Delivering a graphic design course online: simulating a real classroom situation and speculating what technologies can ideally offer in this virtual situation

This thesis examines a new way to simplify online education and to simulate a real classroom situation. It explores how a graphic design class can be conducted online where the students from different geographical locations and faculty can interact instantaneously with the aid of video, chat and whiteboard. For the most part, the potential for Macromedia Flash Communication Server to deliver chat, whiteboard and video functionality are assessed. It is speculated that video images are slightly jerky among Modem users whereas sharp video images are obtained with high-speed Internet connection. The survey findings among the design students and faculty at R.I.T reveal the following: 75% agreed that the project can be Functional; 68% esteem the Esthetic value of the web site and 48% are in favor of its Usability features. The whole project is executed in Flash MX 2004, making use of User Interface Components and Communication Components

The effect of Visual Design Quality on Player Experience Components in Tablet Games

Research in the field of Human Computer Interaction Design indicates that there is a need to develop further methods, tools, and frameworks for the design and evaluation of digital game interfaces. This thesis aims to design, develop, and evaluate two different types of tablet games with varying visual design quality interfaces to examine users’ perceptions of hedonic quality, visual design, emotions, and game enjoyment in different channels of experience. The design-oriented approach was adopted to combine both creative practice and scientific inquiry in the game design process and empirical evaluation. Hypotheses were formulated to explore the significance of visual design quality in relation to the components of player experience. The study entailed two phases. In the first phase, participatory design methods were employed to design and develop the tablet games encompassing mind-mapping techniques, focus groups, iterative prototyping with multiple cycles of usability testing of user interfaces. In the second phase, survey instruments were applied to collect and analyze data from 111 participants using tablet games as stimuli in a controlled experimental condition. The main contribution of this research is creation of a player experience model, validated in the domain of tablet gaming, to serve as a new theory. This research will allow for game researchers and practitioners to obtain a deeper understanding of the significance of the player experience framework components to create optimal player experience in tablet games. The finding shows that highly attractive game user interfaces were perceived to have higher utility and ease of use. Participants exhibited higher levels of arousal and valence in the high visual design quality interfaces mediated by hedonic quality. Participants who were highly sensitive to visual design did not necessarily derive the highest level of game enjoyment. Participants derived a heightened level of engagement in the arousal channel of experience and the highest level of enjoyment in the flow state. The use of 2.5D graphics and analogous color schemes created a spatial illusion that captivated users' attention. Practitioners are encouraged to design game artifacts with feature sets and mechanics capable of transporting players into the state of flow, as this is the stage where they experience game control, excitement and relaxation in addition to game immersion in the state of arousal

Front End Development I Labs

The following two lab assignments for Front End Development I were created as a result of a Round 16 Textbook Transformation Mini-Grant

The Interplay Between Perceived Usability and Quality in Visual Design for Tablet Game Interfaces

Research in human-computer interaction (HCI) has shown inconsistencies in the relationship between users’ perception of usability and the quality of visual design in digital products. Research is lacking in the gaming domain for visual design in user interfaces on tablet screens. Despite extensive research on visual aesthetics and perceived usability, best practices offer limited guidance for game interfaces from a user-centered design perspective. The objectives of this study are twofold: to employ a design-oriented methodology to create a real iOS tablet game app from start to finish using ideation, focus groups, iterative prototyping, usability testing, and empirically evaluating game participants’ experiences; and, to use experimental methods to examine the effect that the quality of visual design in a tablet game interface has on perceived usability and user engagement. In Phase I, we designed and developed a real iOS game; the user interface was rendered into two visual design conditions for hypothesis testing. In Phase II, we recruited 56 participants to play each game condition for 10 minutes for a within-subjects study. We administered the Multidimensional Mood, AttrakDiff, and User Engagement Scale (UES) questionnaires to collect data. Findings demonstrate that high-quality visual design does not necessarily promote perceived usability; although, both low- and high-quality visual designs showed significant influence. Participants rated their perceived usability of the game conditions to be equivalent. Findings also demonstrate that participants experienced a higher level of user engagement in the game interface with high-quality visual design

The interplay between perceived usability and visual design quality in tablet game interfaces

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. Open access journalResearch in Human Computer Interaction has shown inconsistencies in the relationship between the perception of usability and visual design in digital products. Research is lacking in the domain of tablet gaming related to the visual design of screen user interfaces. Despite extensive research on visual aesthetics and perceived usability, limited best practice guidance from a user-centered design perspective exists. The objectives of this study are twofold: firstly, to employ design-oriented methodology to create a real iOS tablet game app starting from ideation, focus groups, iterative prototyping, usability testing, followed by an empirical evaluation with game participants. Secondly, to use experimental methods to examine the role of visual design quality on perceived usability and user engagement in tablet game interfaces. In phase I, we designed and developed a real iOS game; the user interface was rendered into two visual design conditions for hypothesis testing. In phase II, we recruited 56 participants designated to play each game condition for 10 minutes using a within-subject design. We administered the Multidimensional Mood, Attrakdiff, and User Engagement Scale questionnaires for data collection. Findings demonstrate that a higher visual design quality does not necessarily promote perceived usability and both low and high visual design quality significantly influenced perceive usability. Participants experienced a higher level of user engagement in the high visual design game interface. Game learnability, an attribute of inherent product usability, played an important part as participants quickly became familiar with the game mechanics. They rated perceived usability of the game conditions to be equivalent