Case study: Playing to Learn
Information design with a human-centered approach.
Role: Lead Designer / Researcher
Duration: 1 week sprint
Tools used: Figma / Photoshop / Rapid prototyping
‘Impromptu’-ing the Prompt
A new quarter at UC Davis is approaching and the spring orientation team is looking for some design expertise.
Design an experience for new students to feel engaged and included within the community.
Who is this for?
Our target group for this case study will be ‘new students’ which could umbrella incoming freshman students, but is not limited to just that group. Transfers may also be considered ‘new students’.
What am I designing?
An experience –more specifically, a game. Games inherently include the users and the reward systems can generate a meaningful experience.
When and where is this going to be used?
New students will go through their orientation that starts at the Welcome Center. This will be a good location to base the start of our game. Ultimately, the game will be a walkthrough the campus.
Why is this important?
The game is an information learning tool as it introduces newcomers to UC Davis and also creates a unique experience; it shows them that people are thinking of them and their arrival to this new chapter.
It welcomes them to UC Davis.
At the Welcome Center. (Perfect).
Comparative Analysis
Select and analyze at least 4 different existing games, then create your own.
- Who is the audience?
- What is the goal?
- What is engaging?
- How did these games inform your own game design?
- How are they different from yours?
Davis Scavenger Map: Preliminary Research
This game is an information design based scavenger hunt. There will be aspects of Location, Alphabet, Time, Category, and Hierarchy utilized in order to practice effective principles of information design.
The location of popular spots on the UC Davis campus will be used in order to depict and showcase these principles as well as instill an incentive-reward based action for users.
In order to figure out which locations were popular on UC Davis’ campus, I created a poll and posted onto our “Official UC Davis Freshman Class of 2020” facebook page.
Using the responses gathered in the short period, I created a very simple map with colored post-its to mark the spots that were deemed the most popular.
First Iteration
I went onto campus to test out this map and get some user feedback. I asked potential users to take a minute and look at my map. Their job would be to identify the different buildings / spots that were covered with the colored post-its.
Some interesting points:
Not everyone cared for the marked (popular) areas that the survey suggested.
The post-its color coding is good however because they are just 2-dimensional flats, they did not suggest anything –pictograms & way-finding would be good to assist the user.
Refining
There will be an addition of more unique (less known) areas. Easter egg heads — these are super unique to UC Davis campus, there are several placed around less known halls and areas of the campus. I thought it would be unique and more interactive for the new students to search for these ‘easter eggs’ in addition to the other spots. Such as when visiting a new town or city, the hole in the walls are usually sought after but not easily found. These cultural artifacts / historical entities enhance this visitation experience and leaves a more impressionable memory.
Instead of finding all the common / popular spots, you discovered the hidden gems!
There will be an addition of a stamp zone at each desired site.
Users will obtain an interactive scavenger hunt map upon rival to the welcome center at the entrance to the school.
From the starting point marked by the star, the users will make their way to different locations on campus to pinpoint certain locations / spots marked on the map.
