Overall an Very Good/Excellent Menu and Scene Developed by Mathias, Mathias has displayed all of Gestalts Theories for UI and UX Human Centred Design, around a Nature theme and a Bandicoot-based user persona.
Mathias’s Scene Demonstrates towards UI/UX design principles:
- Excellent game access to his game menu and scene, including being built to Android screen size specifications and an upload to WebGL and Itch.io. Mathias’s screen-size specifications here are all ready for AR foundation-based deployment for his Bandicoot or chosen animal asset, onto the required assignment 3 Android device. Mathias used Landscape mode is perfect for displaying nature-based themes, background depth, objects and interactivity. (There is some display difficulties from my end for my PC but it may have not been in Mathias’s control- I do not know exactly what could have happened- it could have been Itch.io or WebGL options selected or something technical that has caused the display issue, even device compatibility perhaps). Either way its Mathias’s scene was still published to WebGL then Itch.io and the dimensions appear correct, like my own scene, just the screen camera is abit close. + Mathias scene does appear on my Apple Ipad 3rd Generation when I click the maximise button (See the discord photo).
- Excellent, Simple+Consistent Background with Linear AR Game Mechanics. Mathias’s Welcome Banner (in the Game)+Opening Team Beta message, to some degree hits home with branding and popular nature-based theme design, however, a suggested name for the overall brand name or logo (on the banner or title) could have been implemented (same with me as well). A brand logo and title could really help sell the AR idea (seen in Module 4 Standard Design patterns).
- Mathias background red background is very good and draws the contrast for his scene (Mathias menu is a bit difficult to see for those who are colour blind would appear abit yellowish and brown within the menu, but the red surrounding helps draw attention to the menu/scene window more so than blue, there are some shape outlines present, looking at Colour blindness links in discord and accessibility module 3), in fact I would say for visual design in simplicity (only a Bandicoot and few objects, is fairly easy to see for those with color-blindness in his scene, seen in the user accessibility module of the course reference links and discord links) to certain degree, more water blue could have broken up the scene so the user could see the Bandicoot a-bit more clearly; his button design with white space font and reddish brown button background is also okay and clear. Background theme objects were built with ProBuilder on some theme objects showing excellent UI design. People with colour blindness could see outlines to his buttons, and game elements fairly clearly (in most cases between the three types of colour blindness- black, blue and white is more universal, red green and brown can cause some issues. The only other constructive criticism is that the colour orange/brown in the menu and scene is less popular than other colours (see the google trends link on discord and also the interpretative meaning of colours link from Module one Colour section+ Psychology And Cognition link to the colour wheel) Red and brown is good to draw attention, however used to much can be seen as aggressive in meaning.
- Mathias’s button size is fantastic and clear for the simplicity of his background theme and design, the buttons are placed far enough away to avoid clicking the wrong buttons. Mathias has used text rather than symbols on his scene in which the English language is not always universal, symbols generally are or at least a lot more (+ symbols could reduce down button size/ however Mathias’s background didn’t appear to need that). The buttons are consistent in size and position, however are rectangular, which could detract a little from his background (but it doesn’t too much because there is a lot of space in his background). The only constructive criticism I can give is the overall immersion with less natural setting-based ecosystem elements or details, likely slightly detracts the user's interest (however the river-based ecosystems are one of the most popular of the ecosystem types- evidence/looking at Google trends, discord reference as well and Pokemon Go people in cities spawn points near oceans and rivers). On the other hand, his Bandicoot placement is realistic+ enjoyable (for kids and families in particular), and simple game mechanics towards movement is also very realistic and interesting + Bandicoots and other animals are very popular (e.g Google trends, social media likes) more so than crabs and trees, but less than a Panda. Bandicoots and mammals in general are peoples usual favourite animal groups, as they are intelligent and interesting (Google trends, social media likes and lastly for intelligence see the evolutionary map on discord and explanations+ Campbell Biology Text reference below).
- Reece, J. B., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S. A., Minorsky, P. V., & Jackson, R. B. (2011). Campbell biology (Vol. 9). Boston: Pearson.
- Mathias’s Play Menu and Scene Menu are Excellent, he demonstrates. very good NavScript navigation and build setting navigation, setting up navigation trees from the play button, to scenes (mainly from there his own scene, however demonstrating how assignment 3 could work, the other scenes are locked). For simplicity of the interactive menus his understanding is exceptional and enough for this course and AR based design. However, for follow on game design or AR based game design, or mixed reality; instructions, credits and options is needed, even if simple or an empty shell (small icons), particularly if it's directed towards a user-centered based goal or need that needs to be achieved. Look at Pokemon Go, for example, Mario Odyssey AR on the switch, to revenue and high demand AR games.
- Mathias’s Scene Navigation and interaction trees are Very Good. Mathias has considered that most of the buttons be placed near the thumb access points (landscape mode access, look at the popular/high revenue games clash of clans, or Boom beach on the Apple IoS as an example), however his reset button could be at the centre bottom near the thumbs. For scripting the scripting looks to demonstrate the functionality required to an very good degree, particularly for a Bandicoots movement, his rotation options are exceptional and beyond my rotate buttons (but not as necessary for a tree seed). The only criticism I could say for navigation is the potential for more dynamic scripting and spawning based buttons and functionality seen in Module 5 and 6, but for a simple AR app. Module 6 would be way to much with IoT and Mixed reality, (it’s also dependant on device capacity as well and software choice). Additionally up and down buttons for UI demonstration however considering that wouldn’t be very realistic.
- Mathias’s Dynamic web-based navigation and scripting is okay, as the buttons for navigation are linear to his scene, however, importantly, Mathias demonstrated what they could be, and additionally, for his scene he showed an excellent understanding of realistic spatial motion in his scripting. Its just that the motions is story are tied to the Bandicoot movements, but in scripting or effect is absent (see module 5 beginner scripting), e.g if the river water started to rise then Bandicoot could start moving or else no locked from moving as an example or hidden until river water rised. If the Bandicoot reaches certain height Boolean true, else false, same with min to stop the Bandicoot from disappearing below the screen. Maybe some if else motion locks so that if the bandicoot reached a certain point it could go no further or would be locked to the reset button.
- Mathias Theme is beyond exceptional, is one of the most popular globally and is matched under Team beta altogether. Examples of the most popular AR games in the world around unity and Nature, Pokemon Go, Zelda, Mario. Popular VR games such as Dragon Age, Bioshock, Mass Effect, Crash Bandicoot, Ratchet and Clank, Jack and Daxter.
- The story is very appealing/exceptional in Mathias's Bandicoot persona scene, which emphasises movement rather than growth and sensitivity that occurs less frequently on animals, (animals grow but not as much as plants- less prominent). Mathias’s persona is one of the most popular as well talked about earlier.
- Communication feedback is immediate and okay, buttons display onclick future feedback (black colour which stands out well for visual accessibility requirements), present feedback for movement the user can see the spatial orientation changes. The question is why though, whats the goal of the movement and what caused it, what is the user wanting to achieve (past feedback and connection feedback).
- Action hasn’t been implemented yet as it wasn’t required until Assignment 3 AR mode.
All in all Mathias’s Menu and Scene is near 100% realistic. A few coding errors the bandicoot moving of screen, growing to big, to small and off screen, if else movements locks were important here.
Overall Very Good/Excellent, Mathias has displayed all of Gestalts Theories for UI from Module 1 (1.The law of similarity in immediate access, colours and buttons, 2. unified connection and proximity via outlines of shapes for accessibility, accessibility included, interactive connections between buttons and button similarity groupings, 3. the law of figure-ground based on spatial relationship orientation, 4. The law of closure and filling in the theme, user story and persona in conjunction with other team members) and the most important key aspects of UX Human Centred Design Module 2 (Accessibility, simplicity and reduced cognitive load, interactivity, story and communication or feedback, and lastly Action (assignment 3).