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Need
Text Input in Indian languages is harder than in English for even those users who are used to virtual keyboards on touchscreen devices. Reasons include comparatively difficult structure and rules of the languages, large number of alphabets,conjuncts, lack of standard layout, and users being new to regional language virtual keyboards.
Even though text input in Indian languages significantly increased, the typing speed for Indian languages(40-60 CPM) is significantly lower than that standard roman keyboard (~200 CPM).This project tries to address ‘speed issue’ and ‘learning barriers’ of Marathi text input.
User Study
In users studies learnability barriers for first time user are identified from observation and interviews of users. I tried to understand motivation and pain points of user while typing in Marathi. These observed learning steps can be gamified and made interesting enough that user can overcome learnability barriers while playing.
Learning model for Marathi typing using Swarachakra
About Project
In this project, a text input game is designed to improve typing for Swarachakra Marathi keyboard. Game focuses on providing help in overcoming learnability barriers and encouraging fast and accurate typing by making typing fun. It starts from the basics of typing such as memorizing letters positions on keyboard, then to practice typing words and then a whole sentence with increase in typing speed and accuracy.
The game contains both single player and multiplayer tracks. Single player tracks are ‘Blindfold’ and ‘Speed’ challenge. Memorizing key positions is the first step of getting used to keyboard to achieve this, in ‘blindfold’ user practice to remember key positions and layout of keyboard. After getting familiar with keyboard, practice plays important role in increasing typing speed. In speed challenge users type given sentences in a limited time. Users are provided with hints if they are stuck somewhere in the play. Hints are based on common problems faced by users while typing on Swarachakra Marathi keyboard. Multi-player tracks include gamified chat and multiplayer typing challenge that can be sent to one or more friends. Gamified chat tries to Incorporate typing regional language in daily activity of chatting and bring speed and accuracy in typing.
Secondary research
Some of the top downloaded typing games from Play-store were studied in order to understand the use of game design element in typing game context and to study engagement level, retention in game and methods of gamification for virtual keyboards.
Currently, there is no Marathi typing game on play-store. Selected games for secondary research are specifically for English qwerty keyboards.
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Design Brief
Typing game should help to improve speed and accuracy of typing by making typing fun and engaging.
Game should help user overcome learnability barriers of typing on Swarachakra Marathi keyboard.
Game should make typing interesting and engaging enough to practice it daily.
Initial Design Ideas
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Final Design
Wireframe and Game Structure
Blindfold challenge
Blindfold level is a gamification of the basics of learning a keyboard. It is memory based game which can eventually help user know and remember position of letters on keyboard. User will be shown a character with inactive keyboard for three seconds. Now user have to type given letter with blank keyboard.
Help and Hints
As blindfold level is aimed to overcome learnability barriers and to assist novice user to learn typing stepwise. Help and hints are included in each level. Contents are based on user study and understanding of pain points of user while typing on Swarachakra.
Speed Challenge
‘Speed’ is another single player track in this game. As name suggests it is race against time. In speed challenge user tries to type with gradually increasing CPM. Here user can see his progress in terms of his/her typing speed.
Friends challenge
Ones user is comfortable with typing in Marathi, user can send a typing challenge among his friends. It’s a short challenge of typing five sentences, all users in challenge starts typing at same time and they can see their position in race according to their typing speed. Friends can be invited through the application using contacts list, facebook and friends list on other social media. Application will maintain the list of friends same as whatsapp contact list. If someone from your contacts have the game installed they will be added to your friends list in game.
Chat + Play
Chat+play is gamified chat application. Same as any chat application user can select contact from friends list and start chatting. Typing speed of every massage is counted and average typing speed is shown as score of that player on scoreboard. At the end of each chatting session the overall typing speed of both players is shown as the end-session scoreboard.
User testing and Evaluation
Results of Evaluation
