Design for screen - The Brief

Problem

Playing retro videogames has become a tedious task. It requires old devices, consoles usually don’t provide retro-compatibility. Nostalgic users eventually have to use dodgy illegal software programs that don’t ensure the game will run and companies don’t make profit out of old glories.

Objectives/Aims

Find a solution that provides a great number of old titles from different devices in one single platform that bring games and players together. This solution should make players re-engage with old titles in creative ways.

Target Audience

Mainly male individuals between their 30’s and 40’s, as they were the ones who used to play these games and will want to release the kid inside and the ones able to pay a monthly fee.

Deliverables

Mock ups of how this system would work. Provide a map that clearly shows the functionality of the final outcome. Animation of how this would normally work. Supporting resources/Information

Design for screen - Idea Generation and research 2

After some time thinking about and working on how to improve Netflix, I realised that a more interesting outcome could be made based on an old idea: making a retro-videogame streaming service of the best hits in the past. This memory was triggered by the success that Mini-Nes has had on its release, which has been one of the best hits Nintendo has made in his latest times.

This online platform would distribute retro videogames (as new videogames are not possible to be streamed) from 1976 until 1990 (From first to fourth generation) and it would only require a month fee for unlimited access to videogames of some of the firms of that time.



Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_game_consoles

Writing the brief also helped to consider other solutions rather than a streaming platform. A videogame compilation in a single disc that once it's installed can be updated through patches, a particular console that is designed to be retro-compatible or the website/app that can provide new content with updates.

The ideas developed to improve Netflix could be used here and the surveys reflect what the users would enjoy or are enjoying in other platforms like Netflix, Spotify, IMDb, Steam, EA access, Origin, or Xbox Live gold. Regarding the user experience, the design should convey cosiness and charm, as it is a feature that doesn't apply to videogames anymore. Consoles used to look like toys. Nowadays they look like futuristic consoles. After trying different names like Gaktion or Toybox, someone else informed me of the english word 'Den', most commonly used by gamers as gaming den to refer to their space to play video-games. This made me remember about a friend I had when I was a kid. He was rich, so he had loads of games and consoles in one room that was specifically for that purpose. I remember that room felt like Disneyland to me, and it had that cosiness earlier mentioned. That word helped to identify the name of the platform, which will be GameDen.



Different concepts for the design have been researched based on the idea of 'gaming den'.

Retro look: Using a limited colour palette (8-bit, 16-bit, etc) based on old systems using old games look as an inspiration. Bring back the simplicity of old times.

Retro but contemporary: Cleaner design, not so rudimentary. Using this elements as a nostalgia weapon like designers did in No Man's Sky or Stranger Things. It can be about old games but it doesn't have to look old.

Collection: Make it look like a showcase, hall of fame, obsessive games organisation. In this platform there will be more information about the games than just a couple of lines of what it is about. Interesting pieces of information like historical impact, first trailer, special editions, tv ads, anecdotes, curiosities, etc will be part of the whole experience. Show the game in its original format. Functional: No importance on the design. The platform is about the games, and it shouldn't gain more importance than them. Simple and modernist approach. Arcade gaming room: Bring back arcades in a digital way. Dark with lights (might look like a casino). Excitement of doing something unique you can't do anywhere else. The problem with this one is that has been done in the past (NEO-GEO) and hasn't had the best of the success. Besides, it should be about home game consoles. A fusion between some of the concepts might work in order to focus on the user experience without making the mistake of designing a platform that overtakes the content. Using a limited colour palette based on 8-bit systems, a clean and functional design and depth to allow the collector/den side (Final Fantasy XV has been a successful game with old fans because of this) fit into it should come together to meet these points.
Typefaces for logo/titles

http://www.fontspace.com/qbotype-fonts/cerena
http://www.fontspace.com/qbotype-fonts/basica-v2012
http://www.fontspace.com/qbotype-fonts/oxin
http://www.fontspace.com/pixel-sagas/emotion-engine
http://www.fontspace.com/qbotype-fonts/oki
http://www.fontspace.com/qbotype-fonts/spac3-tech
http://www.dafont.com/fipps.font


Body text

http://www.fontspace.com/genshichi-yasui/atari-font
http://www.fontspace.com/genshichi-yasui/solomons-key-true-type-smoose
http://www.fontspace.com/codeman38/press-start-2p
http://www.fontspace.com/jake-luedecke-motion-and-graphic-design/pxlvetica
http://www.dafont.com/free-pixel.font
http://www.fontspace.com/style-7/thin-pixel-7
http://www.dafont.com/8bit-wonder.font
http://www.fontspace.com/style-7/half-bold-pixel-7


Colour palette

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/15/Xterm_256color_chart.svg

Colour schemes

             



It's interesting to see how purples, blues and yellows are commonly used to evoke the 80's era of videogames. They were also used in the past as it can be appreciated, for instance, in the design of the original Game Boy. Also, contemporary designs that want to make something look retro and pixelated use dark colour schemes to convey the limitations of those times.

More images here: http://abduzeedo.com/uzicopter-80s-inspiration-signalnoise

    

These are very good examples of how the retro look can also be enhanced, praised and engaging.

Only studio presentation

The presentation that the guys from Only gave was very useful to identify the process that professionals undertake when doing screen-based design.

Research > Wireframing > Design. This is the order to follow in order to design for screen successfully. It is also important to take in consideration the different platforms the design is going to be displayed on. At least 4 sizes should be considered: Phone, Tablet, PC and Laptop.

They also mentioned something that can be very useful. The key in digital design is in spacing and placing.

Also, they consider that apps should only be made if a website cannot do something in particular.

There is a possibility to make a clickable prototype in the website Invision.

Design for screen - Idea Generation and Research

The first ideas were around making a library of films similar to IMDb but with more uses. For instance, to have the opportunity to use one single platform with information about where to watch different content (Netflix, Mubi, etc). There is a great project going on in Spain called series.ly that has tried to offer a free service that is not illegal and promotes films of all kinds. Then the possibility of taking Netflix to the next level became plausible.

Many things can be improved about Netflix. The possibility of making playlists and share them. Make it more social like Spotify, but without creating a forum of discussion. The possibility of watching something with another user at the same time. Adding a history tab. Algorythms suggest content based on what the user have watched, which it's not always what he or she likes. The info of what other users are watching. Joining groups or playlists based on taste. The possibility of suggesting films to Netflix. Have the chance to pay a small fee to download the content (or give the possibility for free). Offer more languages for subtitles. Even there is a possibility to avoid infinite scrolling that brings the user playlists based on the votes (not on what has been watched). The movie/TV series of the week.

As a user of Netflix like I am, I always search new content based on friends suggestions or forums on internet where specific audiences unite to suggest content. That could happen in Netflix, and not outside of it. Nowadays, the user can only rely on stars, but that's not a fair way to judge a film, and internet users are not famous for being fair. The user should feel in control and familiar with new suggestions.

These ideas have to be should be consulted with other Netflix users. A survey was made and sent to different groups on Facebook to get different results.

Survey: https://docs.google.com/a/students.leeds-art.ac.uk/forms/d/1A92ckWIruz3a5PbaoeqWrBYma3DZgQ-zp8CSL8tQ00E/edit#responses

The following links and platforms helped to identify some of the problems.


UI

http://squelchdesign.com/featured/your-website-would-benefit-from-applying-some-user-interface-theory/

http://bokardo.com/principles-of-user-interface-design/



UX


http://blog.careerfoundry.com/ui-design/the-difference-between-ux-and-ui-design-a-laymans-guide/

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-encyclopedia-of-human-computer-interaction-2nd-ed/user-experience-and-experience-design


Rotten tomatoes

Discovr Movies

IMDb