Tested version 2 yesterday 2:30 pm with the team members.

Taking into consideration that they have heard the narrative before, are familiar with the route and all know eachother the results of testing are to an extent flawed. However we got an indication of possible problem areas where the functionality of the audio didnt work.

June wrote an a report about it:

Resume of interview.

Urban Game design methodology

1. How do we control this game in a public environment?
2. Can we make the game self-policing?
3. In what ways will players interact with the public, and how can we make these interactions positive?
4. What is the narrative of our game?
5. How do players’ expectations (paranoia, enthusiasm, imagination) affect their game experience?
6. How much is the narrative of the game pre-set?
7. What are the outcomes of the game?
8. How can players record their experiences?
9. Keep barriers of entry as low as possible.
10. Successful urban games evolve naturally out of simple rulesets, transforming players’ urban experience as they go.
11. Narrative helps players project beyond their usual understanding of the use of a public space.
12. Feeling uneasy can be a really good part of playing an urban game – nerves, uncertainty are big adrenaline drivers and heighten experience.
13. Avoid the wrong kind of conflict during the game.
14. Officials and security personnel could easily seize upon the “passenger rebellion” narrative as an excuse to give you hassle.

Having, designed scripted, recorded and tested the audio these conclusions were attanined:

The timing was way off

• Remeasured it today with markers and milestones.
• Use of stop points to gather slow walkers (possible interview site).
• Possibility of using the pause button and getting users to simultaneously restart.

The instructions were too vage and didnt stand out

• Need to higlight instructions from narration (beep).
• Need to repeat instructions.
• Need to warn in advance.
• Reassure the user that they are on the right path.
• Use visible landmarks to guide.

The intro was too long

• Reduce the length by cutting out Peter Greenfields dialog.
• Encourage team awareness and physical exercise from the start.
  

The story line generates interest

• Build on it by adding “conspiracy theories” and mixed reality info.

The interviews are too sudden and too many

• Introduce the speakers.
• Relate the interviews to the space.
• Make them more part of the story.

Gun fight is fun but limited interaction

• Add elements of tactics, little tasks such as cover, duck surveilance…

No speaking= low social exchange

• Take one earphone off and give instructions for oral dialogue

Tomorrow I will design the interaction and re-right the script, huff…

Definition

“User experience is a term used to describe the overall experience and satisfaction a user has when using a product or system.It most commonly refers to a combination of software and business topics, such as selling over the web, but it applies to any result of interaction design.” (wiki)

Based on a single or series of interactions and first-hand impressions with a product, or system, users create a rich experience that can be satisfactory, engaging, enjoyable, etc. When we begin to speak about the design of this experience, we are referring to the planning and construction of the various parts that will affect the experience.

Due to the wide spectrum of elements that need to be considered when designing a user experience, the field encompasses many disciplines ranging from marketing and business to aspects of graphic design to ethnography, linguistics and psychology to computer science and much more.

Process

1. Designers must first discover who these users are which results in the definition of user personas.
2. Formulate the system design: what features will this system have? Content Requirements
3. How should the features of the system work? Navigation, Structural Interface design
4. How should they be organized? Interaction design, Functional specifications.
5. Overall production of a skeleton which includes functional specifications documents, content matrices, wireframes, sitemaps and task flows.

Observations

• It’s clear that we can’t remove an experience from its context. Context is the unique history of the individual having the experience; it is context that gives experience meaning
• Designers design occasions for experiences; experiences themselves are personal. Different people have different experiences in (what are supposed to be) the same situations.
• The user brings a unique set of perceptions – perceptions rooted in unique personal histories – to everything they experience.
• How can designers create opportunities for meaningful experiences for people they don’t know? By paying close attentions to patterns. What we call experiences typically happen in clusters.
• A designer wishing to create an experience knows the relevant triggers, signals and indicators
  

Sources

http://www.uxmag.com/features/101/experiencing-and-designing-experience?pg=2

http://www.paradymesolutions.com/articles/what-is-user-experience-design/

These are the notes from the helpful talk with Gavin O’Carroll @ makemode.

Need for a narrative structure for the Audio expereince

• Transition from ordinary world to “special world” and back to ordinary.
• Challenges, ordeals and flights.
• (The Writers Journey).

User Perspective

Users are naturally insecure in these situations, we need to minimize risk and fear by:

1. Providing rewards.
2. Defining clear boundaries and goals.
3. Making them work as a group (not as individuals).
4. Giving feedback on actions (thats the right way, well done).
5. Having a leader guide the experience.
6. Making choices small so as to reduce stress and failure.
7. Making users do something stupid together to let go.(Fun Federation)
8. Circles are conducive to equality in the group.

Suggested Ideas

• Make a game in parts of the narrative to provide challenge (treasure hunt).
• Focus on the issue of getting locals on the street to participate on the experience.
• Use locals in fruit stalls as guides.

Issues

• Local and Traveler have very different confidence levels in London. How can we bring them to the same level?
• If we dont have a person guide, users might get confused or loose confidence.
• Dont try to design a whole new game, you will get lost.

Having a hard time working out a rigorous way of designing the audio user experience. Ive decided to use a storyboard format as its easier to visualize human interaction.

This is some contextual work based on Sandras lectures to understand what kind of interaction we want.

Communication

“an activity in which symbolic content is not merely transmitted from one source to another, but exchanged between human agents, who interact within a shared situational and/or discursive context”.

• transmission: communication has the purpose to deliver a message from one individual to another, or from an institution to an audience.

• exchange: the exchange of data (message) creates an interaction between the parties involved.

• generation of meaning: in order to communicate one can use different symbolic forms which are recognised within a specific culture.

• context: the creation of meaning needs a shared cultural context.

• discourse: the creation of meaning through the rules of linguistics

Verbal/Non-Verbal

1. body language – expressive gesture belonging to individuals, whether intentional or unintentional (sign language)

2. pictorial – such as representational drawing and fine art

3. graphical/symbolic – diagrammatic and non representational

4. music (NB: not everybody agrees)

Research- McQuail, Shannon and Weaver

Mc Quail
Shared experience
Social context
Common language
Intention/interpretation