USER-CENTRED DESIGN:
I have developed User-Centred Design Research which I can revisit during the Design stages of my game. I have established the purpose of my game, my goals and my desirability, as well as a summary on how to achieve this.
User-Centred Design helps design in consideration to user wants/needs. This can be used during my ideation and development, focusing on what Initially desired.
My concept is aimed for a wide demographic. The platform I am using is Virtual Reality, so its also targeted towards those with access to a VR headset.
In terms of my essential experience, I am purposefully designing my experience to provide a method of distraction for those who suffer from anxiety or other mental health related issues.
As I outlined in my initial research, I will consider distraction techniques when designing my game, and provide player's with an immersive experience.
My desirable outcome is to create an experience that appeals to users, encouraging them to interact as well as challenging player focus.
I must consider ways to encourage player's and ensure they are motivated to carry on playing.
I then created an empathy map - including how the user will think and feel during my experience. When coming to design conclusions I will consider these elements of player experience as this is most important.
Linked to my essential experience, it's vital for my player to feel as engaged as possible. This can be achieved through curiosity - players will feel curious as to how things work around the environment and therefore will want to interact with their surroundings.
How do I do this?
Give the player abilities that they wouldn't have in real life or have never experienced before. This links to Lens of Projection. (Workshops>Refining the Experience)
What will the Player do?
The player must interact with their surroundings. For example the controls and objects in microgravity environment. I am creating an experience that's new to players, so their in-game interactions have to excite them and keep them engaged.
Persona - general persona of someone using my game. Must consider what will keep them engaged and stay motivated throughout.
My experience will encourage physical activity as there will be a lot of movement and interaction using your full-body. However, every player's physical space will be different therefore I have to consider the control variations dependent on how much space is available to you. Some players will be able to physically walk around their space but some will have to use controls to change their positioning.
Taking this Persona into consideration, I intend for "Layla" to feel disconnected from her struggles which cause her to feel overwhelmed, by providing her with an experience that requires her full focus in order to perform well. Layla will work towards this objective by interacting with her surroundings and making sure to have everything under control.
Purpose of Design - to create an immersive VR experience. I will develop my concept in line with my brief and goals. I will refer back to this when making design conclusions.
The purpose of my design is to create an immersive VR experience. I will consider my Empathy Map (as seen above) to ensure players feel the way I intend, and I'll achieve this by taking this into consideration when it comes to Design.
The purpose of my overall experience is to provide players with a distraction method. But how do I do this? I must captivate players into the experience by giving them an objective to work towards and motivate them a long the way. The visuals must appeal to players and encourage them to interact, this motivates the player - this is linked to Lens of Beauty.
How do I keep players immersed?
A range of different interactions so players don't get bored. They must be simple interactions (not too complex) but the outcome must excite players.
The gameplay must also differ each time - this links to replayability. As well as this, the gameplay must be challenging yet playful. Players will want to "win" against the game or remain undefeated for a long period of time. Times can be recorded in a leader-board, allowing players to beat their previous times and challenge friends.
