Approximately 17% of the US-American population suffers from high levels of math anxiety.
Approximately 17% of the US-American population suffers from high levels of math anxiety.
Approximately 17% of the US-American population suffers from high levels of math anxiety.
…but there was quite a bit of work to do first.
I helped to push Figma to its limits.
Zen, to the client, had to do with relaxation and player agency. Essentially, being able to practice what you want when you want to, without ever feeling forced to remain on any one topic. The prototype above represents a practice mode known hereafter as Artist Mode that aims to embody these concepts. It allows players to choose what kind of picture they'd like to paint out of a number of categories, what kind of arithmetic they'd like to practice, how difficult they'd like the math to be, or even a random combination of them all.
We tested this aspect of the game with the KidsTeam at UMD—a youth program for young children between 7-12 years of age interested in technology and design. Through this approach of participatory design as well as several activities such as storyboarding, we were able to discern their likes and dislikes. This led to several design ideas that could be leveraged to improve this game mode.
Zen, to the client, had to do with relaxation and player agency. Essentially, being able to practice what you want when you want to, without ever feeling forced to remain on any one topic. The prototype above represents a practice mode known hereafter as Artist Mode that aims to embody these concepts. It allows players to choose what kind of picture they'd like to paint out of a number of categories, what kind of arithmetic they'd like to practice, how difficult they'd like the math to be, or even a random combination of them all.
We tested this aspect of the game with the KidsTeam at UMD—a youth program for young children between 7-12 years of age interested in technology and design. Through this approach of participatory design as well as several activities such as storyboarding, we were able to discern their likes and dislikes. This led to several design ideas that could be leveraged to improve this game mode.
Zen, to the client, had to do with relaxation and player agency. Essentially, being able to practice what you want when you want to, without ever feeling forced to remain on any one topic. The prototype above represents a practice mode known hereafter as Artist Mode that aims to embody these concepts. It allows players to choose what kind of picture they'd like to paint out of a number of categories, what kind of arithmetic they'd like to practice, how difficult they'd like the math to be, or even a random combination of them all.
We tested this aspect of the game with the KidsTeam at UMD—a youth program for young children between 7-12 years of age interested in technology and design. Through this approach of participatory design as well as several activities such as storyboarding, we were able to discern their likes and dislikes. This led to several design ideas that could be leveraged to improve this game mode.
(Luttenberger et al.,NLM).
My team's client had a vision—to help kids between ages 5-11 get more comfortable with numbers by easing the anxiety associated with math. She wanted to design a game that counteracts these feelings of anxiety by reinforcing zen through a paint-by-numbers game. But I, along with the rest of my team were a bit unfamiliar with the specifics of this. We feared that children, who often sought out excitement rather than relaxation would get bored with the concept, and our experiences with paint-by-numbers were rather limited.
As the team's communicator for this first sprint, it was my primary job to set up all the necessary meetings to get the background information we needed, as well as set up our first user testing session that would help us to better understand the perspective of the primary stakeholder for this game—the children themselves.
We needed to create a working prototype of the painting-by-numbers game mechanic to make it suitable for testing, rather than simply the static screens inherited from a prior team of designers that started this project.
While Figma's variable system was quite the adjustment, I helped to lead the team's efforts in putting together the first version of the prototype for this fundamental mechanic.
…but there was quite a bit of work to do first.
XP
Short for Experience Points. The completion of paintings allow players to level up. Higher levels correlate with in-game progress, and the more you level up, the more rewards you get.
Short for Experience Points. The completion of paintings allow players to level up. Higher levels correlate with in-game progress, and the more you level up, the more rewards you get.
Short for Experience Points. The completion of paintings allow players to level up. Higher levels correlate with in-game progress, and the more you level up, the more rewards you get.
Collectibles
Items that players can decorate their personal rooms with. These can vary in nature from badges, paintings with custom picture frames, plants, and furniture received from leveling up, story mode levels, and weekly challenges.
Items that players can decorate their personal rooms with. These can vary in nature from badges, paintings with custom picture frames, plants, and furniture received from leveling up, story mode levels, and weekly challenges.
Items that players can decorate their personal rooms with. These can vary in nature from badges, paintings with custom picture frames, plants, and furniture received from leveling up, story mode levels, and weekly challenges.
Bonus Levels
For those who love surprises, every 5 story mode levels would be met with a bonus level that, in exchange for slightly more difficult math, would grant the player a collectible they wouldn't be able to get anywhere else.
For those who love surprises, every 5 story mode levels would be met with a bonus level that, in exchange for slightly more difficult math, would grant the player a collectible they wouldn't be able to get anywhere else.
For those who love surprises, every 5 story mode levels would be met with a bonus level that, in exchange for slightly more difficult math, would grant the player a collectible they wouldn't be able to get anywhere else.
XP
Collectibles
Bonus Levels
Motivation to Play More
Motivation to Play More
Motivation to Play More
Many kids were motivated by receiving more content as they progress. They would like new paintings, more difficult levels, and possibly even additional game modes. In other words, they were intrinsically motivated by the gameplay itself. This also means that they loved the idea of surprises.
Many kids were motivated by receiving more content as they progress. They would like new paintings, more difficult levels, and possibly even additional game modes. In other words, they were intrinsically motivated by the gameplay itself. This also means that they loved the idea of surprises.
Many kids were motivated by receiving more content as they progress. They would like new paintings, more difficult levels, and possibly even additional game modes. In other words, they were intrinsically motivated by the gameplay itself. This also means that they loved the idea of surprises.
Motivated by Tangible Rewards
The kids showed that being given visible mementos of their achievements was more important to them than simply congratulatory remarks. That being said, there was a split in preference for how this could be done.
One one end, there were children that preferred rewards that could enhance the gameplay experience itself.
On the other end, being able to decorate their own personal room with badges, paintings with custom picture frames, plants, and furniture however they wanted to was another main motivation for receiving rewards.
What feedback mechanisms or rewards are effective in keeping kids motivated to progress in a game?
Now to apply these insights!
Now to apply these insights!
Now to apply these insights!
As an avid gamer myself, I helped to combine the insights received from the children with my own experiences in order to develop game mechanics that reflected the data while balancing the needs of the client.
As an avid gamer myself, I helped to combine the insights received from the children with my own experiences in order to develop game mechanics that reflected the data while balancing the needs of the client.
As an avid gamer myself, I helped to combine the insights received from the children with my own experiences in order to develop game mechanics that reflected the data while balancing the needs of the client.
Part 2: Rewarding the Player
Part 2: Rewarding the Player
Part 2: Rewarding the Player
As a result of our first sprint, the general user flow for artist mode can be seen above.
Our client requested a calming experience that limits competition, a sense of urgency, FOMO, or any other factors that could cause anxiety when facing math or materialistic motives for playing. Some examples of this were:
Coins
Shops
Timers
Competition
Determining a positive feedback system with these constraints meant the name of the game this sprint was research.
As a result of our first sprint, the general user flow for artist mode can be seen above.
Our client requested a calming experience that limits competition, a sense of urgency, FOMO, or any other factors that could cause anxiety when facing math or materialistic motives for playing. Some examples of this were:
Coins
Shops
Timers
Competition
Determining a positive feedback system with these constraints meant the name of the game this sprint was research.
As a result of our first sprint, the general user flow for artist mode can be seen above.
Our client requested a calming experience that limits competition, a sense of urgency, FOMO, or any other factors that could cause anxiety when facing math or materialistic motives for playing. Some examples of this were:
Coins
Shops
Timers
Competition
Determining a positive feedback system with these constraints meant the name of the game this sprint was research.
After another exciting research session with KidsTeam, I helped to discern the various motivations that would make kids want to play this game. From there, the insights gained would be used to ideate the kinds of rewards and other positive feedback to provide.
After another exciting research session with KidsTeam, I helped to discern the various motivations that would make kids want to play this game. From there, the insights gained would be used to ideate the kinds of rewards and other positive feedback to provide.
After another exciting research session with KidsTeam, I helped to discern the various motivations that would make kids want to play this game. From there, the insights gained would be used to ideate the kinds of rewards and other positive feedback to provide.
Home Screen
Adventure Islands Mode
Artist Mode
Paint-By Numbers
My Room
4.
Include room themes (ex. outer space with rockets) and a dedicated badge wall.
2.
Introduce additional animals to complement the llamas (ie. pets).
1.
Implement sound design to accompany animations and other visuals.
3.
Implement in-game items such as power-ups that can enhance gameplay without compromising learning value.
Instead of worrying about how to make the question easier without it being overused, why not instead reframe the problem? Early math is often taught with visual aids such as counting blocks, so there was a lot of room to leverage that familiar way of thinking here.
If further assistance is needed, we encourage asking a parent or guardian to create a more collaborative experience, while also helping to develop the soft skill of asking for help when necessary.
Final Designs
The final steps of this project were to:
Create high-fidelity prototypes of the screens wherever necessary
Finish documenting every aspect of the game to make it as clear as possible for the client and developer handoff. This includes the game mechanics, art style, theme, typography, and color scheme, among other elements.
The final steps of this project were to:
Create high-fidelity prototypes of the screens wherever necessary
Finish documenting every aspect of the game to make it as clear as possible for the client and developer handoff. This includes the game mechanics, art style, theme, typography, and color scheme, among other elements.
The final steps of this project were to:
Create high-fidelity prototypes of the screens wherever necessary
Finish documenting every aspect of the game to make it as clear as possible for the client and developer handoff. This includes the game mechanics, art style, theme, typography, and color scheme, among other elements.
Future Scope
After a final testing session with some of the children that were a part of this story, we emerged with some takeaways that could be useful for future updates.
Thank you for reading!
Part 5: Adding the Final Touches
Part 5: Adding the Final Touches
Part 5: Adding the Final Touches
And thus, after lots of arduous ideation, we ended up with the Adventure Islands. A game mode that gets progressively more difficult as you advance, split between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There is no need to continue the story beyond the general premise—the developers need only update the game with more levels periodically!
And thus, after lots of arduous ideation, we ended up with the Adventure Islands. A game mode that gets progressively more difficult as you advance, split between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There is no need to continue the story beyond the general premise—the developers need only update the game with more levels periodically!
And thus, after lots of arduous ideation, we ended up with the Adventure Islands. A game mode that gets progressively more difficult as you advance, split between addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. There is no need to continue the story beyond the general premise—the developers need only update the game with more levels periodically!
As per our client's request, due to there being no plans to update the story over an extended period of time, we had to scrap the initial idea of a story mode. This was a bit of a setback as our difficulty progression system directly correlated with story progress as well.
As per our client's request, due to there being no plans to update the story over an extended period of time, we had to scrap the initial idea of a story mode. This was a bit of a setback as our difficulty progression system directly correlated with story progress as well.
As per our client's request, due to there being no plans to update the story over an extended period of time, we had to scrap the initial idea of a story mode. This was a bit of a setback as our difficulty progression system directly correlated with story progress as well.
But constraints can help to spearhead innovation!
But constraints can help to spearhead innovation!
But constraints can help to spearhead innovation!
Part 4: Overwriting the Story Mode
Part 4: Overwriting the Story Mode
Part 4: Overwriting the Story Mode
And so the idea of balance has once again reared its head.
And so the idea of balance has once again reared its head.
And so the idea of balance has once again reared its head.
Change the way the players think about the problem.
Change the way the players think about the problem.
Change the way the players think about the problem.
So what happens if they get a question wrong? This was an area to explore with great caution, as children's emotions can be very volatile, and in the worst case, discourage them from going any further in this game if they get stuck. But at the same time, the game couldn't be made easier by them, or else they could turn into a crutch that inhibited the value of the learning.
So what happens if they get a question wrong? This was an area to explore with great caution, as children's emotions can be very volatile, and in the worst case, discourage them from going any further in this game if they get stuck. But at the same time, the game couldn't be made easier by them, or else they could turn into a crutch that inhibited the value of the learning.
So what happens if they get a question wrong? This was an area to explore with great caution, as children's emotions can be very volatile, and in the worst case, discourage them from going any further in this game if they get stuck. But at the same time, the game couldn't be made easier by them, or else they could turn into a crutch that inhibited the value of the learning.
There were a number of questions to consider such as:
How many hints should be allowed per painting?
What would trigger the hints to appear?
What kind of hint can be given that doesn't essentially give away the answer or allow for an abuse of the system?
There were a number of questions to consider such as:
How many hints should be allowed per painting?
What would trigger the hints to appear?
What kind of hint can be given that doesn't essentially give away the answer or allow for an abuse of the system?
There were a number of questions to consider such as:
How many hints should be allowed per painting?
What would trigger the hints to appear?
What kind of hint can be given that doesn't essentially give away the answer or allow for an abuse of the system?
Fortunately, I had a contact with a professor who was an expert in both games and mathematics, and was also well-acquainted with our client. I facilitated a discussion that would allow us to think about this problem from a unique angle:
Fortunately, I had a contact with a professor who was an expert in both games and mathematics, and was also well-acquainted with our client. I facilitated a discussion that would allow us to think about this problem from a unique angle:
Fortunately, I had a contact with a professor who was an expert in both games and mathematics, and was also well-acquainted with our client. I facilitated a discussion that would allow us to think about this problem from a unique angle:
Part 3: Figuring out Hints
Part 1: Building the Foundation
Part 1: Building the Foundation
Part 1: Building the Foundation
Instead of worrying about how to make the question easier without it being overused, why not instead reframe the problem? Early math is often taught with visual aids such as counting blocks, so there was a lot of room to leverage that familiar way of thinking here.
If further assistance is needed, we encourage asking a parent or guardian to create a more collaborative experience, while also helping to develop the soft skill of asking for help when necessary.
Adventure Islands Mode
Artist Mode
Paint-By Numbers
My Room
Future Scope
After a final testing session with some of the children that were a part of this story, we emerged with some takeaways that could be useful for future updates.
1.
Implement sound design to accompany animations and other visuals.
2.
Introduce additional animals to complement the llamas (ie. pets).
4.
Include room themes (ex. outer space with rockets) and a dedicated badge wall.
3.
Implement in-game items such as power-ups that can enhance gameplay without compromising learning value.
The kids showed that being given visible mementos of their achievements was more important to them than simply congratulatory remarks. That being said, there was a split in preference for how this could be done.
One one end, there were children that preferred rewards that could enhance the gameplay experience itself.
On the other end, being able to decorate their own personal room with badges, paintings with custom picture frames, plants, and furniture however they wanted to was another main motivation for receiving rewards.
Motivated by Tangible Rewards
What feedback mechanisms or rewards are effective in keeping kids motivated to progress in a game?
Part 3: Figuring out Hints
I helped to push Figma to its limits.
I helped to push Figma to its limits.
Abstract
Abstract
Abstract
Creating a Game to Transform the Way Children Learn Numbers
Creating a Game to Transform the Way Children Learn Numbers
Creating a Game to Transform the Way Children Learn Numbers
Creating a Game to Transform the Way Children Learn Numbers
I collaborated with a team of 4 other UX Designers to create a paint-by-numbers game centered around helping children between the ages of 5-11 become more comfortable with math. The game features a number of mechanics that appeal to the various motivations that would drive children to want to play this game. It balances fun with education, allowing players to learn at their own pace without the added pressure and anxiety that may be present in a school environment.
I collaborated with a team of 4 other UX Designers to create a paint-by-numbers game centered around helping children between the ages of 5-11 become more comfortable with math. The game features a number of mechanics that appeal to the various motivations that would drive children to want to play this game. It balances fun with education, allowing players to learn at their own pace without the added pressure and anxiety that may be present in a school environment.
I collaborated with a team of 4 other UX Designers to create a paint-by-numbers game centered around helping children between the ages of 5-11 become more comfortable with math. The game features a number of mechanics that appeal to the various motivations that would drive children to want to play this game. It balances fun with education, allowing players to learn at their own pace without the added pressure and anxiety that may be present in a school environment.
My team's client had a vision—to help kids between ages 5-11 get more comfortable with numbers by easing the anxiety associated with math. She wanted to design a game that counteracts these feelings of anxiety by reinforcing zen through a paint-by-numbers game. But I, along with the rest of my team were a bit unfamiliar with the specifics of this. We feared that children, who often sought out excitement rather than relaxation would get bored with the concept, and our experiences with paint-by-numbers were rather limited.
As the team's communicator for this first sprint, it was my primary job to set up all the necessary meetings to get the background information we needed, as well as set up our first user testing session that would help us to better understand the perspective of the primary stakeholder for this game—the children themselves.
We needed to create a working prototype of the painting-by-numbers game mechanic to make it suitable for testing, rather than simply the static screens inherited from a prior team of designers that started this project.
While Figma's variable system was quite the adjustment, I helped to lead the team's efforts in putting together the first version of the prototype for this fundamental mechanic.
MathVentures
MathVentures
MathVentures
MathVentures
Tools
Tools
Figma
Adobe CC
Figma
Adobe CC
Role
Role
Interchangeable between sprints
Interchangeable between sprints
Team
Team
Design Lead
Research Lead
Resource Lead
Facilitator
Communicator
Design Lead
Research Lead
Resource Lead
Facilitator
Communicator
Timeline
Timeline
Oct. 2023 - May 2024
Oct. 2023 - May 2024
Thank you for reading!
Tools
Figma
Adobe CC
Role
Interchangeable between sprints
Team
Design Lead
Research Lead
Resource Lead
Facilitator
Communicator
Timeline
Oct. 2023 - May 2024
Thank you for reading!