design of a behavior changing game

N U T R I H E R O

DESIGN OF A BEHAVIOR CHANGING GAME

THE PROBLEM: WEIGHT GAIN

• Student Exercise, Nutrition, other lifestyle choices?o Lack of awareness?o Laziness?o Convenience?o Lack of time?o Cooking skill?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15376644/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/college-kids-gain-weight-beyond-first-year/#.TqBOi7I1RBl

BACKGROUND DATA

OUR RESEARCH RESULTS

• Sample Size 11 (3 M, 8 F)• Age range 18-23, average 20• Years: 1 F, 6 Soph, 2 Juniors, 1 Senior, 1 Graduate• 1 person engaged in a fad diet• None conscious of their caloric intake• 7 read nutrition labels regularly• 4 thought they had a balanced diet

OUR RESEARCH RESULTS

• Worked out on average 2 days a week• 10/11 considered exercise a chore• 1 knew proper servings for vegetables• 5 responded with don’t know• 5 responded wrong

THE GAME

• Nutrihero• Side or vertical scroller• Conceptual basis: helicopter game, sonic• Gather different foods to get points• Sweets hurt• Point value linked to daily serving

requirements (i.e. Grain = 6)

THE GAME

• Challenge a Friend using Facebook• Game play + Nutrition Log over a week

• Nutrition Log• Record daily intake for bonus points

USABILITY GOALS

• Safety - does the game run without errors and viruses?

• Learnability - is the game intuitive (learn in < 5min)?

• Effectiveness• Conceptual - is it effective as a learning tool (for nutrition)?• Technical - does it function well as a game?

USER EXPERIENCE GOALS

• Motivating - does the game motivate the player to change eating habits?

• Enjoyable - is the game fun to play? (not boring)

• Aesthetically Pleasing - is the interface and movement enjoyable or not?

• Affordance - does the game align with the conceptual models below?

STORY BOARD SAMPLE

2ND SURVEY

• Determine How well the game fit our goals

• Determine if the game encourages healthy eating

habits

RESULTS

• Sample Size: 10 (5 M, 5 F)• Age range 20-23; Average 21.7• Distribution:

• 1 sophomore• 5 juniors• 1 senior• 3 super seniors

• Only one participant claimed to be unfamiliar with side scrolling games

• Responses range 1 (disagree) to 5 (agree)

RESULTS CONT

• Menu Screen• Clarity 4.7• Simplicity: 4.6• Aesthetically Pleasing: 3.6

• Comments• Menu does not match game well• Make it more colorful

RESULTS CONT

• Game Interface• Easy to learn: 4.6• Simplicity: 4.5• Aesthetically Pleasing: 3.7

• Game Play• Is fun to play: 4.0• Functionality: 4.0

• Comments: Demo response slow

RESULTS CONT

• Nutrition Log• Easy of use: 4.4• Helpfulness: 3.8 (for visualizing a diet)• Would you use this feature? 1 no, 2 yes, 7 maybe

• Challenge a Friend• Ease of use: 4.5• Encourage healthy eating habits: 3.8• Use Facebook already? 10/10 Yes

IMPROVEMENTS

• Fully Implement Challenge a Friend and Nutrition Log features

• Standardized/consistent interface

QUESTIONS?