Today’s Plan
- MOAR GAMES (reviewing your concept posts on Canvas)
- Developing a useful, usable Usability Document for assessing game instructions
Game Concept Discussion
Let’s turn to Canvas and talk a bit (max 30 minutes).
Developing a Useful, Usable Usability Document
Here are some resources that should help us:
- User Focus: One-Page Usability Test Plan
- usability.gov methods (planning a usability test)
- usability.gov resources
Hi all. I have created a Google Doc for us to work with; everyone with this link should be able to access and edit the document. Using the resources above, we will spend class time today editing the document (at which time I will lock it). Your mission while I am gone next week is to use this form, testing the rules to a game which you have never played before. As Kiele and Jordan said on Tuesday, Armada Games has over 150 games you can play for free in their store and host a boardgame meetup every Thursday night.
Homework
While I am gone you have two assignments. First, as I outline above, I want you to participate in a usability test for a new boardgame, one you have never played before. This test serves two purposes. First, it provides you with a sophisticated way at looking at rule books, figuring out what works and what needs improvement. Second, it provides us with feedback on the quality of the usability document we produced today, highlighting what it does well and helping us realize what other things we can focus on before we begin play-testing and evaluating your own games and rulebooks.
Second, while I am gone, YOU NEED TO MAKE A GAME. When I get back, I will provide you with links and resources for game materials (where to buy small components, how to print out maps, card generators, etc). But you can already be proto-typing and developing. When I get back next week, I will expect to hear progress reports!
