FT228/3

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FT228/3
HCI Final Year Project
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Overview of Lecture

• How is HCI incorporated into a normal project?
• Discussion of Laoise Garveys thesis -
  http//www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/fyp/Thesis/lgarvey.
  pdf
• Award winning final year project 2005
• Investigation from a functional AND a usability
  perspective

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Project Background

• Objectives of this project
• Development of games on mobile phone
• Implement wireless network technology
• Create Tanks, a mobile phone game
• Battle environment Two Player- using networking
  technology
• Platform game Single Player (One Player Game)

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Contextual Analysis

• Project Area
• History of Gaming in Mobile Phones
• Technologies researched
• Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) Development
• Bluetooth Development
• User Group -?

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Life Cycle Selection

• Water Fall Model
• Spiral Process
• Rational Unified Process
• Extreme programming
• No usability-focussed lifecycle considered

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Life Cycle Selection

• Time-Line for Project Waterfall Model
• Specification for One Player Game - Cyclic nature
  of Spiral Model/Risk analysis
• Specification for Two Player Game - Cyclic nature
  of Spiral Model/Risk analysis
• Object Orientated View Of Project Rational
  Unified Process

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Requirements

• Specification for One Player Game
• Get through each level by destroying as many
  enemies as possible
• A player is set against a clock
• Each time a user is hit by an enemy, score count
  increases
• Once the game runs out, the game ends

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Requirements

• Specification for Two Player Game
• User to defeat opponent user
• Games will be downloaded onto both phones
• Bluetooth connection used between both phones -gt
  both users tanks will appear on the other users
  screen
• If tank is hit by bullet, tanks position is
  reset to original position
• Wall obstacles placed in the users way to
  obstruct the line of fire
• Option of resetting game after game ends

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Design

• Tools used for design
• Use case diagrams
• Activity diagrams
• Class diagrams

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Activity Diagram
Select One Player Game
Initial screen displayed
User selects start game from menu
Game starts
User selects go
Time runs out
User selects exit
User selects pause
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Design

• Multiple cycles performed with each step reduce
  significant remaining risks
• One player Two Player
• Number of versions of game
• Earlier versions too complex to fulfil in
  timeline
• Features removed from earlier versions
• Inexperience also a factor

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Implementation

• After a number of design iterations
• One-Player Game classes created and methods
  coded
• Two-Player Game classes created and methods
  coded

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Evaluation

• Black box testing
• Tests the functionality of the application
• Tester does not know the internal working of the
  program
• Example of testing performed on next slide
• Usability testing
• The author stated during the course of the
  dissertation that usability testing was
  performed. However, no record of it has been
  provided

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Evaluation
Field Name Description of Test Actions Expected Result Actual Result
Select One Player Game Select the One Player Game option. Select the One Player Game option using the up/down Keys. Start the game by pressing the Launch button. Splash screen should appear for four seconds. The initial starting point of One Player game should then appear. Same as Expected Result
Select Two Player Game Select the Two Player Game option. Select the Two Player Game option using the up/down Keys. Start the game by pressing the Launch button. Splash screen should appear for four seconds. The initial starting point of Two Player game should then appear. Same as Expected Result
Test Sheet for Main Launch Screen of Game
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Importance of HCI

• Possible negative features noted by author
• Small screens, less room for display
• Keys are small and less easy to operate
• Sound capabilities may be extremely limited

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HCI Guidelines Used

• Guidelines set by Nokia
• When designing user interfaces (UIs) for mobile
  phones, developers should be aware of the
  following
• 1. Target group Designers should have a clear
  idea of their applications target users before
  design and implementation begin.
• 2. Early focus on users Contact the intended
  users to make sure their requirements are being
  fulfilled.
• 3. Applications should be simple and not
  uncomfortable to use.
• 4. Early and constant user testing Early
  testing is essential so that problems can be fed
  back into the development cycle as soon as
  possible.
• 5. Integrated design All aspects of usability
  including UI, help system, documentation should
  evolve concurrently, rather than sequentially.

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HCI Guidelines Used

• Nielsens Usability Principles
• Visibility of system status
• Match between system and the real world
• User control and freedom
• Consistency and standards
• Help users recognize, diagnose and recover from
  errors
• Error prevention
• Recognition rather than recall
• Flexibility and efficiency of use
• Aesthetic and minimalist design
• Help and documentation

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How were the guidelines used?

• Guidelines set by Nokia
• The game is simplistic to use
• Testing was done throughout the development of
  the game
• Potential users have offered their opinion
  throughout the development of the game
• Nielsens usability principles
• The system uses non-technical language
• Exit game option is clearly marked
• The system is built with minimalist design with
  no irrelevant information visible
• An about option is accessible to users at all
  times throughout the game which will inform users
  on how to play the game

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Game Run-through
Splash Screen for Tanks game
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One-Player Game
One Player Game running on Mobile Phone Emulator
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One-Player Game
Game View 2D side scrolling game view.
Controls To move Right Phone key 6
To move Left Phone key 4
Tank Shoot Phone key 5 or up key
Users Character Tank Tank lifespan The game lasts for one minute
Depending on how many obstacles the tank manages to shoot in the game time the score of the tank is increased.
Obstacles 3 Types Soldier
Enemy Tank
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Two Player Game
Opening Bluetooth Server Connection
Opening Bluetooth Client Connection
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Two Player Game
Creating a Server connection on Nokia phone
Creating a Client connection on Nokia phone
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Two Player Game
Server phone creates with no difficulty, Client
phone doesn't show tanks
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Two Player Game
Game View 2D top down game view.
Controls To move Left Phone key 6
To move Right Phone key 4
To move Up Phone key 2
To move Down Phone key 8
Fire Tank Artillery Phone key 5
Users Character Tank Tank lifespan 3
Obstacles Walls blocking direct line of fire.
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Future Work

• Game development is only limited to the
  technology it is run on
• Improvements to processing power, available
  memory, screen size and screen resolution
• 3D game development
• Tanks
• Map layouts for each level
• Sound files
• Any other suggestions?

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Other Comments

• Ubiquitous computing ..
• What evaluation tools could have been used in
  this project?

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Reference

• Garvey, L. (2005) A Mobile Phone Networking
  Application