Prototype 2

The goal for this prototype was to refine the visuals and sound into something more organic, that users could have fun engaging with.

Group Testing

I tested this prototype in class, with a group of about 12 people.

Key Observations

• The prototype didn’t work perfectly. There were some technical errors that made the mapping on the screen out of scale, and it was difficult to see correlations between movement and output.

• People intuitively moved their arms around a lot, expecting some sort of effect from that action.

• The sounds didn’t sound exactly like a melody.

Feedback

• The lines work better than the circles of last week.

• The shading on the lines can be related to the music.

• The notes sound kind of like a human scaled theremin.

• The visual can be faster if the lines are not redrawn every frame.

• Mapping colour and music

• Vibrancy vs pitch

• Visual can recognise a moment in time

• Maybe add a splash of colour as reaction to a velocity or action.

• Lines can be straight or organic based on type of action.

• Going from C4 to C5 may be more internitonal in ending the scale.

• A sense of entry when user first engages with the project.

• The depth sensor may be used to interact with all people.

Individual Testing

I also tested the prototype with a few people individually, who had little to no prior context for the project. I also fixed the mapping issues before this round of testing. This is the key feedback I got from them:

• More colours would make it fun.

• Different gestures should have different effects.

• More variations in movement, instead of just side to side, would make it more fun.

• Maybe add surprise elements like raising a leg or a foot.

• Maybe map the notes to a two dimensional rectangle on the ground, where different positions play different notes and all of them play a melody together.

• Could encourage people to dance together.

[Testers featured: Luca, Jon, Julie, Rui, Gabriel]