21.05.2013, 15:00
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Последний раз редактировалось RvGamers; 21.05.2013 в 16:18.
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User Experience I
Audience
As with most of my tutorials, I like to begin by defining the audience. These are the people I feel would benefit from the thread at hand. While my previous tutorials have targeted inexperienced scripters, this thread is perfect for ANY member of the community regardless of their knowledge/scripting abilities. Take the time to read this entire post, and I guarantee you will feel empowered and prepared in terms of designing memorable, enjoyable experiences. As always, I will underline the most important part of each section so that the most important points are not missed.
Foreword
User experience, also known as UX for short, is a description of the emotions and reactions a consumer has throughout the process of using an interface. Usually, UX can be defined in a single word, such as: smooth, frustrating, annoying, enjoyable, easy, confusing, etc. Designing for UX is the process of creating an interface that will provide the most enjoyable experience possible. Before I go any further, though, I would like to clear up any questions around the word "interface." An interface is any environment where user interaction occurs. This means a SA-MP server is an interface, just as a website is an interface. In terms of designing for a user experience, the objective is simply to create the most fluid interface possible to create the most enjoyable experience.
Benefits
Have you ever been using an interface (SA-MP server, Website, TeamSpeak Server) and you couldn't find what you were looking for? Have you ever found yourself genuinely frustrated while using one of these interfaces? If so, you have been the victim of a poor user experience. A poor UX is setting your interface up for failure from the very beginning. Creating an enjoyable, memorable experience, however, is skyrocketing to the very top of the food chain and multiplying your chances of success ten-fold. Now this all sounds great, right? The question then becomes, how do I create an enjoyable, memorable experience? Let's jump right in to the tutorial!
Basics
Designing for an enjoyable user experience requires a large amount of planning and research before you even begin designing the interface itself. Let's face it, patience is hardly considered a virtue in the SA-MP community. In fact, if you had the patience to reach this point in the thread I would consider you one of the chosen ones. That being said, to properly design for a user experience you must be patient! By the end of this thread, you will know what you need to do to create an enjoyable UX. At that point, the burden becomes yours. You must have the discipline to use the information I'm sharing with you. You must have the patience to THINK before you DESIGN. With that being said, let's dive right in to the nitty-gritty.
Step I. Project Overview
The Project Overview is a fairly simple concept: it's an overview of your project. This step arguably requires the most critical thinking, as you will be planning out a general outline for your project to follow. In these examples, I will be creating a SA-MP DM server under the name "Moonwalking Deathmatch."
First, we begin with the general overview. This is going to be an informative paragraph containing a description and general purpose for the project you are creating. Try to be as descriptive as possible in this paragraph, but don't remain so objective as to omit any ideals surrounding the project. Below I have created a mock project overview. Keep in mind, yours should be much longer than the one I am providing below. The example I have created below is simply to allow you to get the hang of a project overview, not to demonstrate a thorough overview.
MOCK PROJECT OVERVIEW - "MOONWALKING DEATHMATCH"
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Originally Posted by OVERVIEW
The Moonwalking Deathmatch project will provide deathmatchers (and moonwalkers) alike with an engaging, memorable SA-MP gaming experience. The interface will provide users with a linear, simple experience that will void all frustration and instead provide a fulfilling gaming experience.
The community will launch on July 29th with a fully functional website, forums, and gameserver. The community will be announced with a thread on the SA-MP forums, as well as many other related forums, and will have more than 100 people registered on the first day. |
Step II. Principles
Now that we have written a project overview which entails a general description of our project, it's time to get more specific. Principles are the next step of designing a User Experience, which is where we will take the brief ideals we mentioned in our overview and expand on these. Principles should be written in a bulleted format with each principle receiving its own bullet. Keep in mind, principles are not meant to be specific, but rather idealistic. Imagine your server in the most perfect state possible, and then write down the qualities which make up that perfect server. I have written a few example principles for Moonwalking Deathmatch below.
MOCK PRINCIPLES - MOONWALKING DEATHMATCH
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Originally Posted by PRINCIPLES
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Step III. Goals
Now that we have defined the ideals which will make our perfect server, its now time to set goals. Unlike principles, you should be as specific as possible when setting goals. To make sure you are setting descriptive goals, we use the mnemonic:
S.M.A.R.T.
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Originally Posted by S.M.A.R.T.
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MOCK GOALS - MOONWALKING DEATHMATCH
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Originally Posted by GOALS
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Step IV. The Final Test
The "final test" (as I have coined it) is the final barrier you need to cross before starting the planning of your server. This test will determine whether or not your project is a worth-while venture. You may me wondering why I have chosen to make this the last step instead of the first, meaning that if you fail you have wasted all of your time planning thus far. The truth is, you could have completed this test first. I personally feel it is better to complete this test after you have taken the time to really think critically about the project and what you would like to achieve. The better you understand your project, the more helpful this test will be.
The test consists of three parts, all of which are free-response. You are the primary judge of your test, which obviously means some bias will be involved. If you can grade maturely, your own judgement may be suitable for determining your performance. If you would rather be on the safe side, have someone else review your answers and decide whether or not you have passed. Let's get on to the test itself.
The final test is written out below. If you don't understand any of the questions, scroll below it and I have explained them all in detail. I will not be providing mock answers to the final test because I shouldn't have to. If you struggle to answer any of these questions, you need to have the maturity level to either scrap your current project or modify it to allow you to complete the test.
FINAL TEST
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Originally Posted by Final Test
1. Is your project desirable? 2. Is your project feasible? 3. Is your project viable? |
Question 1: Is your project desirable?
To answer this question, you need to try and look at your project from afar. Look at your project through the eyes of a user. If you were looking for a new SA-MP server, would you want to play on the one you are planning? Is your project desirable?
Question 2: Is your project feasible?
In other words, is it possible to complete the project how you have planned and is the outcome really attainable? You need to ask yourself if what you are planning could really become a reality. Once again, take a step back and try looking at the project outside of your own point of view. Could you really see this project being a success?
Question 3: Is your project viable?
Is it worth your time to complete this project? Could you be doing something better with your time? Are the chances of success worth the investment (time, money, etc.)? Is your project viable?
In order to grade the final test, you need to be strict. As the test instructions indicate, if you even hesitate for a moment in answering any questions, it means you either haven't thought enough about the project or the project is simply not a good option. If, however, you do complete the test without hesitating, then comes the actual grading. You need to take the time to grade your answers in detail, which means the process may take longer than a day. First, make an initial reading of your answers. If you notice you are lacking in any area or don't feel the answers are sufficient at this point, you have failed the test. Next, make an in-depth reading by annotating your work. By annotating, I simply mean highlighting or underlining key parts of your answers to gain a better understanding of what you have written. This process of annotating, which may at first seem redundant, can actually reveal inconsistencies in your answers or misconceptions you may have and didn't notice. If you do happen to reveal inconsistencies or misconceptions, you have failed. As the third step, you need to take the key points you have underlined/highlighted and apply them to other similar projects. For example, if I highlighted a part of my answer for desirability that says, "Roleplay servers are the most popular kind of server," I would need to find evidence to defend this fact. Although, once again, this may sound redundant, it can lead to shocking revelations about some of the statements in your project. Finally, sleep on it. The next day, you are to wake up and read your answers one more time. If you are still confident in what you have written, you have passed. Don't neglect this step. Although you may feel its a waste of time, sometimes a good night of sleep to clear the mind can drastically change your point of view.
Summary
Congratulations, you have completed step one of UX designing. Keep in mind, this is hardly scratching the surface of UX design and I have limited this thread to the pre-planning stage. In the next thread, I will take you through the process of actually planning out your interface for an enjoyable experience. Don't neglect what you have learned in this thread! While it may seem cumbersome and boring, it is worth the day or two of pain to make sure you are using your time to create a worthwhile, rewarding project.
In User Experience II, we will start to utilize the plans we have made in step I and tie everything together to complete the planning stage. If you aren't quite sure what to do with the goal and principles you have written down, don't worry! In the next thread we will be taking the steps to finish up the planning stage.
