Tuesday 1 April 2014

The Teams Work - Katherine Kui

I'm an undergraduate who’s studying Applied Accounting and Business Finance at final year right now and going to pursue graduate study of International Management next year at Teesside University. 

Previously I've studied at Shanghai Linxin University of Commerce which is just outside Shanghai in China, for three years before I came to the UK.

However I am originally from the Yunnan Province located in South West China where I was born and grew up with my family. 

Katherine
During my spare time, I like to go travelling and shopping. I've been to many places right across China.

I’m aiming to take some time to travel around some European countries in the near future, such as France, Germany, Spain and Italy.

I have loads of hobbies, including socialising, playing computer games, dancing, singing and listening to music.

Travelling around Europe
I was going to follow the original track of my life like my schoolmates did, going to a high ranked UK university to pursue my graduate studies. 

However, everything changed when I met skignz, Si provided me a very precious opportunity to work for skignz, which totally changed my future plan, potentially even my whole life. 

Because of skignz, I finally have a clear thought about my future, about what I want to do? and what I am going to do!

It was really an eye-opener when I knew about skignz at first time. I think skignz will be of great use helping students to fit in at ALL universities quickly and make new friends easily. 

Shanghai University (Baoshan Campus), China
ECNU Campus, China

Especially in China, a country with a very large population, a lot of University campuses spread all over the country and I'm sure skignz will have a significant role to play. 
IAE Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, China

Chinese Universities are spread across massive areas, so using skignz to orientate and navigate around would be incredible and very easy for students to pick up.


Using skignz on a chinese campus also helps the students find each other. They are vast landscaped open spaces, so finding friends can be difficult. 

Being able to find my friends is a great thing to have and all through my phone! I carry my phone everywhere and I rely on it for so many things - emails, social media, camera, other apps and now my new favourite - skignz lol

I feel honoured and privileged to be the one who introduces skignz to Chinese people by translating the main concept, videos and website of skignz to Chinese so that Chinese people can understand what skignz is and what skignz can do. 

I have already set up two social channels for skignz, which are the most popular social channels in China, namely RenRen and Weibo. 

skignz on RenRen
skignz on Weibo














They are the corresponding Facebook and Twitter in China, which play an important role among Chinese people. 

We are also currently translating a lot of our video footage to make it accessible in Chinese. This we will be uploaded to our new chinese video channel (equivalent of YouTube).

Katherine

The skignz website is in post production so it can be accessed by users in China in their own language.

I really appreciate that skignz provided me this valuable opportunity and the skignz crew are helping me with my internship patiently and kindly. 

I have to say: Thanks, skignz!



Have you ever got lost at a festival or concert?

The summer is rapidly approaching, the clocks have 'jumped forward' and we are now officially into 'British Summer Time' 2014.


The Famous Glastonbury Festival during the summer of 2013
You will hear the songs that define this year specifically for you, in your future memories. Years to come from now, you will hear a song/tune that will take you back to a specific time and place during the summer of 2014!

Many of you will get these memories from attending Festivals, Concerts, Live Events....

Let us set the scene....

You go to a festival this year and you have arrived after what for most is a long journey in a packed up the car/camper. You are shepherded into a farmers field to park your vehicle amongst the tens of thousands of others. 


Parking in farmers fields












Then comes the carrying of all of your kit, to where you pitch your tent or if your lucky enough a Yurt!


Or a Yurt? They all look the same!
Sea of tents! Which one is mine?
Skipping forward past putting up the tent and getting yourself settled in you grab a drink and go for a look around, find out what's going on and where?

You find a a stage with a artist playing you like and you settle in, relax with a drink to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the music.

Sound perfect? This to most is the usual journey each of the millions of people will make this summer to attend the wonderful festivals on offer.

Now you have sat and enjoyed this artist for a while and you fancy another drink or how about something to eat? 


Enjoying the music, the surroundings and the ambience!
Where are the refreshment stands? In fact where are the toilets as you don't fancy making two trips! As with the majority of people, finding the refreshments and toilets is one thing! But finding your way back to where your friends are! Now thats a whole new level of stress and hassle!

Going through your mind is no doubt a few or all of the following:

- How will you get back to where you where? 

- How do you find your friend(s)? The proverbial 'needle in a haystack'! 

Unless your friends are 9ft tall and everybody else is under 5ft tall, you are going to struggle! Add in the feeling you get after a couple of drinks and your orienteering skills are not the sharpest they have ever been!

Is there a solution? Other than carrying around a massive sign or a flag saying 'I am here!' 

What happens if everybody does the same thing, you are all right back to where you started, looking for a 'Needle in a Haystack' springs to mind.

The solutions has arrived and does not require you to carry anything more than what you walk around with in your pocket everyday - a smartphone or tablet.

Lets go back to the point where you're stood looking for the refreshments stand and toilets. Now open up your smartphone/tablet and click on the skignz App! 

Now 'Pan' your phone around as if you were videoing the crowd!

skignz: Increasing & Enghancing the Environment around you!
As you do this and as if by magic, little 'virtual signs' will appear above the toilets and the refreshment stand. Pan further to see who's coming on stage next? Use the pinch on your phone to Zoom in and out on each skign, press the skign on your screen, a short press activates some relevant content, a longer press reveals how far away that actual skign is located!

How about downloading a discounted album of the artist on stage right in that moment, press the 'album cover skign' above the stage and in one or two quick clicks and its delivered to your device - there and then!

So back to your little mission to get a drink and something to eat, visit the toilet while you are there. 

You have used skignz to find each of these locations. 

This type of skignz can been provided by the festivals producers or their sponsors to help you find your way around the festival and make your life easier, while enhancing the whole experience.

Where are my friends? Its like trying to find a 'Needle in a Haystack!'.
Now you have been to the toilet, bought your food and drink and you want to find your friends? 

This is where skignz really becomes your best buddy! 

Hold up the phone again and pan across the crowd and you will see 'skignz' above each of your friends heads! You will only see theres because like with other social media channels you are only linked to people you know or want linked to you!

Now if they have a great big skignz above their head - is that not the easiest way to find them EVER? Theirs and your personal skignz will have a picture of you, your name and a little comment - like a 'Tweet' or 'Facebook status update' on their skignz!


Not only can I find my friends, but also each one is personalised to them!

We at skignz though want to make finding ANYTHING! Easier...! 

So we have included in the free to download App, the ability to 'drop a skignz or arrow' over your car (remember the thing you arrived in and parked in a sea of cars in a farmers field a few hours earlier - you will need that to get home!).

Also your FREE account will let you drop another one over your tent/yurt etc... (remember a few hours ago, after parking the car and carrying your backpack and tent, the thing you then spent an hour trying to build that only has 3 poles and a few pieces of canvas, but its your 'home' for the next few days!).

So now, not only do you know where you parked (ready for quick exit to beat the traffic), where your tent is? (so you can find it, in the middle of the night amongst the ocean of other temporary canvas structures) where the toilets showers and whose playing on what stage and at what time... download their music at offer price, right to you handset, even where the charging points are so your phone does not go dead! 

How much of an improved festival experience is that?


Festivals, Concerts and Live events are the easiest place in the world to get lost & lose your friends!
You dont have to worry about getting lost, finding anywhere specific, losing your friends? skignz is not only helpful, insightful and interactive, is also great as a safety device. 

Getting lost is a horrible feeling, losing your friends and wandering around aimlessly for hours is no fun, after all you came with your mates to have a good time - mostly together, because an experience shared, is so much more than one you experience on your own!

So why not download the skignz app if you are going to a festival, concert or other live event? Even if the venue has not heard about skignz or got their event environment skignzed up! 


Why only see this?
Get your copy of skignz now: 

www.skignz.com/download

You can do it yourselves between you and your friends! even if you only use it to find each other when you get lost, find your tent or car! 

Surely thats gotta be worth 10 secs of your time download a simple little app that could be the coolest thing on your phone this summer! It certainly will be for those people when they get lost and they will!


Enjoy this summer, enjoy the festivals, concerts and other live events, but enjoy it more, knowing you have a little app on your phone that can help you navigate around a strange place, find your friends and find your transport home, cos if you don't find that, you won't get to go to anymore events this summer!
When you can see & experience this...!

Bring on the summer of 2014 - When you hear the new Calvin Harris song 'Summer' and you and your friends have all downloaded skignz to see what its like?

We are sure from now on you will remember the summer of 2014 as the 1st year that you used skignz!

Get your copy of skignz now: 

www.skignz.com/download

April fools


Sunday 30 March 2014

It’s all about the Universities!

It really is all about the Universities at the moment. Come this September so many students are going to be starting University, some for their first time which will be a big daunting moment for them! 

Campus's during Freshers in September
When student arrive at their chosen University they are going to have expectation of what they think it is going to be like and what it actually is like.

It is the best time of their lives so what they want is an experience they will feel comfortable in straight away and a experience they will never forget! They will meet a whole load of new friends and people at University and begin the career of their lifetime.

So really when we think about it Universities have a lot of pressure on them to meet their student expectations.

They try to provide a lot when it comes to open days and campus tours, so when the students actually arrive at their chosen University they will have even more expectations to meet to give the best experience they are paying for. 

This September Universities are going to have to induct sessions to the students on their life there and help orientate them around the campus. Now they make think that they do this well but do students really remember that soon? No they don’t because it is so big and they will not get the hang of it for quite a while. I know I didn’t when I went; I was in my second year and still got lost when I got told to go to different buildings and rooms. I don’t think you ever really anyway fully understand every place, building and room on the campus!


Welcome to Freshers
 However that isn’t the only problem when it comes to starting University. If you are coming from a new place or even on your own then you won’t know anyone. Making friends for some people can be a real challenge and they won’t know what to do half of the time. It doesn’t always come naturally, some people may find it hard to approach and talk to others and may be a little bit shyer that others expect.

Do the Universities help with this as you expect? Well yeah they put fresher’s events on but that is only for two weeks, it may take someone a little bit longer but not to worry because it isn’t as hard as some of you may think to make friends. There are a lot of ways out there to do that so don’t make it one of your biggest worries when starting University for the first time.

Finding your away around  your new campus is difficult!
 There are other key issues that become top of the list before starting besides getting to know the campus and making friends.

When you start, you start alone so need to know how to manage your own life. There are your finances to manage yourself, know what to spend and what not to spend.

Then there’s the new environment that you’re going to, you will need to get to know your surroundings. Then it is safety.


You need to make sure that where you are you feel safe and that you know where you’re going at all times so that you don’t get lost. 

Settling in comfortably in a new place may take a while, could take a month or longer it depends on the person you may be and how the University does help you.

skignz postcard!
Who can you rely on to show you round a new & strange place?
So that takes me onto the actual main point. Does the University help you like you expect. Do you they meet your expectations, exceeding them or not coming close?

Well then skignz is for you.

Now Skignz may be new to you and you probably won’t pronounce it correctly as most people don’t (if you wish to then pronounce it like sky-nz).

It is much easier to say it that way when you see it spelt different; however for the companies purpose it is spelt skignz.
Let me just tell you a bit about skignz then I will let you know how it has already helped a University solves their problems of meeting student’s expectations then we will inform you how it can help you.


skignz is a new app designed to help anyone navigate around. It allows you or other to set up skignz, which are ‘signs in the sky’ so that you and others can see where each of you individually wants to be heading. You can view these skignz through your mobile device.

Each person has their own account so that you can personalise it and tailor it to your needs.

You can make friends on it and get to know other by adding them and then having some fun.

It is free to download from iTunes and Google Play, so give it a download and give it a go. We believe skignz is the next big thing – for everything.

We have already opened an office in Las Vegas and have big future plans.

But you can read more on that and what else Skignz has done on our blogger, otherwise I will be talking for ages and distract you from the point I’m getting to! http://skignzblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Have you discovered skignz yet?
Now Skignz has already helped Teesside University solve their problems of meeting their student’s expectation.

When students arrive at Teesside they were in a new place and needed help with finding their way around campus, making new friends, accommodation, location area and safety. 

skignz has set up signs around Teesside campus above each building, food facilities, toilets, car parks, accommodations and more tailoring to students and the University needs.

So that now when student arrive at Teesside University campus, they are able to find their way around without getting lost. Students can also download the skignz app and set up their individual skignz to help other students find them and become friends with each other. Teesside University doesn’t have to worry about not meeting their student needs, as skignz have helped them with this.

So how will it help you as a student and your individual needs. skignz will allow you to interact with other and find out where people are.

If students decide to make their skignz public then they for example could set one up above their student flat saying ‘party here’ or ‘all students welcome for a meet’, then that way it makes it easier for student to make friends.

You also don’t have to worry about not knowing where you need to be on campus. There will always be a skignz set up for you so that you can easily find where you need to be, just follow in the direction of the sign you see through your mobile device. Before arriving at University and deciding where you wish to stay, go and search for accommodation where they skignz are set up at.

You will easily be able to find your way to them and not get lost each time leaving from a lecture or from a night out.

Last of all it provides you with a sense of belonging and safety no matter where you are going. Belonging and safety when coming to University are big needs that you need to feel 100% sure on.

When you arrive at your new place you don’t know your local area or where to go, well you can easily set up a skignz above the place you need to be or above your house so that no matter where you go you always know which direction to head in a reduce the risk of getting lost. It is the same around the campus.
This is the difference when using skignz on campus!

It is not nice getting lost or not feeling safe. Especially if you were alone on a dark night on campus and didn’t know your way back to you apartment, if you use skignz there is always one lit up through your phone for you to know where to be going.

You maye be a student, but even children can use skignz!
Now don’t just think skignz is just about navigation. It has been really useful so far for a lot of people and has a lot of fun within it. It is a new social network for you to be involved with and allow you to meet others.

You can use it if you are going for a night out to find other or to even set up an event that you wish everyone to attend. It is a great use at festivals especially in that massive crowd you don’t want to lose your friends.

Well we have a lot of blog posts on how you can use skignz and have some fun with it. You can just give them a read on our blog using the link above and I will repost one below for you.

Now I hope you can see just how useful skignz is at Universities. Universities are one of the main activities in a student’s life and they won’t always be able to tailor to your need.

They can’t be personal to you and always inform you where you need to go or where you need to be, and if they do it may not always be easy for you to understand.

skignz can solve this with Universities and already has with Teesside University. skignz is personal to you and can help you wherever you are!

Make sure that you download skignz and if you do go to Teesside University then be sure to use it while you are there or if you go to another University of your choice then why not tell them to get on board with skignz.

It is the next big thing for you!

Please check out our Facebook and Twitter page and have a read of our other blog posts. Also be sure to tell others about this and anyone you know!