Graduation project proposal

Last friday we had to upload our graduation project proposal, below you will find some of the questions we had to answer for that.

Short description of the project
Please explain what you will create in your graduation project, in what context it will function, and what the actual expected result will be.

My creation will be a small multi-user, multi-touch table with a unique version of a board game running on it. Most board games that are translated to a PC version or console are directly ported, including objects like dice, cards, pawns, etc. In this version the research will tell me for example if the dice are really needed or if it can be automated by the computer, does it necessarily need to be a dice or can it be solved in another, more exciting, way using the full benefits of the table? It will include all sorts of new game design solutions for that board game, that will work only for a multi-user, multi-touch table and can’t be done without it.


Description focus of supportive narrative
You’ll need to write a supportive narrative related to your project work (e.g. a thesis, essay, paper or design document). What will be the focus of this supportive narrative in terms of subject / topic and direction?

My supportive narrative will be all about the traditional board game to electronic board game evolution. What has been done, what has been thought off, what has been tried, what worked, what didn’t work, and most importantly why. Can an electronic board game eventually replace the traditional board game? Are we waiting for board games to get modernized? And so on. In the end I want to pick a traditional board game that has the most common game elements (eg. dice, cards, etc.). So I can create an example of how those game elements can be implemented in a proper way in an electronic version. I am not automatically saying that everything has to change, that depends on the research. For example do people actually want to throw dice on an electronic version, does that give them the same satisfaction, or can it be solved in another way that is even better.

You have to keep in mind that when people see dice they expect to use it in a natural way, pick it up, shake it and throw it. On a touch screen it comes pretty close, you could pick it up with a finger then shake it a bit and then throw it, but due the fact you don’t actually feel the dice, does it reach the same effect? Sometimes it’s not better to simulate but rather to think out of the box and to try something new.


Interconnection between graduation project and supportive narrative
Very important question: how are project and its supportive narrative related?
How do you ensure that project and the supportive narrative will result in a coherent piece of work which are mutually dependent? (the one cannot go without the other).

At first the supportive narrative will function as a ground work for my prototypes, after that it will function as proof. It describes how I came to a certain solution and if that solution worked or didn’t work and most importantly why. The reason for this is that if anyone would ask me why I got rid of the dices for example, I don’t have to answer “Because I thought it was cool to try something different”, I can tell them that my research proved that the solution I choose worked better then the solution they thought of when designing the board game and I can even give them grounded arguments for that. So with this idea in mind, yea, the one cannot go without the other.


Planning graduation project (in phases)

Write a short planning for your graduation project, up to August 2008 (f.ii divided in pre-production, production and post-production). Make sure to address your research and writing of your supportive narrative in this planning as well.
P.S. Also include any other unfinished course work. Also indicate if you need any extra support in finishing these modules.

January 2008
• Symposium
• Start work groups
• Lecture field research
• Presentation proposal field research

February 2008
• Start field research on girl gaming
• Presentation results field research
• Start second field research on gaming with a multi-user, multi-touch table
• Create weblog with the results of the field research
• Proposal supervision I
• Proposal supervision II : Peer review
• Final version graduation project proposal

March 2008
• Research on multi-user, multi-touch table construction methods (FTIR or DI)
• Inventarisation of the required material, where to get it and the price
• Order the required materials and buy what can be bought immediately
• Design and build the frame (including LEDS), test technique
• Tweak box and table
• Start doing research for the supportive narrative

April 2008
• Learn to build applications for the hardware
• Improve box if needed
• Decide a board game depending on the results of the research
• Quickly start prototyping

May / June 2008
• User test prototypes on usability and experience
• Write down results and conclusions in the supportive narrative

July 2008
• Catch up month
• Final version supportive narrative
• Final version project