TOUCHSCREEN APPLICATION
Introduction
This project made for the Brandenburg exhibition. Brandenburg was and is part of German history and the European neighbourhood. In the Middle Ages, as an electorate, it was one of the most influential powers in Germany, then became a province of Prussia. Exhibition tells the history of Brandenburg and makes its traces visible.
The client requested a touchscreen game application that will entertain and inform the users of the historical monuments and buildings of Brandenburg. This presentation will showcase the process and solutions implemented from start to finish for a big touchscreen application operating on Linux.
Problem Statement
- Limited time
One month for development.
- Lack of sound
Due to historical accuracy constraints, it was not possible to incorporate sound effects into the game.
- Lack of haptic feedback
The touchscreen did not provide haptic feedback, which could have enhanced the user experience.
- Absence of electricity back then
The exhibition aimed to reflect the medieval period, so effects that emit light or require electricity could not be used.
Solution Approach
Collaborative concept development with the customer and scheduled feedback meetings.
First meeting was all about creating the concept and bringing value and joy to the user.
Visual Enhancements
After defining the concept, our next conversations revolved around the artistic approach. Initially, I received black and white sketches of the buildings. The main idea was that the initial pieces are all black and white until they match to their correct position.
But what about the trap pieces?
Solution: Proposed the use of colour for the buildings in order to make them visually engaging and appealing to users as well as outline indicators to showcase if a piece has been snapped, at its correct place.
When a building is snapped into its correct position, an outline appears around it.
- Green outline indicates the building has been positioned correctly.
- Red outline indicates the building has been placed incorrectly.
Audio Substitutes
A smooth Fade In and Fade Out outline animation suggested when a piece snaps to an available position.
What happens when the user completes the game?
From the beginning of the project there was the constraint of no sound. To make an appealing winning sequence without audio was a challenge. The use of particle systems to create fireworks was also not an option due to historical reasons.
Solution: Use of waving flags and playing trumpets as visual cues to emulate sound through movement. In that way, the presence of sound is visually represented without actually producing audio.
Single Touch Design
There were a lot of thing to take into consideration when it comes to User Experience and one of them was that the gameplay experience should be smooth and predictable for users but only played with a one-finger on the touchscreen.
Solution: The interaction between the user and the pieces of the game adjusted to one finger only. This was a conscious decision to ensure the stability of the game mechanics and the purpose of the game which is to see the info panel, when a piece is matched correctly. Additionally, the interaction was BLOCKED when the user is already dragging a piece or after a piece snapped to a position and the evaluation begins.
App Flow
App Flow - Video Recoding
Upon completion of the implementation, the customer received a video recording of the gaming experience for evaluation and first impressions. Below is the video captured in Unity. After some minor fixes, the app was ready for on-site installation.
Performance Optimisation
After the installation of the app, it was time for testing and optimisation. The touchscreen was expected to operate throughout the exhibition's duration. Continuous operation resulted in performance costs for the application.
Solution: Implementation of a 2 minutes timer. A timer was added into the game, counting the time since the user last touched the screen. After that, the game would reset and return to its start page. Successfully this resulted in lower temperatures and better performance.
Early user testing revealed issues with Linux's multi-finger gestures, which could place the application into the background.
Solution: Adjustments were made to handle and disable these gestures to ensure the game remained in focus during gameplay.
Conclusion
- Overall positive user experience achieved through the finalised design.
- Good collaboration with the client through feedback loops and effective handling of constraints.
- Prioritising planning over development balanced the lack of work force and available time.
