designing_justinas

Firstly, I wanted to brainstorm as many ideas as I can. It involved what kind of medium the interface should be, what kind of function it would have, what kind of visual choices I could make to represent the target audience - queer gamers.

After all the brainstorming, I decided to categorize the ideas that I think would fit queer gamers the most.

SKETCHES OF
CONCEPTS

After looking at the sketches, I decided to go with the idea of textbook number one. Therefore, I had to dive deeper in to cosplay community.

Then I did some additional research about the connection of the cosplays and gender
swapping, crossplaying, genderbending.

I found bunch of articles that talk about the connection between these things.

My idea was to create safe space for queer cosplays and offer gamers to reveal their fantasies by doing cosplay, diving deeper in to crossplaying and explore their gender identity through genderbending.

Then instead of website, I decided to make an app and organize the information in a simple and presentable way

Arjans feedback was to try to find connections between cosplay and go back to the research.

MEGHANS FEEDBACK:

Try to combine the elements and the ideas. Find stronger connection to the archive. What value you can add?

Advice: Go back to the research

When I started designing my application, I realized that I am not going the right way. I really lack research and connection to the web archive. Also, I got few feedback sessions with other people from the graphic design course. Then I decided to go back to my research again, and go back to queer gamers.

Then I decided to go back to my research and see what we have done together with the group and pinpoint some conclusions from the research.

1. Queer gamers want to be represented
2. Queer gamers tend to create safe spaces

I got an idea of creating an interface based on the queer fan art and create a safe space where queer gamers can reach the archive of queer art done by other peers, upload the artworks by themselves, see other fan art communities

Extra feedback with Naomi:

1. Try to visualize the research that you have, update your hotglue and draw conclusions.

Meghans feedback:

1. Think of how user will guide through the interface, will it scroll, swipe or etc.

2. Make the images bigger, wider.

3. Step up the design game, make it more interesting and exciting.

Next step was to sketch interface of the app on Photoshop. The idea behind was to make the design as simple as possible

After the feedback session, I decided to think of creative solutions of how can I make it more exciting for users to use the interface.

Also, I decided to get rid of the upload / artworks function because in my opinion it lacked connection to the web archive. Therefore, I decided to stay with the fan art communities.

The next plan was to think of ways to make users want to use the archive. I thought of the idea of using legendary, well-known games or character themes.

Extra research about the forums and blogs where fan art community lovers used to gather.

New idea was to create a harsh 8-bit aesthetic interface. The user would have to explore the fan art community forums and blogs in the Mario world. Mario character is guiding the user through the interface,

The user can either
explore forums, or blogs. These green tubes in Mario game means that you're teleporting somewhere else, or going to next level.

PRESSING COMMUNITY FORUMS

PRESSING COMMUNITY BLOGS

Arjens feedback:

1. Make advantage of the fact that you are making it digitally. Make it more gamey, interactive.

2. Think of what makes the forums and blogs you are using special, write about it.

Meghan feedback:

1. Making Mario function clear would help to make the interface more interactive.

2. Think more of the navigation through the websites. Expand the game in unexpected directions.

3. Maybe make it more educational.

To make it more like a video game, I decided to create a task - collecting the coins. To collect the coins you need to explore community forums and blogs.

I also decided to make Mario more guiding, he would also educate queer gamers on what are the differences between the forum and the blog, and also guide them through the interface.

Additionally, to make it more like a video game and create a better distinction between the forum and a blog, I decided to make both sections as different levels (desert land level and grass land level). Before the distinction was not strong enough, this is also something that I learned while user testing.

Now, Mario is guiding the user through the interface and educating on what is forum, and what is blog

Another thing I've mentioned before is collecting coins. To make it more interesting and like a video game, you can collect coins by exploring the forums and blogs.

When you click on the coin, you are automatically directed to the page of forum/blog, and by reading the text - you earn a coin

Another feedback I got, was that the information about the communities could be more exciting, therefore I organized the information, did more research, and mentioned interesting facts about the community.

FROM LEFT TO THE RIGHT -------------------------------------------------------------------->(ZOOM OUT)

What I also learned from the user testing, is that people actually thought that these are the forums that you can use, therefore, I decided to upload banners of the forums, to give a glimpse of what he forum is gonna be about.

Hereby, the end result

After another testing round, some people still thought that they will enter forum, therefore I changed the introduction page to let them know, that they achieve a collection of communities.

BEFORE TESTING!

SEE THE TESTING RESULTS:
https://girlsgaysandtheys.hotglue.me/?justinastesting/

This sketch was made for Interaction station workshop. This could've been made using Playground Express motion sensors.

By moving the controller, you can see cosplay make up trends, costumes, and rules IF you move the controller to the left, you go back in time, if you move sensor to the right, you will see present trends.