Dave Hawkins proposes developing a general purpose interactive visual calculator application. Such an app could allow users to visually model and calculate different types of graphs, like cost maps, without needing separate apps for each type. It would have features like those of early spreadsheet apps, being visually based, general purpose, easy to use, and augmenting users' abilities. Hawkins seeks input on whether such an app already exists, whether it would be worth creating, what it would take to create, and how best to develop, market, and license it.

1. Visual
Calculation
App
Dave Hawkins
2014-11-19

2. What brought me here…
Electrical Engineer - University of Calgary
Software, hardware and network systems in the 70’s , 80’s
Witnessed the 70’s killer app - spreadsheets
Boutique consulting, executive counsel last 16 years
Clients get value from visualization
Love the Sunshine Coast and want to see us prosper

3. Pitch at a Glance
Opportunity exists to
develop, market, license and sell services based on
the first widely used
general purpose interactive visual calculator -
A killer app.

4. Killer App: Spreadsheets
VisiCalc created the software
category of
“spreadsheet” (1979)
Contributed to success of the
Apple II and personal computing
Now a core component of any
“office suite”

5. Initial SS Success Factors
Visual model (used state-of-the-art graphics)
General purpose (flexible enough to be misused)
Easy to learn and use (no specialized skill required)
Elegant (complex models from a few basic concepts)
Reusable, extensible models (templates)
Familiar interface (paper spreadsheets and tables)
Augmented peoples abilities (people could manage complexity)

6. Technical Term: “Graph”
Node Node
Edge
Node
Edge
Node
Edge
Connector
Line
Vertex
Box

8. Current Constraints
Separate calculating apps for each type
General purpose apps can’t calculate
Drawing - Visio, Omnigraffle
Mind maps
If you want to implement a new type of calculating
graph you need to write your own app

9. Example: Cost Mapping
Need: To understand what things really cost in an
organization
Methodology: Activity Based Costing
Existing tools: tables, spreadsheets
New tool: visual map of cost flows

10. Demo
Interactive Visual Cost Calculator

11. General Purpose
Interactive
Visual Calculator
A high level development environment

12. Node: Unit
Define Mode
Variable Type Value Show
label String entered TRUE
unitCost Number entered TRUE
Attribute Value
shape square
line color black
Node: Total
Edge: Quantity
Variable Type Value Show
number Number entered TRUE
amount Calc number * Input.Unit.unitCost FALSE
Attribute Value
arrow solid
line color black
name
unitCost
Variable Type Value Show
label String entered TRUE
cost Calc sum of Inputs.Quantity.amount TRUE
Attribute Value
shape square
line color red
name
cost
number

13. Use Mode
label
unitCost
Unit
Total
Number
Muck Rake
12.95
Buzz Cut
6.75
Toe Toner
49.95
Eye Snuff
9.90
43 15 250 2
Total
13,155.50
label
result

14. Visual Calc App Features
Visual model (uses state-of-the-art graphics)
General purpose (flexible enough to be misused)
Easy to learn and use (no specialized skill required)
Elegant (complex models from a few basic concepts)
Reusable, extensible models (templates)
Familiar interface (boxes and lines)
Augments people’s abilities (taps into visual processing capabilities)

15. Uses
Full capability cost map
Project results map
Process results map
Relationship quality diagram
Strategic objective/initiative map

16. Next Steps?
code name
mascot
T shirts

17. Questions
Does such an app already exist?
If not…
Is it worth creating?
What will it take to create it?
How would it best be created?
Who has the skills to create it?
How should it be marketed, packaged, licensed?
What questions should I be asking?