According to SuperData Research (2018), the mobile augmented reality, as the
increasing popularity of smartphones, has now achieved more than one billion users
around the world. Under this circumstance, the demand for innovation in this new
technology field keeps developing.
SuperData. (2018). Mobile AR. Retrieved from https://www.superdataresearch.com/mobile-ar/
Team Members
Monica Zhang
UX Researcher. Programmer.
Peiqi Wang
Artist. Animatior
Objective:
The primary objective of the HOPE project is to evoke emotional resonance among users through an innovative experience. By integrating physical pop-up books with mobile platforms, the project explores new narrative experiences, aiming to elicit emotional responses from the players.
HOPE
In order to meet the huge market demands, we
created HOPE — a mobile augmented reality experience project based on material pop-up books. As an innovative narrative experience, it integrates with physical objects,
augmented reality, games, sound and 2D animation.
Methods:
The project adopted an iterative development process, which included interviews with users, feedback from prototype game testing, and adherence to the design cycle. The research methods encompassed in-depth theoretical research, assessment of challenges in the current testing phase, and problem-solving throughout the game development process.
Iterative Development Process
Candy, L. (2010) mentions that the research process is cyclical, often involving a tighter iterative subprocess in which frameworks and practices evolve together.
Lone Wolf AR
Lone Wolf AR (Visionizar Ltd, 2019) provides a practical example of combining AR gaming with interactive storytelling, demonstrating how AR technology can restore classic interactive narratives.
Wonderscope’s Latest AR
Storr, S. (2019) emphasizes the role of AR technology in concretizing abstract scientific concepts, making reading engaging through the combination of storytelling and gaming.
In the development of the HOPE project, I refined the user experience through user interviews and prototype game testing feedback. Below are some key pieces of feedback and how they were integrated into the project development:
Interviewee Feedbacks
Jianning - Art Style
The art style of the game is the main way to intuitively affect the player's emotions. Therefore, I decided to express the idea in the form of a 2D game, which aligns with the current technological capabilities and the remaining development time.
Elliot - Game Mechanics
The current game mechanics are relatively simple. He suggested studying classic Hollywood narratives and introducing challenging mechanics at the story's climax to evoke emotional resonance in players. This led me to plan the addition of a puzzle game during the story's climax.
Jan - Sound
Adding game music to enhance the player's emotional experience. I initially tried incorporating ambient sound effects for each page of the game but later realized that a silent game could easily be overwhelmed by various sound effects, causing players to overlook animations and focus solely on gameplay. As a result, I removed the looping background music, keeping only essential feedback sounds and notifications for new items.
Reflection
Get to Know Us
The HOPE project successfully demonstrated the potential of a new type of narrative gaming experience by integrating physical objects, AR, games, sound, and 2D animation, and emphasized the human-centered design principles in human-computer interaction. The project practiced user-centered design methods, deeply understanding needs through user interviews, achieving the goal of emotional resonance. These interviews not only enhanced the functionality of the project but also deepened the understanding of user needs, proving the importance of user-guided iterative processes in shaping solutions and improving learning outcomes. Ultimately, the HOPE project not only enhanced the gaming experience but also validated the core value of in-depth user research in creating influential technological solutions.
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