "The privacy you have today is the most privacy you will ever have".  

Where once the hunt would take an entire class period, with only one third of the items found by much the participating teams, it now takes only about one hour for several of the teams to find them all.

UPDATE:  This year one team found all 19 items in less than one half hour.

And I have tried to make them more difficult.  Some are items from the first hunt, which by virtue of being dated have become more difficult to find.  But there is one in particular that I want to mention.



Item number 19 on this years hunt reads.  "What is the married name of my middle sister?"

Think about that.  These students only know me as their professor, with only my name and affiliation with the university as a starting point.  They need to be able to find out about my family, the order in which they were born and who they married.  All in about 5 minutes, as it is the last item on the list.

Remember when "What is your mothers maiden name?" was a common password check?  "The name of the best man at your wedding?".  "The name of your first pet?"  These are all common prompts today for password retrieval.  Any of them are easy to find online.

This year of the nine teams participating, I expect several will get the correct answer.

You may not be shocked, you may be concerned, but for the most part, in the present day you should at least be aware.

(much of the text for this post is from an earlier hunt)

Another Year of Growth for the Institute of Technology at the University of Washington Tacoma

The academic year started last Weds the 30th of September. 

I think back to when the Institute of Technology was just an idea with the starting point of 30 to 60 students enrolled in a computer science major that had the terrible name of Computer Software and Systems.  

Starting in 2015 we have 750 plus Juniors, Seniors and Graduate students in five programs and two centers for research. More programs on the horizon.

It has been an amazing journey with plenty of ups and downs along the way.

Let's give the credit where it is due. The Washington Technology Industry Association, Ed Lazowska and true leaders of Tacoma like Herb Simon and others pushed for more high demand degree programs and the UWT was the place to make it happen. 

I was happy to have served on the education committee for the WTIA (at that time the WSA) when the workforce report came out. 

The founding director of the Institute, Dr. Larry Crum, had a vision for a polytechnic with a large student body and I was lucky that he envisioned a position that would recruit someone out of industry with a strong tech business background.  It was a very different type of position that required a title change and that would allow me to not only teach but to stay involved with young companies as well. 

Governor Gary Locke signed the legislation that funded the Institute and I was pleased he announced the initiative and made the official declaration in my Managing Technical Teams class.  At that time a single engine train used to come through the middle of campus twice a week.  It felt like a single A baseball team that needs to take an outfield wall down to let the local train cross through the field.

The second director, Dr. Orlando Baiocchi, and Associate Director Dr. Larry Wear founded the Computer Engineering program, the second high tech high demand degree program that cemented the idea that the Institute wasn't just about computer science.

Dr. Sam Chung and Dr. Ankur Teredesai founded the IT program. Sam and Barbara Endicott Popovsky created the Cybersecurity Center and Ankur presides over the Center for Data Science. 

The third Director Rob Friedman championed our growth at 20 to 25 percent over the last several years. The current director Dr. Raj Katti will no doubt see an EE program take shape by 2016 or so. 

I feel like Woody Allen's great character Zelig, always appearing somewhere in the background.

SiteCrafting Expands into New Quarters in the (slightly tongue in check) Emerging Dome Tech District

Congratulations are in order to Brian Forth and all the folks at SiteCrafting.  The company has  been a Tacoma fixture for 17 years and they just moved into some very cool digs near Lemay and the Tacoma Dome.

First, the exterior is polished and professional.  No messing around when it comes to knowing you have arrived at the offices.  The companies logo, familiar from so many views on the web, looks great as the mantle about the door to the building.

Even more impressive is the open concept interior.  The view from the loft, office at the top of the stairs gives an idea of how things are laid out.

The open beams remind me of the tech company vibe of Pioneer Square in Seattle.  The walls have messaging on all sides.  My favorite is the mission statement for the company (not shown) that appears on the dividing wall that separates a open lounge, meeting area and the kitchen.

I attended their open house on June 3rd and ran into many of the Tacoma community and technology crowd including Tom Pierson, President and CEO of the Tacoma Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, who said a few words and presided over the ribbon cutting.  

Additionally and equally impressive was the roll out of a new LLC housed within SiteCrafting's building call GearLab.  With an already impressive list of clients, they provide usability testing, user research, and content strategy.

From their web site:

TOP TIER FACILITY
GearLab is equipped with the latest technology for testing across all platforms and screen sizes, including an eye tracking system that records the movements of a subject's saccades. The Lab is separated into two spaces - the lab itself and an observation room, creating flexibility to fit the testing that makes sense for your project.

S-Vidia is moving in to office not far from theirs and another cybersecurity company is housed next door.  With four companies with technology grounding as part of their product services I am now going to casually throw around the phrase "T-Dome tech-district" whenever I talk about SiteCraftings new location.

Last Chance to Experience the Mysterious UWT Aural Event

There has been some excitement for the addition of a large W to the UWT campus at the top of the Grand Staircase.  It will be located in an area that is considered one of the best views on campus.

Not only that, but discourse on the coloration of the letter, in association with the feel of the campus and the city (not my view but a common one) has been held.  "UW Tacoma’s new installation will be eight feet tall and made of steel."

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/04/20/3749940/matt-driscoll-its-time-to-come.html

But note where it is going to be located.  Great spot, right?  Yes....but.

Something will be lost when it goes up,  A little UWT secret that I stumbled across years ago and still present to anyone I am giving a campus tour to.  Now, in no way I am advocating that a different location be selected.  I think this is the right spot. 

So I am telling you this now so that you can experience it yourself before construction and installation begins.  To do so means that you will be privy to a soon to be forgotten University of Washington Tacoma audio anomaly.  See the crossing lines below.  Stand at the intersection, in the center of the cross.  Exactly in the center facing outward down the staircase or it won't work.  Look out toward the arch of the History Museum and say "Go Huskies!" or "Andrew Fry is an idiot" or anything you please.  Experience the magic.

Now of course there is a simple scientific explanation, of which I will not give until after you have tried.  I'll wait.

Most importantly, do this soon.  As once the W goes up, the mystery will be gone.  

Unless they place the W about two feet further out than the picture suggests.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/04/20/3749940/matt-driscoll-its-time-to-come.html#storylink=cpy

South Sound Technology Conference 2015 This Friday March 6th

This Friday, March 6th, William Philip Hall on the UWT campus will be filled with hundreds of attendees to the South Sound Technology Conference.  Having chaired the conference for 14 of it's 15 years I am pleased to say that Congressman Adam Smith and Congressman Derek Kilmer are once again are honorary co-chairs of the South Sound Technology Conference.  Congressman Adam Smith will be there in person to provide some opening remarks in the 2015 addition of this 15 year running showcase for technology and entrepreneurship in the South Puget Sound.

The annual South Sound Technology Conference, which is hosted by the Institute of Technology at the University of Washington Tacoma and slated for this Friday, March 6th, brings together leaders from industry, education and government from around the state to discuss and demonstrate technological innovations and their ongoing applications.

This year the conference will highlight information and cybersecurity in its keynote addresses and some of the panels. Janine Teranno, CEO of Topia Technology will be the morning keynoter and discuss information protection in the cloud, and Bill Boni discuss protecting the infrastructure and your information.  Panel and keynote presentations - including networking opportunities - provide a venue to discuss, explore, understand and deploy technology as a solution, an opportunity and an advantage. These panels will include entrepreneurial networking opportunities, a discussion of the Kaufmann 1 Million Cups Tacoma project along with success stories and how technology will provide solutions for energy issues in the future.

Bill Boni is Corporate Information Security Officer and Vice President Enterprise Information Security for T-Mobile U.S.A. An information-protection specialist for 30 years, Boni joined T-Mobile in 2009. Previously, he was Corporate Security Officer of Motorola Asset Protection Services. Throughout his career, he has helped organizations design and implement cost-effective programs to protect both tangible and intangible assets. He pioneered the application of computer forensics and intrusion detection to deal with incidents directed against electronic business systems. He was awarded CSO Magazine’s “Compass Award” and “Information Security Executive of the Year – Central” in 2007.

South Sound Technology Conference 2015 Program

9 - 9:15 am

Opening Remarks

Congressman, Adam Smith

Congressman, Derek Kilmer

Institute of Technology Director, Dr. Rob Friedman

Chair, Andrew Fry

9:15 –  9:45 am

Morning Keynote Address

Janine Terrano, CEO

9:50 – 10:45 am

Morning Panel: Securing Infrastructure and Information

Chair: Bryan Goda: Panel:

Merike Kaeo – IID,

Mike Hamilton – WA State Department of OCIO

Steven R. Ketelsen - student in the Master of Cybersecurity & Leadership

10:45 – 11am

Break

11 – 11:50 am

Breakout One - Entrepreneurial Networking

Chair: Lynnette Claire - TEN

Panel:

Nara McDonald – Chamber of Commerce

Michael Lane – Crowdfunding Club

Kala J. Dralle – Monday Meet-ups

Amy Sallin – Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship

               

Breakout Two – The Role Of Technology In Bringing Clean Energy To Market'

Chair: Graham Evans – Climate Solutions

Panel:

Joe Tellez – Tacoma Public Utilities

George Mobus – Institute of Technology

Chad Condon -  Computer Engineering Student UWT

Rogers Weed - VP Product Mgmt. 1Energy Systems

12 – 12:45 pm

Lunch Keynote Address

Bill Boni, CISO of T-Mobile

12:45 – 1 pm  - Break

1 – 1:50pm

Breakout Three: Military and Mid-Career Transitioning into Cybersecurity

Chair:  Dr. Barbara Endicott-Popovsky – Center of Excellence in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity & Institute of Technology

Panel:

Scott Klauminzer – Tacoma Public Utilities

Jackson Robinson – Microsoft

Morgan Zantua – Creates architect

David Shaw – CEO Global Business Analysis

2 -3 pm

Breakout Four: 1 Million Cups Success Stories

Chair: Andrew Fry – Institute of Technology

Panel:

Jim Kastama – Kastama and Associates

Derek Young – Tacoma Runners

Chris Shepard – Choose Vets

Stephen Tibbets - FabLab            

Student Samplers – Poster sessions

3 - 4 pm

Conference Closing – Birds of a Feather Launch