Project details
My role
Research, Experience Design, Visual Design, Usability Testing, Game Design
(Individual Project)
Research, Experience Design, Visual Design, Usability Testing, Game Design
(Individual Project)
Context
Workshop project; Continuation of Productivibes project in another medium
Time Period
Sept 2021
Workshop project; Continuation of Productivibes project in another medium
Time Period
Sept 2021
Mentored by
Faculty, Debjani Roy
Faculty, Debjani Roy
Problem Statement
How might we help those that struggle with procrastination and are anxious about work? Can we come up with a non-digital method to help one get started?
User Research on what gets people in 'flow state'
1. After conducting some user research, I discovered some things that motivate people
- Deadlines
- Competition
- Money being involved (but not willing to lose)
- Quickly finishing some household chores while planning work
- Deadlines
- Competition
- Money being involved (but not willing to lose)
- Quickly finishing some household chores while planning work
Why Gamification for flow state?
Flow / Play states are closely linked to altering some elements to increase 'fun' element in the work / routine.
Ideation around gamified workflow
Coming up with a work flow
Power of Storytelling
Stories have power in them. Storytelling can amass a variety of people and get them to agree on things. It can light people’s hearts on fire.
It is commonly believed fiction that causes us to believe in currency, governments and countries.
It is commonly believed fiction that causes us to believe in currency, governments and countries.
The Idea of the cards
Two types of cards exist
1. One to give them narrative prompts to work
2. Second to help them narrative prompts to get unstuck
Two types of cards exist
1. One to give them narrative prompts to work
2. Second to help them narrative prompts to get unstuck
Game Elements
Go to Hedwig cards when you feel stuck.
Flip them to feel unstuck
Flip them to feel unstuck
UNSTUCK PROMPTS
Prompts to help you when you're anxious / when you're procrastinating
These will help you reflect and to find the source of the problem
Hogwarts dining hall (denoted also as Hedwig)
Go to broomstick cards when you want to embark on an adventure with work!
Flip them to discover how you can think differently about your work
WORK PROMPTS
Each prompt gives you narratives to help you work
Denoted as Broomstick
Cards explaining the tile the player is in
Reflection sheet and Game Board
How to play the board game?
Instructions video that was sent to design probe participants
Usability Tests and Design Probes
I asked them to take the game kit home and then record feedback (like a design probe). I also asked them to watch this video to see how to use it.
What was inside the Kit?
1. Sheet 1 : Identifying task, breaking them down
2. Game board
3. Rules card
4. Play cards - Felix Felicis, sorting hat, hogwarts dining hall, pumpkin timer
5. Unstuck cards
6. Challenge cards
7. Players
8. Galleons
9. Feedback sheet + post-its
Making of kits and Exhibition
Critical lens
I looked back at the project with feedback I received from a variety of people - not just millennials.
Including faculty that asked me - what procrastination is to me. That way I’m looking at a reflective lens.
Maybe what I call procrastination - isn’t procrastination for others. What I referred to was feeling stuck and not being sure how to get ‘unstuck’.
Also looking at it from an outside perspective, this is indeed difficult to do, but getting space from the project and then coming back to it helps!
I looked back at the project with feedback I received from a variety of people - not just millennials.
Including faculty that asked me - what procrastination is to me. That way I’m looking at a reflective lens.
Maybe what I call procrastination - isn’t procrastination for others. What I referred to was feeling stuck and not being sure how to get ‘unstuck’.
Also looking at it from an outside perspective, this is indeed difficult to do, but getting space from the project and then coming back to it helps!
Design Probe Feedback
Summary of feedback
helped 6 people work,
2 people said it didn't work for them,
Didnt hear back from 3 people - Either procrastinated on using it (oops) or on self documenting for the probe.
2 people said it didn't work for them,
Didnt hear back from 3 people - Either procrastinated on using it (oops) or on self documenting for the probe.
Reflecting on what didn't work
1. People felt the prompts after awhile would get repetitive. Making it good for repeat use in the long run, might be only for very loyal Harry Potter fans
2. Once its kept away, nobody remembered to pick it up and play
3. The gamified timed workflow didn't exactly work, since people were at different stages of work. This cant be easily mapped when its on a boardgame (people's moods keep changing!)
Also felt like the boardgame was getting too controlling while attempting to do this.
4. The type of task also gets in the way of boardgame.
5. Competition would've helped here, but we couldn't ensure it.
2. Once its kept away, nobody remembered to pick it up and play
3. The gamified timed workflow didn't exactly work, since people were at different stages of work. This cant be easily mapped when its on a boardgame (people's moods keep changing!)
Also felt like the boardgame was getting too controlling while attempting to do this.
4. The type of task also gets in the way of boardgame.
5. Competition would've helped here, but we couldn't ensure it.
What did work though?
Overall it helped people start working;
Get some initial enthusiasm up about working!
Test participants also seemed to really like the reflection sheet and said that, that was one thing they remembered.
Get some initial enthusiasm up about working!
Test participants also seemed to really like the reflection sheet and said that, that was one thing they remembered.
Statement of Proposal for next Iteration
Instead of having a gamified workflow, it could be gamification to help reflection. Pre-work jitters that we have, make it difficult for us to sit down and start.
The idea here is we determine if its procrastination that you’re anxious about or not. Even if you are anxious, it is then seeing if its constructive procrastination. Which is healthy! If its destructive procrastination, where you feel like you’re stagnant and unable to move forward and its taking you down a loop - the prompts here are different and more action based to help you see worth and move out of the negative cycle.
Player moves across the board from chaos to peace.
The idea here is we determine if its procrastination that you’re anxious about or not. Even if you are anxious, it is then seeing if its constructive procrastination. Which is healthy! If its destructive procrastination, where you feel like you’re stagnant and unable to move forward and its taking you down a loop - the prompts here are different and more action based to help you see worth and move out of the negative cycle.
Player moves across the board from chaos to peace.
