May 10, 2017Stage 1: Problem Statement & Competitor Analysis(This post is part of an end-to-end UX design project.) In tabletop roleplaying games such as Dungeons & Dragons, a game master (GM) or dungeon master (DM) leads 1–6 players on a story-based adventure. Players are free to attempt any action that seems plausible within the world, and the GM…Dungeons And Dragons5 min readDungeons And Dragons5 min read
May 10, 2017Stage 2: Research(This post is part of an end-to-end UX design project.) After looking at some direct competitors for an adventure database for tabletop RPG game masters, I designed some research instruments to find out what game masters need from an adventure, how they approach creating content for their games, and which…UX2 min readUX2 min read
May 10, 2017Stage 3: Data Analysis(This post is part of an end-to-end UX design project.) To analyze the data I collected during my research on tabletop RPG game masters, I printed their comments out (old school, I know) and laid them out on a table. Then I began looking for common themes and patterns. With…Dungeons And Dragons10 min readDungeons And Dragons10 min read
May 10, 2017Stage 4: Ideation and Sketching(This post is part of an end-to-end UX design project.) In my last post I analyzed the user needs of tabletop RPG game masters with regards to finding, adapting, and keeping track of pre-made adventures. In this post, I will ideate and create some sketches of a potential solution. Ideation Ideation…UX4 min readUX4 min read
May 10, 2017Adventure Venture: Illustrating the Stages of UX DesignLike many user experience designers, I follow a version of the User-Centred Design process in my work. Its central tenets are that understanding user needs is a crucial first step to designing good products, and that users should be involved in all stages of the design process. An increasing number…UX1 min readUX1 min read
May 9, 2017Stage 5: Functional Prototype and Usability Testing(This post is part of an end-to-end UX design project.) In my last post, I sketched a potential solution to the problems that tabletop RPG game masters were having finding and archiving existing adventures. Today, I describe the process of creating the first functional prototype for the solution and testing…UX2 min readUX2 min read
Apr 20, 2017User-Centred DesignThe user-centred design process consists of roughly the following stages: Requirements gathering This involves finding a problem domain in which a user group has some unmet need, conducting competitor analysis to determine what current solutions exist and in what ways they are deficient, and gathering research data from users about the problem…UX3 min readUX3 min read
Jan 31, 2017Gamebooks: CombatIn 2012–2014, I published two short gamebook stories in a Bulgarian serial under the penname Peter Vale. This post is about one aspect of that work. My first published gamebook story was titled Cordoba’s Skies Glow Red (Зарево над Кордоба). I had grown up with a slew of medieval fantasy…Gaming2 min readGaming2 min read
Jan 30, 2017The Kodak Brownie SIX-20 User InterfaceAbout 10 years ago, a friend gave me a Kodak Brownie SIX-20 camera to play with. It is a fascinating piece of technology, especially with the utter binary simplicity of its controls. The Brownie SIX-20 was a mass market, inexpensive, point-and-shoot camera manufactured by Kodak from 1946 to 1952. It…Photography3 min readPhotography3 min read
