Menu
Menu
IMS Master Project'2023
Water Pawtrol
Another fun mixed-reality game app
Overview
This was my very first Master project in the area of mixed reality. The idea behind it was the same as Augspin, where our goal was to design a mixed reality app which could help create awareness towards Augsburg Water Management System using a tangible object, which in this case, was a Water Bottle. The game goal was simple, users would have to catch digital falling items with the help of the bottle’s cap. This turned out to be a very fun experience as it could be enjoyed either solo or with a friend.
This was my very first Master project in the area of mixed reality. The idea behind it was the same as Augspin, where our goal was to design a mixed reality app which could help create awareness towards Augsburg Water Management System using a tangible object, which in this case, was a Water Bottle. The game goal was simple, users would have to catch digital falling items with the help of the bottle’s cap. This turned out to be a very fun experience as it could be enjoyed either solo or with a friend.
This was my very first Master project in the area of mixed reality. The idea behind it was the same as Augspin, where our goal was to design a mixed reality app which could help create awareness towards Augsburg Water Management System using a tangible object, which in this case, was a Water Bottle. The game goal was simple, users would have to catch digital falling items with the help of the bottle’s cap. This turned out to be a very fun experience as it could be enjoyed either solo or with a friend.
Challenge
There was a lack of awareness about the Augsburg Water Management System.
There was a need to engage young people or people with families with an engaging, fun, and interactive experience.
There is a need for some tangible object that could spark a meaningful connection with the Augsburg Water Management System.
There was a lack of awareness about the Augsburg Water Management System.
There was a need to engage young people or people with families with an engaging, fun, and interactive experience.
There is a need for some tangible object that could spark a meaningful connection with the Augsburg Water Management System.
There was a lack of awareness about the Augsburg Water Management System.
There was a need to engage young people or people with families with an engaging, fun, and interactive experience.
There is a need for some tangible object that could spark a meaningful connection with the Augsburg Water Management System.
Solution
Create awareness about Augsburg's water management system through fun and interactive gaming.
Create awareness about Augsburg's water management system through fun and interactive gaming.
Create awareness about Augsburg's water management system through fun and interactive gaming.
Role
I completed the app's full UI/UX design, conducted thorough research, and 2 successful phases of usability testing including creating 2 protopyes one through programming and another using ProtoPie.
I completed the app's full UI/UX design, conducted thorough research, and 2 successful phases of usability testing including creating 2 protopyes one through programming and another using ProtoPie.
I completed the app's full UI/UX design, conducted thorough research, and 2 successful phases of usability testing including creating 2 protopyes one through programming and another using ProtoPie.
Process
Research & Analysis: We conducted 2 user interviews, and 2 surveys, and analyzed those to understand the pain points and user needs. We also studied competitor apps and industry trends to gather insights
Information Architecture: Based on the research findings, we restructured the app's navigation and content, prioritizing features and information according to user needs.
Wireframing & Prototyping: We designed low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the new layout and navigation, iteratively refining them based on user feedback. Afterward, we built a high-fidelity, interactive prototype to test the design.
Usability Testing: We conducted usability tests with our target group to validate the game logic and the design and identify areas for improvement. Based on the feedback, we made the necessary adjustments to the design.
Visual Design & Style Guide: We developed our very own design system, including color schemes, typography, and iconography, ensuring consistency throughout the app. We also created a style guide to maintain design consistency in future updates.
Research & Analysis: We conducted 2 user interviews, and 2 surveys, and analyzed those to understand the pain points and user needs. We also studied competitor apps and industry trends to gather insights
Information Architecture: Based on the research findings, we restructured the app's navigation and content, prioritizing features and information according to user needs.
Wireframing & Prototyping: We designed low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the new layout and navigation, iteratively refining them based on user feedback. Afterward, we built a high-fidelity, interactive prototype to test the design.
Usability Testing: We conducted usability tests with our target group to validate the game logic and the design and identify areas for improvement. Based on the feedback, we made the necessary adjustments to the design.
Visual Design & Style Guide: We developed our very own design system, including color schemes, typography, and iconography, ensuring consistency throughout the app. We also created a style guide to maintain design consistency in future updates.
Tools which we used
Key Takeaways
Conducting user testing early on allowed the team to make crucial adjustments to the Mixed-Reality experience, improving design effectiveness and user engagement.
Conducting user testing early on allowed the team to make crucial adjustments to the Mixed-Reality experience, improving design effectiveness and user engagement.
What I Learned
Throughout our semester working on this project, I learned the critical importance of doing user testing in the early stage as this mixed reality technology is new and advanced, so it's difficult to adopt changes after the development phase. Keeping this in mind, we separated the entire app into major features and started testing the most important feature first which was the game part. So, with a computer Science background, I coded the game logic and we used this prototype for testing with the users. In the second phase of testing we tested out the design part of the app. This early phase of testing gave us a huge advantage as we had all the iterations regarding the game part hassle covered.
Throughout our semester working on this project, I learned the critical importance of doing user testing in the early stage as this mixed reality technology is new and advanced, so it's difficult to adopt changes after the development phase. Keeping this in mind, we separated the entire app into major features and started testing the most important feature first which was the game part. So, with a computer Science background, I coded the game logic and we used this prototype for testing with the users. In the second phase of testing we tested out the design part of the app. This early phase of testing gave us a huge advantage as we had all the iterations regarding the game part hassle covered.