user experience. my experience. reflection.

User Experience has been an enigma, full of its successes and not so successful aspects encompassing all projects: the practical, persuasive, and poetic.

     Success-wise, I’m most proud of the poetic project. We successfully created a system that not only encouraged participation of the intended age group, but also would get families to travel throughout the Kansas City Sculpture Park to find all six sculptures. This project as well as the practical really forced me out of my comfort zone this semester.

     Failure-wise, the persuasive was my golden ticket; I got too caught up on the unknown that I forgot to leap and explore.

     Impact-wise, I think the struggle with the persuasive really pushed me into gear with decisions with the poetic. These projects focused on different aspects that my future design work will be based on: practical, persuasive, poetic. 

nelson-atkins. the poetic. the final.

Fiesta in the Park: help Frida & Diego find their friends!

Our(Kim+my) concept revolved around finding Frida & Diego’s friends in the park; their friends were the pre-determined actions of each of the six sculptures that the Nelson-Atkins design team had selected. Each sculpture is a different tomato/friend that is a different color with a different mustache.

While in the Bloch Lobby, Museum guests will receive the booklet. From there the guests are prompted to stop by the Zócalo outside, where they will receive their map and clue sheet. Each clue is a different sculpture and friend to visit and learn about. Upon visiting each friend, the clue sheet will be punched. After having visited all of Frida & Diego’s friends, the Museum guest is to head back to the Zócalo where they will officially join the Stache Crew and receive a free bracelet.

On the back of the informational cards, there are art related activities that revolve around the action of the sculpture. It prompts the guest to draw or write about the certain action, upload online and tag the post with the Stache Crew hashtag. The Nelson-Atkins will then collect all those posts, create a slideshow and post on their Facebook and website.

all collected pieces.

pieces received between the Bloch Lobby & Zócalo.

all pieces received: map & clue sheet, informational cards, booklet and mustache bracelet.

all six friend/sculpture cards: informational fronts.

all six friend/sculpture cards: activity backs.

nelson-atkins. the poetic. process.

random hit of inspiration sketches+description on tuesday night (4-25).

BOOKLET = the idea of a pop-up struck is a nice interactive piece that shouldn't be TOO hard to do. but have the word FIESTA from the front with the tomatoes be the pop-up, so you see closer whom you're looking for + it actually LOOKS like a party. Or maybe Frida+Diego pop-up to remind the kids to find their friends!

CARDS = backside of cards can be laid out next to one another to show a very light image of Frida + Diego or spell out 'Stache Crew in the background lightly or something to tie in collecting the cards with finding friends or the 'Stache Crew. Maybe on the illustration of the tomatoes and then add in a texture or image/part of the statue that they're looking for in the mustaches; for further help/clues...and then we could make the tomatoes larger in the book; have more "foreshadowing"/clues throughout the booklet.

MAP = has a top flap that starts initially over the map so you just see the tomatoes on the map, but pulling/flipping up the top of the map reveals the clues on the hidden side of the flap. the revealed map on the paper has the current map with the tomatoes + sculpture silhouettes.

what we had by friday (4-26).

six informational cards fronts.

six informational card backs combined.

Diego informational card.

Frida informational card.

booklet front.

booklet spread 1.

booklet spread 2.

booklet spread 3/map.

booklet back cover.

folded open map + clues.

back of folded map/clues.

mK feedback.

*it's looking great

*downsize "LARGE titling typography"

what we had for monday (4-29).

six informational cards fronts.

six informational card backs combined.

Frida informational card.

Diego informational card.

booklet front cover.

booklet spread 1.

booklet spread 2.

booklet spread 3, fold out map.

booklet spread 3, fold out map.

booklet back cover.

map+clues front.

map+clues open.

map+clues back.

Our main focus was to bring in more "fun" and user interaction. We did some more research into different types of activities that children often do. One of the more inspirational moments was thinking about large puzzles, piecing them together to create one larger image; we thought that it would be interesting to add more of a welcome to the 'Stache Crew via a large puzzle image. The very light opacity of an image on the back of the informational cards would add more encouragement to go to all the sculptures to finish this mysterious image. We also kept in mind the idea that the child might run off with the map and thus leaving the parents without one. During our user testing, we saw a few moments where the child was looking at the clue wording and the parents were looking at the map; thus we felt that two maps would allow the child and adult to each have one. We also thought that one of the maps should be larger to show a more in-depth layout of the sculpture park.

nelson-atkins. the poetic. testing day + process.

the essentials: booklet, cards, bracelet.

testing family 1: deciding where to go first.

testing family 1: receiving their first information card.

testing family 1: on to the next sculpture.

testing family 1: confusion on the map + where the Turbo is located.

testing family 2: "should we help Frida & Diego find their friends?" "yes!"

testing family 2: "Which friend do you want to find next?"

testing family 2: "resting" + reading the informational cards.

Both groups provided similar comments.

The Map appeared to be "reversed" or "upside-down." Both groups flipped the card for a better directional view to fit their purpose. Suggestions that were made regarding to add in a compass for easier navigation of the map+Sculpture Park. Another confusing matter was the placement of Frida and Diego with the friends on the map; both groups thought the two were part of the search and find. 

Other possible revisions include: defining the path to "Turbo", refine some of the tomatos' placement, placing more elements into the map (building names and placement of shuttlecocks), and influencing a path to follow. 

Group One's route was based on closest placement of the tomatoes/sculptures. Group Two followed the order of the tomatoes listed; they also wanted a more distinct colors between the tomatoes.

Both groups enjoyed the concept of the search and find, the characters, information, and reward system. Other ideas for the map that Kim and I considered was: a number system, "you are here," a map for the booklet/adult section, and signage along the route.

the map+clues and informational cards.

the booklet.

feedback from Assistant Professor Michael E. Kidwell.

*add map to booklet

*add in more "warmth"

*change paper

*add color to cover, to make more part of system

*print + cut + rescan vectored mascots...seem too formal

*have text size correlate to audience

nelson-atkins. the poetic. first mocks.

mock up from class on Wednesday.

cover of booklet.

inside booklet pages.

clue panel.

map panel.

different mascot options. working with the mustache.

feedback.
*make it more fun

*mustaches?

*too structured/adult, make more child friendly

*make sure they go to all structures

*make 3D map? kids may not understand bird eye view

*find out how much of that information is needed

mock up for Nelson-Atkins guest critique.

different mascot faces that we were working with.

cover. back+front.

inside.

clue card + map.

information cards.

information cards.

information cards.

table activities.

table activities.

table activities.

overall current concept.

The booklet will be obtained in the Bloch Lobby. Within the booklet there is tomato Frida & Diego asking the museum guests to help them locate their friends: Swirl, Bounce, Play, Rest, Spin & Dance in the Sculpture Park. They are instructed to begin first at the Zocalo (public square of a Mexican city or town). Once arriving at the Zocalo, the guest will receive a clue sheet + small map of the sculpture park. The clue sheet has small descriptors of what each sculpture looks like as well as a black vectored shape of the sculpture for further distinction. At each station, the guest will receive a card with information about the sculpture + an image of Frida & Diego's friend on it. Their clue/map will also get hole punched to verify that the guest stopped by that station. At each station there will also be a table activity where guests can leave their mark via drawing or writing. These items will later be scanned + made into a slideshow that people can see on the Nelson-Atkins' Facebook and/or main website.

Once all of the six sculptures have been visited, they are to go back to the Zocalo and show that their Clue Card has been hole punched for all of the stations. Upon proof of them having visited all the stations, the child will receive a plastic rubber bracelet or other prize to be determined, based on price+availability of funds.

feedback.
*likes icons + sculpture vectors
*add imagery of sculpture onto information cards
*further separate colors on tomatos
*get rid of white background (go more warmer/festive)?
*larger text on booklet
*way to hold all of the materials with booklet?
*use hashtag for drawings or station for patron to scan image so Nelson need not find tons of man power + need not give the artwork back
*Mexican bracelet o something Frida would have worn
*combine info cards + table activity