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Mobile Games & CultureMindgrub (Alex Hachey)
Mindgrub Technologies, LLC.
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Mindgrub Technologies
WHO ARE WE?• Technology Innovation
Agency specializing in mobile, social and web application development• Mindgrub Games• Mindgrub Labs
WHAT DO WE DO?• Mobile applications
(iOS/Android/Windows)• Branded games• Gaming IP• Enterprise Web development• Technology Solutioneering
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Project Overview
WHAT HAVE WE DONE?
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Pitch to Delivery
ACQUIRING GRANTS• Library Digital Learning center
• Focuses on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).• Launching point for STEM
career pipeline
CLIENT/ PROJECT GOALS• Exposing kids to technology
• Making technology cool• Tangible deliverable• Kids physically being in the
space
PARTNERING WITH MINDGRUB• Finding the right advanced
technology project• How HCLS discovered
Mindgrub• How HCLS engaged with
Mindgrub throughout the project
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
What did we actually do?
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
What did we actually do?
THE BIG CHALLENGE WITH GAMES
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Client/Student Engagement
DEMONSTRATED CAPABILITIES
• Demonstrated latest game “Rescue Jump”• Discussed how it was made
ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND LISTEN!Played specific mobile games with students and asked
specific questions:• You mentioned “Jetpack Joyride” was more fun that
“Where’s My Water,” why? Is it the amount of action? The difficulty? The controls?• When/how often do you play Temple Run vs. Angry Birds?• What about this design do you like better than the other
design of the similar game?
Taken from HiTech STEM Lab Flickr set
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Project Kickoff
BUDGET ON SCOPE IMMEDIATELY• Agree on high level boundaries
• Give realistic itemized time estimates• Create a strict timeline! (Karen)• But be able to break it! (Alex)
COMPARTMENTALIZE DESIGN
• Set milestones and benchmarks for decisions that can’t be turned around• Agree on the rules and get a
contract signed
Taken from HiTech STEM Lab Flickr set
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Client/ Student Ideation
SELECTIVE BRAINSTORMING• The easiest idea to sell a client, is
the one they just gave you• Keep going until it doesn’t stink
DIRECTED ENTHUSIASM
• Mr. Alex’s caffeine habit• Quick! “Yea, and then what- go!”• Intense engagement• Heavy praise and branch off
great ideas immediately• Ignore bad ideas?
Taken from HiTech STEM Lab Flickr set
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Mindgrub’s ProcessUSER-CENTRIC DESIGN
*Brainstorming &Functional Requirements
*Information Architecture& Wireframes
*Interactive Design & Animation
Programming & Writing Code
Play test
*Testing & Evaluate
Refine
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Teaching a Process
REVIEWED CURRENT IDEA• “Escape from Detention” idea from last Technology
Symposium• Lecture review: “Functional Requirements > Information Architecture > Design > Development > Test > Evaluate – Launch”
WORKSHOP #1- IMPACT OF DESIGN ON BUSINESS GOALS
DIRECTION & FRAMING IDEAS• Prepare with examples to show• Focus on best ideas from brainstorm• Remind everyone that it was there idea• Sneak in new “re-interpreted” ideas • Build engagement & direct subtly• REMEMBER THE SCOPE!
The Classroom 3- addictinggames.com
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Teaching a ProcessWORKSHOP #1- DESIGNERS AND CLIENTS WORKING TOGETHER
HIGH LEVEL FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Storyline- what is the setting? Why is it relevant?• Concept- what is the major mode of gameplay?
What’s the object of the game• Characters- what classes of characters are there? • Levels- how many levels? How are they organized?• Objects- obstacles? Barriers? Power-ups?• Controls- what is the central action of the character? How do
you move?• Scoring Methods- artificial time-limits? Collecting objects?
Reaching goals?
Game Dynamics = motivating behavior = User-centric Design
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Synthesizing Ideas
REVIEW STUDENT F.R.• Review all of the students ideas• Vote on our favorite ideas• Participate!
WORKSHOP #2- USER CENTERED DESIGN
LESSON IN WIRE FRAMING• Structuring game play for easy
implementation• Classifying items in the Functional
Requirements• Illustrate purpose of the game• Show cause & effect relationships
between all interactive behaviors• Be factual and concise
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Creating a Workflow
REVIEW STUDENT WIRES• Discuss and organize the “user-
experience”• New objects and ideas added based off
F.R.• Ask for details? How does that work?
WORKSHOP #3- PROBLEM SOLVING
INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
• JUST LIKE CARTOONS! (storyboard)• Piece together all interactive features
in order• Identify everything in each wire-
frame• This is where the “rules” are created• Intuitiveness is key
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Organizing & Codifying
REVIEW INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE• Established comprehensive “Play Book”
• Voted on what to keep and what to throw out • Participate!
WORKSHOP #4- USER CENTERED DESIGN
NO MORE IDEATIONNO TURNING BACK
• Total agreement on the obstacles, character types, barriers and power-ups• Total agreement on total level &
settingsASSIGNMENTSIn class: LEVEL DESIGNOutside class MOODBOARDS
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Level Design Workflow
THE “PLAY BOOK”
EXAMPLE- PROBLEM SOLVING
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Design
REVIEW MOOD BOARDS & VISUAL LANGUAGE
• Motivates behavior and interaction• Design paradigms in games• Art style• Pros and cons of different perspectives
WORKSHOP #5- USER CENTERED DESIGN
VOTE ON CURATED VISUAL OPTIONS• Color: flat? Complex? Gradient?
• Character style: cartoon? realistic? anime?• View: top down or isometric?• Interactive objects: outline? Glow? Sparkle?
*The only control you have is over what you show
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Mood boardsEXAMPLE- USER CENTRIC DESIGN
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Queue Mindgrub
ILLUSTRATION• Students all drew pictures of themselves
to be incorporated into the game• Described what clothes and “style” they
wanted their characters to have• Students described how teachers should
look based on the “type of vision”
ILLUSTRATION DESIGN- USER CENTERED DESIGN
ANIMATION
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Queue Mindgrub
INTERFACE DESIGN• Menu selection • Level selection• General user interface
DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT
GAME ENGINE• Structuring major
gameplay• Character controls• Scoring
methodologies• Event triggers
GENERAL DEV• Optimizing memory
& code• User interface
screens• In-app
currency/storefronts
DEVELOPMENT
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Queue MindgrubTESTING
EXPECTED THIS…
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Queue MindgrubTESTING
BUT ACTUALLY WITNESSED THIS…
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
Marketing PushMARKETING
DISTRIBUTION IS 50% OF THE GAME
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
In the NewsCOMMUNITY AWARENESS
LOTS OF ORGANIC NOISE
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
HiTech Stem LabRESULTS
INCREASED TRAFFIC
WORKSHOP
TEST DAY
Design Exposed: Mindgrub and Howard County Public Library System
HiTech Stem LabRESULTS- STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Q & A
Mindgrub Technologies, LLC.
