The final lecture in the 2009 class COMU346 / Games Design 2 at Caledonian University which looked at game interfaces and data visualisation.

1. Game Design 2
Lecture 18: Revision
http://www.comu346.com dfarrell@davidlearnsgames.com

2. Coursework
...

3. Exam
• January 15th, 2pm - 4pm, W610*
* if this is wrong, it is your responsibility to find the correct details

4. Questions
• There are SIX questions in the exam, each
worth 10 marks.
• You have to answer FOUR of the six.
• This means that even if you spend 20
minutes reading the paper, you still have 25
minutes per question.

6. So what’s in the exam?

7. So what’s in the exam?
• Material from lectures 1 - 17!

8. So what’s in the exam?
• Material from lectures 1 - 17!
• Knock off the last few because there is no
Flash in the exam.
• That means lectures 1 - 13

9. So what’s in the exam?
• Material from lectures 1 - 17!
• Knock off the last few because there is no
Flash in the exam.
• That means lectures 1 - 13
• Which really means lectures 2 - 13

10. Caveat
• Although the exam will be focussing on
material from lectures 2 - 13, this includes
all handouts.
• Includes the videos.
• So not as simple as memorising the slides

11. Where to focus?
• Look at each lecture’s slides.
• The techniques are important.
• The reasons to use them are important
• Knowing when and where to use a
technique.

12. Lecture 2: Menu Flow
• You should be able to write about:
• Why you would plan menu flow?
• What the benefits are of planning in
general?
• What the benefits are of use case
modelling (menu sketching)?
• The processes you would use to create
satisfying menus

13. Lecture 2: UI standards
• You should understand when and where
you would use each type of UI component.

14. Lecture 3: Colour
• What is colour for?
• do you really understand the different uses for
colour?
• How do we pick a colour scheme?
• What tools can we use?
• What is the reasoning behind these choices?
• How do colours ‘pop’?

15. Lecture 4: Layering &
Separation
• There are a number of Data Visualisation
techniques discussed in the lectures.
• What is Layering?
• What is Separation?
• How can you use these techniques?
• Can you think of games where these
techniques are used?

16. Lecture 5: Text
• There are technical issues in using text.
• There are design issues in using text
• What are these?
• What can you do with a font?
• What is the difference between good use
of fonts and bad use?
• How can text be problematic?

17. Lecture 6: Micro / Macro
• Another data visualisation technique
• How does it differ from use of colour?
• How does it differ from use of layering &
separation?
• What are the benefits? What are the
downsides?

18. Data Visualisation in
General
• If I were to throw up a screen-shot, could
you identify the techniques used to
communicate?
• Could you use correct terminology where
appropriate?

20. Lecture 7:
Semiotics & Icons
• What is semiotics?
• How can an understanding of semiotics
make you a better designer?
• What are the rules for good icon design?
• Can you identify good vs bad and argue
your case?

21. Lecture 8: Expert
Evaluation
• What are benefits & weaknesses of expert
evaluations compared to user evaluations?
• Can you explain why, when, and where you
would want to carry out a Cognitive
Walkthrough or a Heuristic Evaluation of
an interface?

22. Lecture 9: User Input
• What are benefits and drawbacks to user
evaluations?
• How can you carry out a user evaluation?
• Open Vs Closed Questions - when to use
each / differences / how to write each
• What is card sorting? Why would you use it?
• Open Vs Closed sorting
• How can you analyse card sorts?

23. Lecture 10: Prototypes
• Why bother?
• What are your prototyping tools?
• Wireframes / Paper / Digital prototypes
• what are the differences?
• why cascade?

24. Lecture 12: Usability
• What are the attributes of a useable
interface?
• What are the human factors that
contribute to usability?
• What techniques can you use to help make
a layout ‘feel’ good.

25. Lecture 13: Platforms
• How do you design for a platform?
• Consider also the iPhone video.
• How can you take something very rich (like
desktop app) and redesign for a small device?
• What techniques can you use to deliver the
core experience without doing a direct 1 for 1
translation?

26. In general...
• 6 questions from 11 lectures
• Move from instinctual understanding to
scientific understanding
• be able to answer the questions with
reference to the content of the slides &
examples (e.g. if I say that ‘colour is for’ x
things, be able to recite that in the exam,
with examples)

27. Guaranteed Pass
• Take this lecture.
• Take each of the ‘questions’
• answer them thoroughly
• check against the original lectures’ slides
& handouts ‘till you know the material
inside out

28. Good Luck!
• It’s been a pleasure.