UX Design Process

User experience design is about far more than interface design. The design of any product or service from conception to delivery should be a continuous process of UX design, in which the design is constantly tested by potential users, improved, and evaluated according to its purpose.

The Tabletop Game Night app was a school project for a scheduling app project to help busy adults find common openings in their schedules and fill them with opportunities to get together and play games.

The Concept

The inspiration for this application came from difficulties trying to schedule events with extended friend groups. The app is named specifically about tabletop games, as many other kinds of activities and gatherings have predefined schedules (e.g., sports watching parties), or fewer scheduling difficulties (e.g., playing video games is often done online, and therefore more flexibly scheduled).

Independent brainstorming and interviews with other tabletop game players generated an initial feature list. With those features in mind, potential users were surveyed, and initial design ideas sketched.

User Research

John’s analysis of the survey results, and the resulting user profiles, user goals, and tasks can be found in the Executive Summary. It also contains more in-depth problem analysis, and developed task flow diagrams and user experience maps.

Use Case Scenario Designs

After consideration of the user tasks and use case scenarios, John sketched thumbnails of different app screens and interface elements.

Wireframes and Prototypes

After feedback on the thumbnails and analysis of the survey data, initial functional wireframes with placeholder assets were built.

You can see the initial testing prototype here in HTML.

User Testing Procedure

User testing was conducted in two groups: a group of users (3) from the Duquesne University, and a group of users (2) from outside. Each group saw a slightly different version of the prototype, due to differences in the versions of Axure available at each location (7.0 at home, 8.0 at the school). In both groups, John read a written introduction out loud to them, then provided a written list of tasks to be performed. The user interactions with the prototype were recorded via the Techsmith Morae software, which recorded the user via webcam while recording the screen and user inputs. When the user was satisfied that they had completed the tasks, recording was stopped and the user responded to an electronic survey about the interface they had just experienced. The users then filled out a short paper survey that allowed more open-ended responses.

You can view the test script and paper survey.

User Testing Results and Analysis

Most tasks were completed with little difficulty or confusion, and under 2 minutes average per task. Lack of appropriate feedback in one case led a user to believe they had correctly completed a task when they had not. Task test results are graphed below. Task 1 was signing up and creating an account, task 2 was setting their personal availability, and task 3 was creating a new event.

Results of the electronic survey can be downloaded here, and the completed paper surveys can be viewed here. Several users noticed that in the testing prototype the home page calendar and the other calendars presented in the app are cosmetic in nature and do not respond to user interactions or updates. John did this to limit the amount of programming involved in the prototype, but it led to user difficulties as they attempted to interact with those elements and looked to them for feedback.

Feedback-Based Improvements and Future Testing

Multiple changes are required to help resolve the issues observed during testing and mentioned in the user feedback. The images below show some of those feedback-based improvements. See the Executive Summary for more information on this project.

Informational Videos

Leading with Class

This educational series written and presented by Brie Sheldon aims to teach leadership practice and theory using roleplaying games as a metaphor and for practical exercises. John helps to edit the scripts, and is responsible for the filming, editing, and on-screen graphics.

Diversity & the Tabletop Roleplaying Community

This ethnography collects personal testimonies from members of the tabletop roleplaying community (focusing on those in gender and racial minorities), and juxtoposes their experiences with guidance from leadership and diversity experts.

Steve Mumfort—Combat Artist

Shot in 2006, and originially broadcast on the Pentagon Channel and the American Forces Network, this story covers an independent artist’s trip to Baghdad to illustrate scenes from the lives of people living there.

Aperture and Depth of Field Animation

A looping technical animation showing how aperture generates bokeh.

Kickstarter Videos

The Warren

The Warren is a game of survival horror where players take on the role of rabbits in a dangerous world. The game was successfully Kickstarted by Bully Pulpit Games in July of 2015. John made the video on a budget by taking advantage of free and open license media to supplement the provided narration.

Night Witches

John got involved with this video project when Bully Pulpit Games discovered their footage had significant exposure problems. In the course of grading and fixing the footage, John also assembled it into the final cut that helped launch the successful Kickstarter campaign in October of 2014.

Stylized Graphic Illustrations

Mixed Media Fantasy Illustrations

Digital Vector-Based and Digital Painted Illustrations

Product and food photography

Stars, landscapes, and environmental photography

Creative and editorial photography