With the above information collected from the group surveys and discussions, it has given us a rough start to be able to create some basic interfaces to test on another group. Previously in the group, they were given pencils and paper as well as play dough to make sketches and mock ups of their preferred device shape, where now the paper will be testing the actual usable interface.

Testing the interface involved a rough low tech mock up of both the handheld device and layouts of what would appear on the screen such as interactive menu’s, options and buttons, rough game layouts, functions and character design. This was performed with children on an individual basis so the information of them using it would be un-hinted with no peer bias or interference, which would show any problems with the rough designs.

For the prototype testing which at this stage was the initial development of how the platform could be physically used in terms of size, scale and shape, the design of the platform was made to appear as a touch screen game, where the screen was the main part of the object. The reason we designed it this way was to try and create something different from the competitors products. All other gaming systems targeted to our specified age group were all fairly bulky, which used both physical buttons and touch screen elements, although they were designed to be portable, they seemed like they would have been difficult to carry around.

The ideas behind the design of the first prototype was to simplify some of these elements by making it small enough to be portable and fit in a child’s pocket, as well as the screen to be big enough so its usable.

Taking away the use of physical buttons and making it entirely touch screen was also to simplify the gameplay and interactive activity.

User feedback

Suggestions of being able to actively control the creature seemed to be something of importance. All actions of jumping, running, spinning, flying were mentioned that the creatures in the game could possibly do (mainly from the boys perspective).

With these actions, may be the need for the use of actual buttons to press, as discussed with the children about Apple’s iPhone interface, they found that playing some games on them lacked the response that buttons had. From this feedback came the decision to make the interface and game both button and touch screen controlled.

All the children interviewed liked the idea of involvement with a virtual friend, as pretty much all of them had used Tamagotchi’s. With the mentioning of being able to controll the appearance and ability to upgrade the creature, a suggestion was made to place an “upgrade meter” within the gameplay, as a point for recognition of how well they are going and what they can unlock.

Being able to unlock more games was also of importance to them, whether its by playing the games alot, or by being able to get them externally via codes and passwords from the internet.