Final design level 3
User testing was completed with 3 participants in order to test the visual aspects of the design map textures for Level 3 of the current game. We have chosen to leave all participants as anonymous. Before conducting an interview on related issues, the interviewees were asked to look at map texture designs for Level 3 of the current game interface. After that, participants were asked 5 questions, with regards to the aesthetic fit, design and style.
An outline of the testing approach taken can be found here.
Focuses: Aesthetics, general fit, overall theme, improvements.
Interview Questions:
- What are your first impressions of the assets?
User 1: They're certainly on-par with each other, like they work together and look the same.
User 2: I like them quite a bit, they're all sorts of shapes and sizes and blend well together.
User 3: The decorative blocks seem a touch out of place compared to the others, but they don't look bad, just a little bland.
From these results, we can see that these textures give a great first impression, but the decorative blocks may need some work to be more in-line with what is expected of the user.
- Do the designs fit with the broader visual themes of the game?
User 1: The entire game? Kind-of, they're a little off-colour but I can see the resemblance.
User 2: More so to this level than the entire game, that being said though they are still tech-based.
User 3: I would say so, yeah, they're high-tech and brightly coloured.
From these results, it can be stated that while these textures provide a quiet semblance to the background for Level 3, they lack a distinctive element of fitting in with the broader visual themes of RunTime. More work is needed in this area to adjust this.
- Does the mood given off by the assets suit the style of the game? (You being a virus infiltrating a computer)
User 1: They do look like machines or pieces of something you'd see in a sci-fi movie or something, and I think that does work with theme of a computer quite well.
User 2: They seem clinical, almost a bit too bright and more like a fancy health clinic than a computer.
User 3: Bright colours, technological theme, I think that's all you need, so yes.
From these results, answers are too mixed to definitively say. However, valid points were raised about the 'clinical' mood given off - with further testing to ascertain the cause of this, this could be remedied before completion.
- Do you agree with the colour schemes and general aesthetic in context of the other assets in the game so far (level backgrounds, player model, etc.)
User 1: Yeah for sure, it all fits well.
User 2: Seeing the background really sold this for me but yeah, I'd say it works.
User 3: No complaints, it's a contrast to the player a bit but not the end of the world.
From this testing session, we are able to ascertain that the decorative blocks need a visual overhaul, the textures themselves do not entirely suit the existing visual theme of the game, and the mood given by them can be perceived as too 'clinical'. These are all valid points, and for future testing, they should be considered and factored in to new updates.