User Test Report

After the in-class user test with our junior, I collected variety of feedbacks. Most obvious and consistent feedback is the instruction. My project is very experimental and artistic. I need to figure out a very subtle way to hint user how to interact with my project. Right now, there's no instruction at all. Other than lacking of instruction, another challenge in the usability of my project is the confusion of when to start walking, when to stop walking.

My interactive narrative experience is designed in such way that user will walk at some part and rest to watch some animation, then continue. I need to think about how to make a silent, yet clear indication to inform user such transition. So far I haven't got any idea how to do it yet.

Since my project appeared to be very inviting during the user testing day, everyone feels like walking on the shoes pad to find out what is going to happen on the screens, plus there are 3 monitor screens. It's catchy enough to attract viewer's attention. Most people answered they are willing to explore the interactive journey.

Regarding the viewer's point-of-view, there are mixture of preferences between first person and multiple point-of-view. I think it all depends on the final animation of the project.

Most user responded that they are willing to spend about 1 minute to less than 3 minutes time exploring the project. So I guess my concern if time wasn't a major issue now.

External Guest Comments + Drafting User Test Questions

At this production stage, technical solution is roughly figure out. The pressure sensor work fine with Arduino Leornado board, controling flash-based animation content. 

My overall production progress at week 8 is about 50% completion. There are few aspect to cover in my production stage: Arduino coding, Flash AS3 coding, Animation and sound. 

The Arduino coding, Flash AS3 coding is about 60% done. While Animation, according to the initial storyboard, I have more than 10 scenes to complete. And right at this stage, I'm at the very 3 scenes only. It took me very long time to figure out how to turn stagnant storyboard into smooth and illusionary animation. Some times to figure out the transition and make sense to that viewer, as well as the timing allocated for viewer to watch what's going on in each scene takes time to test it through. 

[External Guest Feedback]

Because of that, I had very limited content to put into user test. After receiving feedbacks and comments given by Benedict Tan, an invited guest from the industry, he pointed out the strength of my entry scene. The visual reference from "Down The Rabbit Hole" by Rasch was a very inviting opening to invite user "walking" into the interactive narrative world of my project. 

But when Ben came and visit our project production, some the 70% of the animation was still in flat storyboard view. In addition to that, I struggled in telling story at the first person point of view especially at woods scene. So some of the journeys were designed in 3rd person point of view instead of consistently using first person point of view throughout. 

There's a discussion about the point of view for user. And I think it'll be good to find out during the user test in the following week.

Besides that, I also agreed with Ben when he said that my visual should stick to mostly black and white strong vector style to bring out the illusionary experience. While at that time, my storyboard has the mixture of real world scenery and vector graphic that created a collage style of art instead of optical illusionary art. (refer to Digitized Storyboard post)

Other than the art style issue, I am also concerning about the length of the animation. Since it's still at the very beginning stage of the animation production, I wonder if the final animation will be too long to keep viewer's attention. 

Based on some of the questions I had in mind, I draft out the user test questions to get some feedback I needed to carry on my project production. Meanwhile, I think I will have to re-work on the art style of some of my animation scenes.