Aesthetics

As said initially I wish to use simple drawing aesthetics in the interface of my design. To achieve this I have hand draw all of the elements and then scanned them into the computer. I have edited them in Adobe illustrator using the "live trace" tool and then coloured them all. These have given a really nice flat clean aesthetic to the drawings as well as making the interface look clean and simple. Below is an example of my scanned drawings, and then there is an image of the editing I did to them in illustrator.

Using Flash

Flash is a new program that I haven't used before. Initially I found it very difficult but soon I became better at navigating, after doing the online tutorials. I especially found it difficult using the codes as I have not taken the first year coding paper, but soon got the hang of it. Here are a few screen shots of my developments on flash.

I have been importing all of the images and buttons from illustrator, and then turning them into symbols to be coded as buttons. This is the simplest way for what I want to achieve.

User Testing

I conducted a brief test on some non-design students in my hall. Unfortunately I do not have the connections of children here in Wellington but my friends gave me ideas and opinions just the same. I explained to them what it was I was doing, the user group I was aiming at and what I was hoping to achieve from the device. They all kept that in mind as they did the test.
The test was just simple, to see which template of a layout of buttons they preferred (keeping in mind all of the criteria).
The general consensus was option B with 7 out of 10 participants choosing this option. The main reasons for this was the centralised figure in focus, which most thought would be the most effective for the navigation of children.

Target Market

I have decided to narrow my target market to children between the ages of 5-10. This will mean that the sentences and words used are not too complex and easy to understand. The layout must be simple and easy to navigate yet interesting to hold their attention. Because it is a device that could be used within schools and social environments ( especially primary ) like that this age is a good age to target at.

Interface Research

I investigated other children's game interfaces similar to what I am thinking of. It is interesting to see the layout of buttons and how accessible all the buttons and actions are for children.

First I looked at what I think to be the most similar to mine, that is the "Tamagotchi". Although it is an extremely basic black and white pixilated screen the layout is important for my research. As shown the button icons for the actions are lining the top and the bottom of the screen and the central focus is the creature in the middle

The second interface I looked at was the "Zoombini" one. In particular the customisation screen. The important thing to look at here is the simple layout of the options in rows that read from left to right, up to down and this is easily navigated by children. The interface acknowledges when the different options are selected and this is also important to understand to apply to my interface.

The layout of my interface needs to be SIMPLE. Children adapt better to new things if they are simple and easy to read. I will remember the basic principle of reading; left to right and up to down, when I am making my interface, yet make it eyecatching and interesting for the user.

Change in character!

I have decided (after feedback from the tutor) that it is much more appropriate to have they character as a modern day energy saving lightbulb. This makes sense as it will teach the child about the light bulbs and shows a modern take on the character, rather than the normal basic lightbulb I had initially intended on. I will use the image below as a template to draw from and will create a simpler version for the on screen graphics.

Recognition of Success

An important part of children's learning is the recognition of success and the reward they receive from being correct or achieving something. I will make sure that when energy saving has been achieved in my application that the interface will congratulate and acknowledge the success of the user in order for them to learn. This may be in the way of sound or animation as well as action of the reward.