Scenario and Use Case Video: 5th Street FunQuest

Presentation: 5th Street FunQuest

Scenario Testing

Our first scenario video consisted of a girl, Kristi, spending some time on the 5th Street Bridge using the installation. She goes through the entire process of downloading, installing and launching the application. She then explores a large portion of the space looking for tags, and as she find them, she is able to view fun facts about the bridge, play mini-games and even finds a coupon for Tin Drum. She does end the experience by going to get lunch using her new coupon.

When we showed this scenario to people to get their perspective on the system, there was a concern that the scenario itself was not contextualized enough, because the girl does not have any particular reason for being in the space. The scenario also did not have voice over, so we were told to incorporate that to really provide a sense of what Kristi was doing and thinking as she moved through the space. Even though we had handled this in our actual design, our scenario did not make clear the constraints built into the system to keep it replayable, so it was suggested that we make those sort of subtle design aspects more clear. People seemed to also want a more clear explanation of how a user would actually navigate the space instead of just a video showing some aspects of exploration.

5th Street "FunQuest" Use Case

A placard will be installed at the 5th Street Bridge (probably near the bus stop) to inform passersby of a new augmented reality project built specifically for that place. It will display a simple advertisement and website where Tech students can download the cell phone app from. Students who have the app will be able to load it once they are physically located within the place, and will be greeted with the following message:

"Welcome to 5th Street FunQuest!

Using this app is simple. Search around you for markers (they look like this ) in the real world, then tap on them for a fun prize!

Have fun!"

After clsoing the on-screen instructions, the user will then begin the searching phase of the interaction, in which they explore the space around them for tags embedded at various locations (in the ground, on a wall, etc.). Some tags may be well-hidden, and finding one tag may put the user in a position to quickly find another. As the user approaches a tag, an icon will fade in above it on the cell phone screen, and once this icon is fully visible and the user taps it, a message will appear with the text "Marker Found!". At this point, the searching phase will end and the playing phase will begin, though how exactly the user "plays" will vary depending on the type of marker they have found. Possibilities include reading fun facts about the bridge or Tech in general, playing with a virtual toy, and playing a virtual game that takes advantage of the user's position. The virtual games will have a time limit, and winning them will give the user a "prize", such as a coupon for a restaurant located near the 5th Street Bridge. The number of prizes a user can win in a single day will be limited to three, so that the user does not win too much money and also has a reason to keep using the app on other days.

5th Street "FunQuest" Scenario Possibilities

Billy Bob

Billy Bob is walking from his fraternity on 5th Street to Tech Square. While approaching the bridge, he notices a placard that he had read earlier about a new Augmented Reality phone app for the bridge. He remembers having downloaded the app that day, so he loads it up on his phone and is greeted with on-screen message with simple instructions about how to use the app. After reading them, he scans the area with his phone and focuses on a nearby, obvious tag. He walks towards it, and once he gets closer enough the phone flashes the text "Marker Found!", which quickly changes to a fun fact about the bride (such as, "Did you know it cost 10 million dollars to build the bridge you are standing on?"). He reads it, laughs, and begins looking for the next tag. He notices a nearby tag, and soon the alert text flashes again followed by a mini-game that takes advantage of his position and location (for example, he stands facing the center of the road and plays Frogger on the app. He plays until his frog is hit by a car and explodes). Finally, he finds one last tag, which turns out to be a coupon for a restaurant near the bridge (like Tin Drum or Moe's). With that, he turns off the app and heads to lunch.


Kristi

Kristi is walking from her sorority on 5th Street to Tech Square. While approaching the bridge, she notices a placard that she had read earlier about a new Augmented Reality phone app for the bridge. He remembers having downloaded the app that day, so he loads it up on his phone and is greeted with on-screen message with simple instructions about how to use the app. After reading them, he scans the area with his phone and focuses on a nearby, obvious tag. He walks towards it, and once he gets closer enough the phone flashes the text "Marker Found!", which quickly changes to a fun fact about the bride (such as, "Did you know it cost 10 million dollars to build the bridge you are standing on?"). He reads it, laughs, and begins looking for the next tag. He notices a nearby tag, and soon the alert text flashes again followed by a mini-game that takes advantage of his position and loaction (for example, he stands facing the center of the road and plays Frogger on the app. He plays until his frog is hit by a car and explodes). Finally, he finds one last tag, which turns out to be a coupon for a restaurant near the bridge (like Tindrum or Moe's). With that, he turns off the app and heads to lunch.

Card Sort Analysis

The above is a depiction of the cards we used for our card sort, in which we had people unaware of our project's intentions look at the features, design attributes, and functions and sort them based on any classification system they thought was most relevant. Based on the results of those sortings, there were several trends that influenced our design concepts.

Most people tended to sort the cards by relating the things they were most familiar with. The pairing between mini-games and phone camera apps was the most common connection, but those two cards were also closely related to touche screen interaction, as most phones with apps use touch screen functionality. People had a much harder time associating the rest of the cards, as they don't seem immediately to have many connections. There were several pairings of 5th Street Bridge with "nooks and crannies," most probably because of the spatial relation they share. Nooks and crannies were also grouped with hidden tags, because the idea of nooks and crannies seemed to evoke the idea of hiding things for most people. These two items were also tied to scavenger hunts in the same way, evoking the idea of hide-and-seek. The two cards most people weren't sure what to do with were Coupon and Fact. These didn't seem to relate to any of the other ideas very well for most people.

This inability to fit in two major components of our design brought to light some questions about our plan of implementation. Would people be interested in finding things such as coupons and facts about the bridge or surrounding areas since they didn't seem to relate the ideas on their own? We had already spent a great deal of time considering what types of items to "hide" for our scavenger hunt idea, and our three main ideas were mini-games, coupons for local businesses and facts about the space. Some alterations to our idea included the following:
-Instead of just hiding coupons in the space, we could use them as prizes or incentives for playing mini-games. This way, users would have to play the mini-games (the most popular part of our idea) in order to win the prizes: coupons for local participating businesses.
-Even though the facts about the space seemed to be a disconnect for many people, we feel that allowing people to learn about the history of the space they are exploring it in the present will help make the bridge itself into a more important place. Giving it context with its historical background and information about it's construction would, we feel, help connect people to the space.

Activity Analysis

• transporting themselves
• walking
  
• getting on/off Tech Trolley
• en route to class
• en route to leisure activities
  
• going to Tech Square
• grabbing a quick lunch
• going to the bookstore
• getting a coffee from Starbucks
• waiting for someone to come pick them up (meeting location)
• enjoy greenspace (only on days with good weather)
  
• sunbathe
• do homework
• relax
• play frisbee
  
• enjoy lunch on the grass
• walk a doggie
  
• tailgate
• grill
• meeting location
• leisure activities
  
• during good weather people eat lunch on the bridge ( mostly people sit on the concrete tiers)
• in-between area for Greek life
• many fraternities are located on the west side of the bridge
• in-between for leisure activities
• nail salon
• restaurant
• one even has hookah
  
• ice-cream parlor
  

Behavioral Mapping

Experienced / Observed Behavior

A vast majority of people who were on the 5th Street Bridge were merely walking from one end to the other. Only on days that the weather is really nice, do people stop to sit on the grass or benches. Very few people stopped en route between classes, and seemed very stressed in their hurried pace. The walkways are the most frequented areas, with the open green space on the north side being the most popular leisure spot.

Major markers might best be located in areas easily visible from the sidewalks, with more subtle ones hidden from view, so as to promote further exploration and investigation of the space. Since we are developing for a very wide-open space, we should take advantage of the fact that tags can be seen easily from almost anywhere.

Our biggest hotspots will probably be the benches on each side of the road, since people likely won't even be using their cellphones for running our AR application unless they are already sitting down.

Generalized Behavior Maps

As can be seen on the map of people moving through the space, the bridge is largely a transitional space. People using the bridge are typically driving or walking across it. People are also often waiting at one of the Tech Trolley stops on either side of the bridge.


On one side of the bridge is a very large, open green space. Most people who use this space play games with friends, such as frisbee. Other people bring their dogs with them to play, or just hang out in the space.


The opposite side of the bridge is another green space, but it has much more landscaping than open grass. There is a trellis above a bench that runs along the length of the bridge. Most people use the space for recreational activities including napping, taking photos (engagement photos, for instance), reading, sitting, or sunbathing. This space on the bridge is also visually stunning, with terraced landscaping full of trees, bushes, flowering plants and grass. The structure of the space creates many nooks and hidden spaces that are perfect for hiding small things (like AR tags).



All of the interesting, "hidden" locations within the space created by the landscaping and design would be perfect places for implanting tags that people could search for. This would encourage the type of navigation through the installation we desire: a hunt for hidden "easter egg"-like tags hidden throughout the space in places you may not even know about just from walking through the area.

Design Concepts

Potential Design Concepts

1. Frogger- Using the cars passing underneath the bridge as "sprites" for the character to dodge in it's attempt to avoid traffic. The user would navigate with touch-screen capabilities, to avoid them becoming distracted and hurting themselves.
2. An Art Installment- online posting community (video/photo)
3. Virtual Butterflies - Sandbox game that allows you to dreate a butterfly that will live around the butterfly bushes planted on the bridge.
   
4. Musical Visualizer - Music played from the phone to be accompanied by visual you can play with within the space.
   
5. "Drawing" with the Pencil Building- A sketchpad of some nature, where the tip of the Bank of America building is the tip of a pencil, allowing the user to "draw" by moving their phone.
6. Scavenger Hunt- Search for virtual objects hidden within the area.
7. "Highway Hero"- A conceptual spin off of Guitar Hero, with the cars passing on I-75/85 underneath as cues.
8. Connect Four - A game to be played on the side of a building visible from the bridge.
   
9. Zombie Invasion - Looking through the phone would show you zombies implanted within the space that you have to ward off.
   
10. Virtual Arcade- This concept would incorporate multiple game ideas that we have.
11. Green Thumb- Grow your own plant, based on your own specifications. Similar to Spore.
12. Castle Defender- You represent a castle and you are to defend your position against oncoming people and cars.
13. Virtual Menagerie- There is a virtual zoo hidden on the 5th Street Bridge. You can adopt and raise a virtual animal of your choice. Come and take care of it, or else it will die.
    
14. Swine Flew- You have a virtual flying pig! It is sick with H1N1, and it is your job to infect as many passersby as possible.
15. Exodus- You're Moses! Yay! It is now your job to free your people from the dreaded Tech Campus! Part the street and try to have as many passersby escape in time!
    

Three Preferred Concepts

An Art Installment- online posting community (video/photo)

Scavenger Hunt- Search for virtual objects hidden within the area.

Virtual Arcade- This concept would incorporate multiple ideas that we have.

Group Meeting (November 11)

Today we met on the 5th Street Bridge. It was raining and we did not want to be there, but we stuck it out in the name of Augmented Reality Designers across the world.

Art/Design Project Inspirations

14th Street Building Art




Come Out and Play Festival
http://comeoutandplay.org
An event during which outdoor events are held that are intended to bring people out into the community to participate in public play. The events are purposed to encourage people to enjoy the spaces around them, and to develop a bond among community members over something fun and playful.



Undead Invasion
http://www.undeadinvasion.com/
Described as a "Halloween scavenger hunt," Undead Invasion is meant to serve a purpose similar to that of Come Out and Play. The event is a Zombie Invasion simulation. From the website:

This Halloween, cities around the world are at risk of being infested by hideous legions of the undead. You and your team of zombie hunters are the last defense standing between a world of puppies and fuzzy things and an apocalypse of unspeakable, brain-eating madness!

In addition to helping to repulse the zombie attack, you will also be competing against other teams of the living in a trial of speed, intelligence, and zombiestomping.

This type of event encourages people to become aware of their space and other people, and take an active role in something larger than themselves.



Street Art: Joshua Allen Harris' Inflatable Bag Monsters

Street art provided a great deal of inspiration in that it makes use of existing spaces, generally, to create an entirely new experience. In particular, these trash bag art installments made use of subway train "updrafts" and were a "pop-up" surprise for passersby in the streets of New York. These installments were as good as hidden on the street, and when they inflated it was a wonderfully enjoyable surprise to everyone around.



ARF Augmented Reality Virtual Pet

Using labels just like the one we have seen demoed in class, this project provides the experience of interacting with a virtual pet in a real space.



Greengrowers: a location-based game in Venice

Using GPS with your phone, this game allows you to grow a virtual plant within a confined space. Since the 5th Street Bridge was designed to have a park-like atmosphere, this type of installation would fit very easily in with the idea behind the space.

A Rainy Day on the Bridge

Today, I went to get the rest of my photos for this blog. However, it was raining very hard, and I didn't want to risk getting my camera wet (it's already finicky enough). However, staying outside in the rain for those twenty minutes was very trying. The wind kept threatening to turn my umbrella inside out, and water gushed past my rainboots. The rain did not fall in straight lines, but somehow was able to splash around and get to the most bizzare places, such as on my face. There was nowhere dry to sit, and my feet became very tired. People rushed past me in their hurry to get to class and stay dry; few looked around. The crowds getting on and off of the Tech Trolleys were larger than I had ever noticed, and the bridge lost it's status as a "place" into a mere pathway that forced them to endure the elements. I willed the twenty minutes to pass quickly until I could endure the weather no more. I wished I had a hot tea or something of that nature to warm me. Finally, I left in a hurry, to try to catch a bus I was at the bottom of the hill, grateful to leave the bridge.

Night on the 5th Street Bridge

Yesterday I went to the 5th Street Bridge, at around 11:00 at night. I had my boyfriend accompany because, although it is a well lit and easily visible part of campus, I still don't feel comfortable walking around alone. The area was practically abandoned, with only streetlamps and the skyline to light it. However, it was surprisingly bright for the time of night. I counted about five people walk by during my entire 20-minute period, all in a hurry and walking quickly. The grass was rather prickly when we sat upon it, as though it was too dry. It felt almost like an exposed secret in that area, with a very intimate setting that people and cars kept blundering upon. My boyfriend and I felt the need to almost whisper to maintain the tranquility of the setting. It was very peaceful.

Busy Day on The Bridge / A Look At the Details

My last visit to the bridge happened on another rainy day (since we've had so many of those recently), but there were many more people using it that I had previously noticed. I also took note of bicycle traffic, as there are bike lanes on the bridge along with car lanes. I didn't have a full twenty minutes to spend on the bridge, so I decided to focus more closely on some more detailed aspects of the space. I had a sample "tag" printed on paper with me so I could see what they might look like in the space. I was particularly fond of one small area of the bridge at one of its corners. Growing there was a large yellow butterfly bush that was striking against the green and grey colors prevalent on the rest of the bridge. They only took up a small space, relatively, but their bright color had the most impact, especially on a dreary rainy day. Unlike the first rainy day I spent on the bridge, I realized that I could explore the landscaping more without getting my shoes soaked, as I had previously expected. There are bench-like concrete structures and, with the terraced features, they create a sort of path that moves through the green space and provides access to some "sub-spaces" within the overall space. I took notice of many little nooks that I hadn't known were there before, which would be perfect spaces for placing augmented reality tags.

Details of Bridge Experience

When I went to the space of our choosing, I decided to observe the details that we could use for our project. I noticed that a trashcan looked like a house with a curly roof. Lights that illuminate trees at night look like mini bombs during the day. Rain drainage system looks like a railroad tracks. There are many other small details that could be used in the project to connect people to this specific place.

Tailgating at the 5th Street Bridge

On Saturday, the 5th Street bridge was filled with Georgia Tech fans. All were tailgating for the upcoming football game against Wake Forest. The green space was filled with people walking about, with tents full of familes, of friends relaxing and playing games. Many grills were set up on the bridge, and people were relaxing and eating. Games like cornhole (tossing bean-bags into a hole on a slanted plank of wood) were set up, and everybody seemed to be having a great time. The weather was wonderful, and there seemed to be a joy in absorbing the sun's rays so deep into fall. People had even brought their dogs and were playing frisbee with them. It was a really nice and relaxed atmosphere, full of lively people and happy thoughts.

Rainy Evening on The Bridge

One weekend afternoon I met with my other group members on the bridge to explore the space. It happened to be rainy and fairly miserable during the time we were all able to meet, and having to lug around bags and hold up umbrellas proved challenging. Since the space is outside and open to the sky (that is, there are no real coverings to speak of), it was not possible to set down my bag and really look through the space. Also, since it had been raining all day, the grass on both sides of the bridge was sopping wet, and I didn't want to end up with soaking wet shoes so I stayed on the sidewalk. There was absolutely no one else spending any more time than absolutely necessary on the bridge since the weather was so unfortunate. Instead, people walked by very quickly, and most traffic on the bridge was in fact in the form of cars and buses. Staying on the bridge for more than a few minutes just resulted in frustration, as there was nowhere to sit that wouldn't result in wet pants. One interesting thing I took note of as I looked around and took pictures, though, was the detail built into the construction of the bridge, as well as decorative accents. The sidewalk itself along both side of the bridge is divided into a cement half and a brick tile half, both of which create segmented areas that could easily be used as a framework for some type of installation. Even the lampposts had interesting medallions embedded in them, and there were Buzz figures painted onto the sidewalk all along the bridge. All of these little details were only visible to me when I took the time to stand on the bridge and spend time there, as opposed to just walking over it and treating it as a transition space from campus to Tech Square.