Project Ideation

PROJECT IDEATION:

Phase 3 - Creating a Concept

THE PLAN

I will begin the ideation process by thinking about my essential experience, target audience and player experience. Kiera and I will individually and collaboratively carry out a series of idea generation methods and gradually establish a concept which will fulfil our project goals.

We have established that we will be providing players with an immersive and engaging gameplay experience, but now it's time to understand how we can do this.

Throughout ideation, I will be researching into relevant topics in order to support my ideas. This can be found here:

Immersion Research

Immersive Technology

Surveys

IDENTIFYING GAME ELEMENTS

WEEK 6-10 - Project Ideation

This section will be primarily based on my ideation and creation of concepts. This will include brainstorming, ideation methods and processes.

(Experience Mapping & Storyboards)

I will also be documenting research throughout this Phase to support my concepts which can be found within Phase 3 of my website.

MUSIC/SAFE SPACES - what's important?

Possible game elements written in green

BRIEF AIMS

To make people feel at ease
To increase feelings of calm
Provide them with a space to recharge and reflect
Reduce feelings of anxiety, stress, overwhelm and panic
Provide students with a space to immerse themselves

IDENTIFYING GAME-LIKE ELEMENTS

Regulate emotions
Music is important
Comforting environment
A space to recharge
To reflect/wind-down
Accessible off and online
Own form of therapy
Evoke emotions
Build Immersion
Tool for distraction

GAMIFICATION...

Intentionally composed music/soundtrack throughout gameplay
Sound design is important - Surround Sound
Attractive and calming surroundings/visual
Store or express thoughts
Accessible platform - mobile?
3D space - VR, AR, XR
Interactions to engage focus

OUR FOCUS

Possible game elements written in blue

HOW AND WHY? Possibilities

Immersive spaces can be used to distract ones focus and engage them in their surroundings - direct their thoughts.
Mobile games are highly accessible and will enable students to pick up their phone at a time when required.
Music/Audio to achieve full immersion and evoke emotions in players - this will assist in regulating their emotions and better their mood
Visuals should be designed to suggest peacefulness and tranquility. Players must be engaged and fascinated by visuals just as much as they are sound - content to be established
3D space/technology - VR could be a platform to go for in order to achieve immersion and make people feel like they're in an alternative space however I need to do more research into this and evaluate inclusive design/accessibility/usability.
Interactions must be kept simple - we don't intend to force players into performing actions during a time where they might feel overwhelmed or unable to, basic interactions are more impactful. Slow and relaxed. These could involve regulating techniques which are somehow implemented into the environment?

PROJECT AIMS > GAME ELEMENTS

METHOD: Lotus Flower

Application used: https://miro.com/app

Kiera and I have begun to use 'Miro' - an online whiteboard tool to work collaboratively on our project.

For this task we have used the Mind-map template to create a Lotus Flower and branch out from our project aims. We colour-coded sticky notes to identify the different themes.

This exercise allowed us to focus on what we really wanted from this project, and focus primarily on what we needed to do to accomplish this, without drifting

Lotus Flower - Design thinking method to explore many ideas at once

PURPOSE FOR TASK

We began with our project aims coded in purple to make sure we kept on track and targeted our ideas towards our original intentions. In this case our aims are closely related to regulating symptoms of stress, overwhelm, anxiety and panic. We then expanded these further by noting down ways we could fulfil these 8 themes, for example - to engage the senses we would need to engage focus and experiment with sounds and visuals. This would require a multi-sensory environment.

This exercise helped us visualise ways in which we could incorporate these themes in our game, therefore, accomplish our essential experience.

HOW CAN WE USE THIS?

We can use this activity to influence the gameplay, interactions and game elements that are implemented into our project. It's important to consider our project goals and also evaluate what is best suited to our target audience. In this case, sound was a repetitive suggestion as well as immersive visuals.

Throughout the project, we can refer to this Lotus and use it to influence our direction.

EVALUATION

Common responses within this exercise were to keep players relaxed, soothing sound/music and visuals, reduce feelings of panic, release emotions and positive distractions. This suggests that these are the aspects of our project we should be focusing on and should pay close attention to in order to fulfil our expectations. To do this to the best of our ability, we should research into achieving immersion and more into the importance of sight and sound. This can then help us decide on visuals and how the game might appear. From my previous research in Phase 2, I already have a thorough understanding of how Music can be applied to do this so we can use this to influence our ideas.

METHOD: Mind-map

Application used: https://miro.com/app

We then began to mind-map game elements by referring to our previous Lotus Flower method. We approached this task as any Games Designer would, thinking about potential technologies, physical elements and other game-like components.

We had 6 main titles:

Player engagement
Player interactions
Technology
Sound
Platform
Emotional regulation

Annotations Key:

Blue - Kiera

Green - Emilia

We expanded our options by writing down different in-game possibilities:

PLAYER ENGAGEMENT

How do we engage players?

Projections of light
Animations
Attractive visual
Aesthetically pleasing
Music
Captivate players with the environment
Physical regulation techniques e.g. steady breathing

EMOTIONAL REGULATION

How do we achieve this in players?

Through music and visual
Manipulate feelings of the audience
Freedom over the experience
Sense of control
Clear negative thoughts
Soothing

PLATFORM

Which platform is most suitable?

Mobile - can be used on the go
Engage senses - Virtual Reality
Sensory Stimulation
Accessible - everyone and anyone can benefit
Wide target audience
Physical space

PLAYER INTERACTION

How could players interact?

Customisation - take control, adjust their space to fit them
Become the character
Exploration of environment
Co-op - shared experience increases empathy and decreases conflict

SOUND

How could we implement sound?

Surround Sound
Binaural Beats/Audio
Soundtrack
Sound effects
Nature/foley
Provide depth and promote immersion
Heavy focus on sound design

TECHNOLOGY

What technology could we use to do this?

Virtual Reality - alternative spaces
Mixed Reality
Immersive environments - game boxes, rooms, interact with physical space - an alternative place to reflect
Sensors - motion, gestures
Haptics - vibrations

EVALUATION: How will I use this?

From this task I am now aware of the kind of elements which would be most appropriate to our game. Using our mind-map and lotus flower exercise we are able to apply these possibilities to our idea generation and implement different suitable technology, platforms, interactions into our design.

These exercises have been really beneficial in terms of being direct with what we'd like to achieve. It's clear that we need to involve some kind of immersive technology into our project as well as design a visually appealing environment and have a heavy focus on sound design.

REFINING SOME IDEAS -

Miro Board https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVOWBiifE=/?invite_link_id=372658831097

I have created a breakdown of what would be most suitable for our Project Proposal regarding Player Experience. I have considered the accessibility of different technologies and platforms as well as how to implement sound into the experience. The sticky notes are ideas that I feel are most suitable for our project and things that I feel most confident towards.

NEXT STEPS

Now I have a clearer idea of realistic possible game elements which could be implemented into our project, It's time to begin Ideation methods and idea generation!

Idea generation methods and processes

During our Guest Talks, Toby Milner-Gulland from 'Moving Brands' came in and spoke a little bit about his role. He also touched on his process for creating a concept. Some of his suggestions are as followed:

Crazy 8 method
30 ways
Always ask questions
5 W's
Brainstorming
Sketching
Researching

This guest talk can be found on my Notion within Week 2.

IDEATION - TASK 1

Crazy 8

For the first idea generation process, Kiera and I have chosen to begin with the Crazy 8 idea. This way we can quickly brainstorm 8 ideas rapidly including the elements I have covered already.

From this we can research further into how we would implement these concepts and choose 3 to move forward with. We will then develop these concepts to create distinct ideas that we will present to the class at the end of Phase 3.

MY CRAZY 8 ATTEMPT

METHOD: Crazy 8

What did we do?

Kiera and I used the Crazy 8 method to rapidly create 8 concepts each in 8 minutes. We had 1 minute per idea and timed ourselves as we quickly sketched out our idea intentions.

REFINING

We have 16 ideas to play around with and choose a couple to take further. Together we will discuss the ideas which we feel are most effective and the ones we feel we could expand on.

In order to do this we must consider what will be best for our target audience and which game will best fit 'emotional regulation' and make students feel at ease.

KIERAS CRAZY 8 ATTEMPT

CROSSOVER IDEAS

We had a few cross-over ideas which involved the use of a physical immersive space and aimed for players to interact with their environment. Most of our ideas involved immersive sound and visuals, influenced by our game elements mind-map above.

REFLECTION OF TASK

I thoroughly enjoyed this exercise! At first I thought I would struggle with the overload of ides at once or have too little time to put any effort into it as it didn't require much thought, but i can happily say I proved myself wrong and I was able to get some good ideas noted down. (Not all of them are good...) I think the pressure helped me unleash all of my thoughts and ideas at once which honestly was a little relieving. I had been waiting for this phase for a while! Overall I think combined we had some great ideas and I am excited to see where we can take them.

DISCUSSION/EVALUATION OF CRAZY 8 TASK WITH KIERA: Notes

Which ideas should we develop further?

Physical environments both personal and shared experiences - to prototype both
2D Mobile based game - to experiment with different platforms
360 physical space
Involve customisable aspect
Interactive box - a space where players must interact physically with their surroundings, e.g. using grounding technique
Ideas should require headphones or surround sound
Players should interact physically/through gestures or through controller
Players should be in control of the environment - main role, first perspective to be in control of their surroundings and have the freedom to explore. We intend for the effects of gameplay to feel direct.

REASON BEHIND CHOICES

The reason for our choices were mainly based on the consideration of our target audience and what they will benefit from as well as other aspects such as accessibility, usability and inclusive design. We feel as though these ideas fulfil our intentions of this project the most and for our final major project we believe we can push ourselves and achieve something that is not expected from us. The ideas we chose are most effective towards what we'd like to do - emotional regulation, providing people with support and creating awareness around this.

CONSIDERING OUR LIMITATIONS

We initially thought a Virtual Reality game would be suitable for our project however, after thinking about what's most accessible to students we came to the conclusion that the drawbacks of VR overlook the benefits. Not only is the VR headset a bulky and expensive piece of kit, but what if more than 1 student was in need of this experience at a time? Also, VR headsets can cause simulator sickness/latency which will provide the opposite to how we'd like players to feel! In this case, we chose to take forward six games that we thought were the most accessible and feasible, and fulfilled our experience with little to no limitations. - But I'm sure we will unravel more as we progress!

NARROWING DOWN IDEAS

What did we do?

Using our evaluation, we decided it was best to narrow our 16 concepts down to 6 as we had very similar ideas and repetitive gameplay. We chose the ides we thought could work best and which had the most potential. We also combined what we thought could work and scrapped the parts we didn't. Narrowing it down to 6 ideas allowed us to map out more refined and direct ideas and begin thinking about 'Gameplay Loops'.

OUR CHOSEN SIX - INITIAL IDEAS

Once we chose our six ideas I thought it would be a great idea to apply what we learned from our 'Gameplay Loop' workshop last year and use this technique to establish the Activity/Risk, Opportunity and Reward within each concept.

Game Elements are written in Green.

Interactions are written in Red.

CONCEPT 1

"The Game Box"

THE GAME IDEA

Players essentially walk into a physical space where they will be accompanied by their friends. This idea consists of collaborative gameplay in order to interact with their surroundings.

The game box will consist of 360 visuals, touch-screens/gesture control and surround sound! This is influenced by my on-going research into physical Immersive spaces which can be found here:

Immersive Technology

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Activity/Risk

Collaboratively interact with the environment and explore.

Opportunity

Opportunity to become immersed into your surroundings through calming visuals and surround sound.

A fully immersive physical space where players are able to interact with a 360 degree environment.

Experience shared gameplay.

Opportunity to distract yourself from overwhelming work and responsibility.

Reward

Connect with others, feel immersed and leave the experience feeling cheerful and enthusiastic.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this game is to provide players with a shared experience. From my Music Psychology research I found that shared experiences increase empathy and decrease conflict - keeping this in mind, this experience should act as an opportunity for players to unite with friends, transport them to an alternative space and immerse themselves into playful yet relaxing gameplay. This game should offer Surround Sound and immersive visuals, tailored to make players feel at ease throughout.

Project Goals can be found here: Project Goals

TARGET AUDIENCE

Our chosen target audience for this project are students around the ages 16-21. This game aims to offer students a distraction through collaborative gameplay - this way they can enjoy their company as well as take a break from their studies.

Target Audience can be found here: User Research

EVALUATION

Will be great for shared experiences
Act as a distraction for players
Take advantage of Surround Sound (immersive audio) and 360 degree visuals
Would have to be accessed on campus/in schools

CONCEPT 2

"2D - Footsteps"

THE GAME IDEA

This is a 2D Mobile Game where players control their character through an interactive tranquil environment. For the purpose of this concept I have drawn a mountain scape setting but this is subject to change if we were to take this idea forward. This game requires headphone to achieve full immersion and will consist of basic interactions to progress through the space. Haptics and sound effects will be triggered after each interaction e.g. walking in the snow.

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Activity/Risk

Interact with parts of the environment to allow the player to progress. Risk is to prevent players from progressing.

Opportunity

To be in control of a characters journey, and experience each interaction in depth - provided with sound effects and haptic feedback to achieve full immersion.

Be provided with engaging sound and visuals to replicate the sense of a real environment.

Reward

Feel immersed through atmospheric sounds and visuals that are tailored to regulate emotions.

PURPOSE

The main focus of this game is to interact with the environment in intricate ways which require player focus. These interactions will then lead to a change in the environment whether that's through sound or displayed visually. (Player Agency) The purpose of this game is to be played during scenarios of overwhelm/panic to induce feelings of calm and relaxation. This will be achieved through the interactions and intentionally composed music.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Taking our target audience into consideration, this is the perfect platform for students to access during times of stress/whenever they need it - as phones are always by their side! This is the best way to reach students and provide them with a tool they can use to support these feelings and encourage emotional regulation.

EVALUATION

Highly accessible - can be accessed anywhere when needed
Provide engaging sound, visuals and haptics
Players in control of character
Intricate interactions - require their focus
Music can be composed to evoke emotions of calm/peace

CONCEPT 3

"Interactive 360 Space"

THE GAME IDEA

This idea takes advantage of a 360 space where players are required to interact with the surroundings through either touch screen, motion sensors or controllers. More than one person can use the space at once however each must wear headphones to ensure a personal experience. The game will consist of an interactive narrative and players can tailor with things around the space to change it. For example, open windows to hear the sound of rainfall.

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Activity/Risk

Walkthrough a calming interactive 360 degree space and interact with your surroundings.

Opportunity

To feel fully immersed into a digital interactive space. Opportunity to physically interact with the environment and make changes personal to how you'd like it.

Opportunity to revisit.

Reward

Full immersion - escape and indulge.

Engaging visuals.

Personalised space.

Orchestrated to make players feel a sense of ease and calm - once players leave this experience they should feel refreshed and recharged.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this game is to provide a physical space to students on campus/at school where they can visit and engage with an alternative environment. The purpose is to transport them to another space, and focus their negative thoughts on basic interactions in a detailed, safe environment. The aim is to make them feel safe, comfortable and reassured amongst calming settings. The elements of this space will create a sense of immersion and reassure players they are in full control.

TARGET AUDIENCE

If we were to take this idea further, we would consider the option of providing schools with these physical spaces/pods which can be available for students to use before, during or after school. We aim to provide a safe space for students to escape if they need it, and this idea will help us achieve this.

EVALUATION

Accessible if placed in schools/campuses
Achieve full immersion through elements of the space
We will use our research into Immersion to fulfil this idea
More effective than a mobile game - transports players to an alternative virtual space, similar to VR.
Could interact through controller, gesture control or motion tracking

CONCEPT 4

"Seasons of Change" - Kieras idea

THE GAME IDEA

An immersive 360 degree room that displays visuals which adapt within each 'season'. Immersive sounds and visuals evolve throughout the room which are designed to engage users and encourage self-reflection. Interactions take place around the environment.

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Activity/Risk

Interact with surroundings to see how events occur throughout each season.

Opportunity

Witness the seasons change through visuals and audio after each interaction. Experience a journey of immersion that takes you through time by engaging your senses and providing you with a feeling of comfort. Opportunity to reflect on past events within a safe space.

Reward

Provides you with a safe space to reflect, think, take time out and regulate your emotions.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this game is to provide people with a safe and comfortable area to reflect upon past events and come to terms with your thoughts. It allows players to recognise that change over time is completely normal and the deeper meaning within this will encourage users to feel more optimistic and open-minded regarding negative thoughts and worries. We are providing people with a space to support this and be accessible to them wherever they may need it.

TARGET AUDIENCE

I am unsure whether or not this will specifically benefit our chosen target audience as we intend to provide students with support on campus/at school where they may feel the stresses of work and responsibility. I feel that narrative isn't so important and neither is the content, but it's about the player experience which will help us achieve emotional regulation - for example, implementing calming music and gentle movement into the visuals.

EVALUATION

If we were to take this idea forward I think we should think more about how the design will influence how the player feels - focusing on player experience and agency in detail.
Additionally, at this stage it's most important to focus on game components such as what players might hear or see to promote this idea of well-being and mental health.

CONCEPT 5

"Interactive Box/Pod"

THE GAME IDEA

The idea of the interactive box is to encourage regulation both physically and emotionally. This is an immersive and interactive physical space appropriate for one person at a time. Interactions will be implemented around the environment and will involve regulating techniques such as 'Breathe with this pulse' where you are required to match it's beat.

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Activity/Risk

Interact with virtual environment and respond to regulation techniques.

Opportunity

Experience a truly immersive virtual space, accessible to students at all times. (on campus or at school)

Reward

Be provided with self-care techniques and support in a visually appealing immersive environment. Reduce feelings of overwhelm, anxiety and panic.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this game is to provide students with an interactive 'quiet room' or 'safe space' on campus. I feel these rooms should be required on all campuses and this way we have incorporated impactful gameplay to encourage emotional regulation. These techniques can help to reduce feelings or sensations of anxiety, stress, overwhelm and panic - that might be caused at school, from work or other effecting factors.

TARGET AUDIENCE

I feel our target audience will benefit greatly from this experience because we can offer them support at school in a way which will enable them to take control and access it whenever they might need it

CONCEPT 6

"360 degree Customisable Space"

EVALUATION

We should consider other interactions/
techniques which might be implemented in this environment.
How will we implement this into schools/campuses?

THE GAME IDEA

This idea puts players at the forefront of their experience by providing them with the option to customise their experience before entering. Players will be required to use an ipad/iphone where a control panel will used to adjust what environment is displayed and what music is played. This could also include lighting and temperature however I'll have to evaluate the feasibility of this.

GAMEPLAY LOOP

Activity/Risk

Customise your own safe space by adjusting environment type, music and volume before entering a fully immersive environment.

Opportunity

Accessible and totally personalised safe space. A different experience every time you visit and the option to make it personal to you.

Reward

Accessible on campus with options for music and environment to help reduce feelings of overwhelm. Leave the space feeling refreshed, recharged and at ease.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this game is to allow people to customise their own safe area. An important aspect of a safe space is making it personal to you - which brings us comfort and the reassurance that we are in safe surroundings. Players will be able to visit this space and totally customise it to how they'd prefer. This is to make people feel comfortable and reassured. Within the experience music will be played to evoke positive emotion.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The target audience will benefit from this game as they'd be able to take time out of their day to spend time in their own personalised quiet room. This will increase calm and allow them to deal with negative thoughts. It can also be used by pupils who struggle with concentration, motivation or just need some time-out.

EVALUATION

The customisable element is the main gameplay - what else can players do once they enter?
This idea makes the experience more personal and this is a huge aspect of a safe space - being comfortable in an environment of your choice.
Maybe consider the use of comfort items?

EVALUATION OF IDEAS

Reminding ourselves of our Project Goals

Our project goals are to achieve the regulation of emotions and reduce feelings of stress, overwhelm, anxiety and panic. We are specifically targeting our proposal at students because we feel students will benefit from this the most. (User Research) We intend to provide students with a gameplay experience that allows them to take time out from work/responsibility and reflect upon the day, to take control of themselves and recharge. Our game ideas consisting of a physical space would be great to take forward

Essential Experience

It's essential for our experience to create a sense of immersion and use game elements to help us do this. This involves using sound, visuals and player interaction to engage users. Throughout the ideation process I have been broadening my research and understanding the following to help me develop these ideas further:

Sensory Research - To understand how we could design a physical space to engage the senses and promote well-being in our players.

Regulation Research - To understand how we can encourage players to practice regulation techniques and implement these into our design.

Immersion Research - Understanding how to achieve immersion and looking at existing examples of games, exhibitions and experiences that do this.

Technology Research - Exploring different technology we can use to achieve immersion and allow us to execute our ideas.

Inspiration - Gathering inspiration for visuals, existing games and other ideas.

Game Analysis - Looking at games with similar features and gameplay to influence my own.

Which concepts are most effective?

Within our 6 concepts I believe we have some good ideas regarding immersion and ways we can engage players throughout their experience. In terms of our project goals I feel some of our concepts are more effective than others and It's just a case of choosing the most appropriate way to fulfil our expectations. In my opinion, the idea of customisation allows for a more personal experience which I think is a vital part of feeling comfortable in your surroundings and therefore would be a great way to achieve our main project goal. However, accessibility is also another really important aspect of our project as we'd like our game to be available for anyone to use whenever they might need it. Specifically focusing on students to relieve them from their workload and reduce the stress that it may cause. Furthermore, I think an idea to take forward is the 2D mobile game, considering how everyone nowadays uses a mobile and the market for mobile gaming is always growing. Students will be able to play this game from anywhere they might be, whereas a physical space requires them to be on the grounds of this space. Although, a physical space could be an idea we pass on to schools/universities as an intervention to support students/people in education with the distress that might be caused.

What next?

In order to narrow down these concepts I believe it's extremely important to gather responses from the users themselves. As we are students ourselves we can approach this project as the users ourselves however, to avoid bias decision-making it'll be important to discuss our ideas openly with our peers and gather suggestions regarding our 6 ideas. It'll be necessary to note down what's important to them to make this game more effective.

GATHERING SUGGESTIONS/FEEDBACK

DISCUSSION: Discussing our ideas with our peers

What did we do?

Kiera and I spoke with a few members of our class to evaluate the effectiveness of our ideas. This way we could gather personal suggestions and feedbacks to narrow down our ideas to 3, which we would then refine through prototyping and further evaluation.

QUESTIONS TO ASK

I'll outline the basis of each game or have them read our gameplay loops and then ask the following questions:

What did you like/dislike about the experience of these games?
Visually how would you like the physical spaces to appear?
What is essential to your own safe space?
If you could personalise your safe area what would you put in it?

NOTES (Class suggestions)

Overall experience

Most people would prefer a more personal experience
The idea of a shared game-box seems like competitive co-op gameplay rather than a peaceful/calm environment
Would prefer to be alone in a safe space
Would like to be in control
Don't like the idea of a room for more than 1 person at once - prevents the reflective process
Touch is important in a safe space - they'd like to be able to engage senses - maybe can do this through haptics.

Visual Appearance - what would make you feel safe?

Blue skies
Sound of wind
Warm temperature
Pleasant, refreshing, relaxing visuals
Deep breaths - inhaling and exhaling
Rain
Wind-Chimes
Temperature - depends on the persons preference, it might be too worm or too cold and lead to people feeling uncomfortable. This might be a difficult component to implement.

What would be essential to your own safe space? Where do you picture yourself?

Callum

Plants/nature
Nice lighting
Natural lighting
Family members house to provide comfort
Beach - the sound of waves, sand beneath feet, birds chirping, peaceful

Phil

Relaxing sounds
Must be convincing
Maybe a companion or pet
A place overlooking the sea - looking out a window, a beach hut or being on the edge of the sand overlooking crashing waves

Charlie

Temperature specifically around 17 degrees
Personalised music
Headphones to make it more personal
The colour blue - makes him feel safe, a comforting colour

EVALUATION OF FEEDBACK - Listening to our Users and Developing

SCRAPPING THE GAME-BOX

The majority of people we discussed our ideas with strongly disagree with the idea of a safe space being made communal. It was said that this would make people feel uncomfortable rather than at ease as it almost feels like an invasion of privacy. Because of this we immediately decided the 'Interactive game-box' idea should not be taken further because we were already contemplating the effectiveness of a shared experience and our original intentions.

HOW TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE PERSONAL?

From this we established that the more personal the better - although it's hard to do this with such a wide and diverse target audience however, we'll gather enough User Research to identify how to make the majority of people feel 'emotionally regulated' through visuals, sound and gameplay. Consequently, the 'Customisable Space' idea allows people to personalise elements of the space to make themselves comfortable in their own environment which I feel is extremely important. Throughout the suggestions and surveys (Surveys 2) conducted, It's evident that everyones idea of a safe space is different, including different comfort items, environments, sound and locations therefore, this idea lets them have some element of control and Player Agency in the game ensuring they choose what's right for them.

ACCESSIBILITY AND INCLUSIVE DESIGN

To ensure we present 3 distinct ideas I feel it would be best to choose 3 very different concepts, to consider a range of interactive elements, gameplay and platforms. Because of this I suggested we take forward the 2D mobile game which Kiera agreed with too. We know mobile games are highly accessible and this is perfect for our target audience. Referring back to our personas (User Research), students typically have the time to play a mobile game during the journey to school/university and home, as well as during break/lunch and after a long days work. This way students can play our game from any location when required. We can also explore the ways to ensure usability is for everyone - considering those with disability, colourblindness, hearing difficulties etc.

The last game we have chosen to take forward is a combination of both the physical interactive space and physical regulation techniques. Both ideas take advantage of a fully immersive interactive room/pod where players can interact with their surroundings to encourage emotional and physical regulation. This way, regulation techniques can be placed around the room and implemented into a beautifully designed environment. Players will find this less daunting and enjoy the visuals at the same time as getting involved with gameplay and benefitting themselves.

If we were to pass this idea on as an intervention to support students at school or on campus at university, we could consider where this room might be and how it can be accessed.

THE THREE BASIC CONCEPTS - DEVELOPMENT

Storyboard, Prototype, Test & Refine

Using the gameplay loops of each concept I made 3 storyboards to further develop my ideas. I took into consideration camera angles, framing and light/shading to do so which I learned to do during Semester 1 last year. I then went on to creating experience maps for each idea to evaluate the thoughts, feelings and actions of the player during each stage of the game as well as their needs and pain-points. I created these based off my initial Player Experience.

CONCEPT 1: STORYBOARD

2D Mobile Game

WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS IDEA?

I chose to take forward this idea because I feel accessibility is a really important factor of our game. Referring back to my Essential Experience I must create a game which can be accessed when required, so when students are in need of the support, they're able to take out their phone and begin playing. Using a mobile platform it will also enable us to create engaging 2D art which is one of my skillsets and also provide haptics and sound throughout. According to mine and my teammates skills/capabilities, I'd say this game is the most feasible as we have experience in 2D game development already.

PAIN POINTS / LIMITATIONS OF IDEA

The limitations of this idea involve the fact that it won't be as effective as our physical space ideas. The use of a mobile platform limits the amount of immersion that can be achieved and also limits us to the use of sound and haptics. As well as this, players might struggle with understanding how to play and during times of overwhelm this might be difficult to overcome. Those that struggle with sight will also find this game difficult to play and we must design an experience suitable for everyone.

DEVELOPMENT

To expand on this idea Kiera and I have considered the kind of basic interactions that'll take place in the environment. We have established that the game will be a walkthrough of a visually appealing, immersive environment. We aim to achieve immersion through a heavy focus on sound and visual design because from our research we learned that engaging players senses and full attention can accomplish this.(Immersion Research) As well as this, calming visuals and soothing music can assist in evoking emotions of calm and peace. (Regulation research) We have developed our initial idea by thinking about how players can interact with the snowy environment which will consist of basic obstacles that players will have to overcome. This could include putting ice-skates on to be able to walk across an icy path. The focus of the design will be based on it's visual and audio components to encourage player immersion and engagement, as well as provide a relaxing and calming feel.

NEXT STEPS - Prototyping & Player Experience

I will next prototype this idea to evaluate the kind of things players do during the experience, as well as how they will feel/think. I can evaluate my prototype of this game to ensure I have met my Project Goals and Essential Experience. It's important to visually demonstrate how this game would work so using the techniques I have learned from prototyping on the program I will be using paper, lego and stop-motion videos to do this. After I have done this for each concept, I will follow up with an 'Experience/Customer Map' to evaluate how players felt throughout, including their pain points, actions, needs and opportunities. As this project is heavily based on the emotions of the player, It'll be necessary to evaluate this and ensure players feel the way we intend to make them.

IF WE WERE TO CHOOSE THIS IDEA...

If we were to develop this game, we would certainly need to focus more on interactions and how to achieve our goal of physical/emotional regulation from this. It definitely requires a lot of thought and research to achieve what we'd like to. In terms of what Kiera and I think about this idea, we feel it's the weaker of the three as it doesn't provide players with full immersion or live up to our expectations of this project. We are leaning more towards using a physical space.

THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE - BEFORE PROTOTYPING

Before I begin prototyping, I need to consider ways I can achieve my player experience to demonstrate this in my prototypes. This experience map is a brief representation of how I'd like players to feel and interact during the game. It's essential for players to be in control of their gameplay and for the game components to be immersive and enhance Player Engagement. Looking at the opportunity players have within each phase it's evident that the music and visual play a big part in achieving this engagement in-game. The experience shouldn't challenge players or make them feel pressured in any way as this is not what is essential to my experience. I will use this experience map as a foundation for my prototype demo.

HOW CAN I DO THIS?

It's especially important for this game to have simple mechanics and interactions which are integrated into an aesthetically/visually pleasing environment. These are key elements that I will demonstrate within my prototypes and ensure to fulfil to the best of my ability. It's important for the sound to evoke emotions within the user so a composed soundtrack would be necessary for this game as well as engaging sound effects.

PLAYER EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE MAPPING AFTER PROTOTYPING

Please refer to my prototypes before continuing. My prototype for all game ideas can be found here: Prototyping & Testing. After prototyping this idea I have created an 'Experience/Customer Map' for the gameplay. My first experience map outlines the basics of each phase, and my second highlights the ideas limitations and opportunity to improve.

EXPERIENCE MAP 1

This experience map consists of the 5 main stages of the game to explain further what players might think, feel and do throughout.

THE EFFECT

This map highlights the change in emotions players experience from start to finish, which is the most important thing for us to achieve. During phase 3, 4 and 5 are the most important stages as this is when players feel most engaged and rewarded with feelings of calm and ease. This will be achieved through immersive sound and visual design as well as simple interactions/gameplay. This will require player focus without them feeling challenged or pressured!

Simple and subtle, uplifting interactions and gameplay
Immersive visual and sound design
Music composed to evoke feelings of calm
Sense of achievement and progression through overcoming obstacles

EXPERIENCE MAP 2

(Miro - https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVOVnymJk=/?invite_link_id=124312978496)

My second map is an evaluation of the game through several different approaches. This includes opportunity for players and areas of improvement in terms of the most important elements of the game being player engagement, interaction and the effects/benefits of playing. After evaluating my first prototype, I considered the pain points and limitations that might arise which we can think about if we were to develop this game in Semester 2. I liked how 'Miro' inspired me to use emoji reactions on this template as it makes it easier to visualise how players might feel.

A full evaluation of this idea can be found within my Prototyping & Testing section.

CONCEPT 2: STORYBOARD

Customisable Pod

WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS IDEA?

I chose to further this idea because I think customisation is a really important element of creating a personal experience to ensure players still feel that same sense of control. (Can be adapted to suit anyone) This allows players to choose the elements of their safe space rather than being forced into a space which they might not feel comfortable in - comfort is a really important aspect of our project. The idea of a physical space will also allow us to achieve full immersion through surround sound and visual projections, which will engage users and allow them to escape into an alternative environment. During this Phase I was also able to go and visit different physical spaces which our university have available for us to use, some of which would be perfect for this idea. My research for this can be found here: Immersive Technology

PAIN POINTS/LIMITATIONS

The limitations of this idea include the use of the interactive pad and the space may not be available to users when required. Some users may experience difficulty with the usability of the tablet so this must be designed with Inclusive Design in mind - considering visual and hearing difficulties such as colourblindness and the size of text. In terms of development, this game will require a lot of design and development of different environments and music options which might be difficult to implement in the short period of time we have. This would require a lot of work and we only have around 12 Weeks to fulfil our intended essential experience. I feel a much simpler idea will be much more feasible and overall a more interesting way to achieve our project goals.

DEVELOPMENT

To develop this idea, Kiera and I focused on options for customisation in the space and how we might visualise this. I conducted surveys to understand the kind of environments people found most relaxing/calming so chose the environments which gained the most interest. We also discussed how these options will be presented to players and we feel an iPad/touch screen tablet would be best in terms of usability and navigation. An iPad can also be adapted and tailored to provide advanced controls such as controller mapping and audio description - taking into consideration Inclusive Design. The customisable space would work best on campus/in schools as I have drawn in my storyboard and I plan to use a space on campus at university to further demonstrate this.

NEXT STEPS - Prototyping & Player Experience

Similar to my previous idea, I will take this further by prototyping the basics of how the game will work. This will then lead me to think about the visual appearance of the game. In addition to this, I will also consider other options for physical spaces taking into account social, environmental and ethical factors. My research into these factors within Design can be found here: Considerations in Design

IF WE WERE TO CHOOSE THIS IDEA...

If we were to develop this idea we would definitely have to limit the number of options we provide players to reduce development time and ensure we can build this game between us. By doing this we can focus more on our initial intentions and focus on achieving emotional/physical regulation, making sure players feel exactly how we intend and the Player Experience is achieved.

THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE - BEFORE PROTOTYPING

It's essential for players to be given the opportunity to customise their safe space completely. This is because it ensures they feel comfortable during the experience and therefore will be more effective. It's important for visuals to be engaging to allow students to sit and observe their surroundings and for the music they choose to be composed to evoke emotions of calm and relaxation. It'll be worth sourcing sounds/music that do this already to influence our own Sound Design during the Design and Development stage of this project.

HOW CAN I DO THIS?

The way I'd like players to feel throughout my game is the same for each concept. So using this mind-map I can be direct with how I'd like to achieve this player experience through different game components. (Specific to each idea) For example for this idea I can take advantage of the features of the space and use Surround Sound and visual projection to achieve full immersion. From my research I know that the 6m Cylinder also has options to link a controller to it's visuals which we can consider If we were to take this idea forward.

PLAYER EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE MAPPING AFTER PROTOTYPING

EXPERIENCE MAP 1

I then mapped out the experience phase by phase, taking into consideration the actions, emotions, thoughts and opportunities players will face.

THE EFFECT

The main gameplay interactions take place during Phase 2 of the game, after this is purely experience based and will require the players to reflect upon their emotions. The customised space provide players with a personal immersive experience, by giving them options to adjust it to the way they'd like. The music and sound design will be composed to evoke feelings of calm and comfort which will promote well-being and assist emotional regulation. Between Phase 2 and 4 you can see how the players emotions transition from feeling panicky to captivated, essentially distracting them from their initial thoughts or feelings.

A comfortable and relaxing environment
Immersive experience
Sound and music designed to evoke feelings of calm, comfort, relaxation and ease
Options to provide players with control, promotes decision making and requires focus.

EXPERIENCE MAP 2

(Miro - https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVOVnymJk=/?invite_link_id=124312978496)

This second map outlines the experience as a whole including areas we could improve on. A full evaluation of my prototypes can be found within this section: Prototyping and Testing.

CONCEPT 2: STORYBOARD

Interactive Space

WHY DID I CHOOSE THIS IDEA?

I chose this idea because I think the possibilities with this space are endless. We can use its interactive elements to encourage players to become involved with their environment and increase player engagement. We also have options as to how they will do this whether that's using their physical bodies or input controllers which we can look into further into its Design. This allows us to explore with different possibilities for the way players interact with the space, and I feel the use of a physical space would be perfect to realise our intentions. We can also take this further by considering this as a space required on all campuses to support students - we can think about how big it will be, where it'll be located etc.

PAIN POINTS / LIMITATIONS

The pain points of this idea again is the space being occupied - what will happen if someone else is in need? As well as this, some people might disagree with the effectiveness of the techniques in the space which would result in the game being ineffective and a waste of time. To overcome this, we might need to re-consider our interaction options or accept that not everyone will react the same. To evaluate the effectiveness, during the Design period we can further test and evaluate this.

DEVELOPMENT

To develop this idea Kiera and I thought about the kind of interactions that players will have to execute in order to feel emotionally and physically regulated. I have been researching into Emotional Regulation and practices that can be undertaken to support this. My research can be found here: Regulation Research. This allowed me to think about what might happen in the environment so I plan to implement this into our next prototype.

NEXT STEPS - Prototyping & Player Experience

To further realise this idea, I will create a prototype / game mock-up to visualise the experience and demonstrate the main player interactions. It might be worth thinking about other physical regulation techniques which can be integrated into the surroundings which will create playful gameplay as well as achieve our goal of encouraging 'emotional regulation' within students/other individuals.

IF WE WERE TO CHOOSE THIS IDEA...

We might also consider how we can make our own physical space, considering the kind of sustainable materials we can use to take an environmentally friendly approach. It's especially important to consider the ethical, social and environmental factors of design to ensure our game is accessible and inclusive. As a team this is something we are passionate about and will be sure to keep this in mind at all times.

THE PLAYER EXPERIENCE - BEFORE PROTOTYPING

In order to develop this player experience in line with my project goals and essential experience, I believe the most important aspect of this game is the interactions which take place in the physical space. This is because the interactions should be tailored to encourage 'emotional regulation' and therefore should be tested in order to prove their effectiveness. In addition to this, sight and sound again have a huge impact on the players experience in terms of how they feel, so we must focus on this too.

HOW CAN I DO THIS?

I lastly mind-mapped ways I could achieve these feelings in this physical space which were very similar to Concept 2. It's essential to take advantage of the spaces features such as surround sound and projectors - but we then have to consider what we'd like to display in this space in terms of visual appearance. I am also keen to further my research into regulation/self-care techniques which can be integrated into the environment and players will be able to use their physical bodies to interact.

PLAYER EXPERIENCE: EXPERIENCE MAPPING AFTER PROTOTYPING

EXPERIENCE MAP 1

I briefly mapped out this experience in 4 Phases which involve the following:

THE EFFECT

The effect of this game takes place during Phase 2 and 3. This is where players begin to interact with the space and therefore experience a change in emotions. The space should provide players with a safe and comfortable environment. The regulation techniques can then be practiced in players own time as well as benefit them in the moment. Overall the immersive surround sound, calming visuals and interactions blend to engage players and divert their focus.

An accessible space, available in times of need (school/campus intervention)
Encourages self-reflection and awareness
Immersive gameplay experience and technology
Provides players with regulation techniques that can benefit them in the moment as well as be applied to future scenarios where they might be experiencing similar distress
A comfortable, safe environment

EXPERIENCE MAP 2

Miro: https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVOV06fAI=/?invite_link_id=711953320232

Similar to the previous concepts, this map outlines the overall experience, highlighting it's pain points, limitations and room for improvement.

PROTOTYPING!

Prototyping for these ideas can be found here: Prototyping.

Within this section of my website I have documented my Prototypes for these 3 ideas and further iterations. I plan to evaluate the feasibility of each idea and the effectiveness in terms of our initial Project Goals and Essential Experience.