Course Reflection

 I really enjoyed DECO 2300. This course taught me knowledge and gave me experience of making prototype, which was a very unique and fun experience to learn about prototype.

I am proud of myself that I actually made a game by myself. At first, i feel impossible and frustrated to code the game. Because the samples we did in prac was so different to my game. I had no idea where to start. Luckily, i got some help from tutor and i also searched some similar game on internet. Once to figured out the logic, I could implement the game step by step. Moreover, I really liked the testing session because it gave us opportunity to let people test our prototype and also provided feedback, which is very useful for the next project. However, the participation of that session was getting less and less, that means the change of getting feedback has decreased.

Overall, i really liked this course, i got to know new people while testing others. The knowledge that i learnt form this course will definitely become useful in the future.

Week 13 Prac B testing session

Today's prac is a testing session, in the first half session, I've got an opportunity to test other people's work. Just like everyone did, at first people started to explain how the prototype works and the instruction of the game. After that, we start to play the game.

For the next half of the session, we swapped over. I was acting like one of the player. At first I explained how the prototype works and the instructions of the game. Then I asked a person near me to place the gold, at the meantime, me and the other player / tester were not allow to look at it. After that, I was player one. By doing that I can show how to use the prototype by action. After the game finished, I asked them to fill in the survey.

• How would you rate the game? (1 lowest - 5 highest)
  71.4% said it's fun but need some improvement (4) and 28.6% said the game is fun. (5)
• How would you rate the physical of the prototype? (1 lowest - 5 highest)
  71.4% gave 5 and 28.6% of them gave 4
• How did you find using the physical prototype?
  All of them said it is really easy and straight forward to use, interesting. But one of them mentioned about the small bug that needed to fix.
• What features can be added to improve for the game and also physical prototype? How?
  Some of them said it is so good, nothing to add. Some of them suggested the gold can be generated randomly. I think this idea is really nice.

Week 13 Prac A

At this stage, i feel like my prototype is too similar to my last prototype. Here are elements i want to add to my prototype to make it more interesting.

This is what i tried:

As you can see at the below image, there is a extra foil on the third row fourth column.

That is the gold, I wrapped play-doh with foil. At first, a person has to hold the wire that is connect to earth and hold the gold (play-doh) and place on one of the square on grid. 

Then i cut out holes on the lid. To cover the top.

That way, players will not know the position of the gold. After that, i made a stick so players can use that stick to go in the hole and touch the foil. If player successfully find the gold, they can actually feel it.

The shape of bottom of the stick is square and flat. That way, It is able to touch two foil at the same time.

However, for some reasons, it does not work well when it connects to the game. It works fine when placing the gold. After that when clicking on a square, it happens to click other random squares at the same time. Therefore, i had to abandon this idea.

Week 12

In this week, Im starting to refine the prototype. My goal is to let user pressing on the prototype instead of using the stick to touch two separate wire at once. Here is what i found on the internet.

In this video, she uses copper tape and foil for the columns and rows. Then use clear tape to cover the columns that will cross the rows. That way, the clear tape make that area non-conductive. Because every cross are now non-conductive. For example, the image below shows how to press G & W at the same time.

This is the plan i am going to follow when actually implementing it.

Materials:

1. copper tape
2. foil
3. tape
4. box
5. MakeyMakey

First, i used two shoeboxes and cut out one side and combine them together to make the box bigger.

Then, i place and fix those copper tape and foil in the position i wanted them to be. As you can see i used paper instead of clear tape to separate. However, i didn't have to do the same thing for the copper tape because it is a tape the bottom part have glue on it, which make it non conductive.

After that, i cut out some more foil. 

By doing that, user can touch both of the foil inside the square. Just like user is actually press on the grid.

Week 12 C12

For this week lecture, we were asked to revisit the definition of prototype that we did in week1.

In week1, i defined prototype as:
- a draft
- putting idea into something physical
- few steps to the final product
- a way to present your product

From what i did so far, the definition of prototype has not changed but i want to add few more things. Prototype is putting idea into anything to present and the prototype should be tested by user. Testing and ask for feedback are vital. They are very useful, feedbacks allowed me to understand their point of view (the things that i missed, and couldn't think of) then improve and modify the prototype based on the sugguestions.

Week 11

This week prac, i started to think about what should i do for the next project. I would like to refine my last prototype. In order to improve, i am going to refine it according to the feedback i got in the last testing session.

Suggestions from players:
- fix the problems i had last time (multiple rounds)
- let user to actually press the grid
- having two sticks that connect to earth so player don't have to pass it around

To fix multiple rounds problem, i have to remove the certain event listener after player selected a box.

To let user press the grid, i have to modify the prototype.

For the last suggestion, it is quite easy to fix.

Week 11 C11

Exercise:
Generate concepts for consistently reproducing & representing 3D movement in space that allows a musical composition to be accurately played on a Theremin. Pugh Matrix to compare concepts.What criteria important to measure against?

1. laser
2. screen
3. haptic device

	Weighting	Laser	Screen	Haptic device
Cost	1	1	1	2
Feasibility	2	1	2	1
Accuracy	2	2	1	2
Weight Score		7	7	8