ExperienceLab

Augmenting the reality of games

Augmented reality has been around in one form or another for the last decade. There have been some interesting concepts but in the main they've stayed just that, concepts.

The idea behind augmented reality is to take a scene from the real world, typically via a camera, and overlay computer-generated imagery in order to 'enhance reality'. For example a recent application on the Google Android platform allows you to hold the camera up to a group of buildings and the app will overlay information about those buildings, such as what each is used for, and where they are.

There have also been some example of the use of augmented reality in gaming, although very little has made it into the commercial domain.

Stanza/iPhone make strong first impression

Stanza on the iPhone/iPod Touch makes a better first impression than dedicated E Ink devices like the Kindle or Sony Reader. (Stanza is a free book-reading and book-downloading application for the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as for PCs and Macs. Stanza is now owned by Amazon.)

We're doing some long-term research on ebook readers, and it will be a while before all the results are in, but one thing is clear. Every user we've spoken to, from students to professionals, from 2-book-a-week pleasure readers to people who only ever pick up the occasional nonfiction book, the first impressions favour Stanza on the iPhone/iPod Touch every time.

Why?

Sources of inspiration for games developers?

Leading figures in the games industry have stated that one of their biggest challenges is identifying new themes or intellectual property for future games titles. We have been thinking about this problem quite a lot of late and have identified a whole range of potential sources of inspiration. Just a few are listed below:

- Movies

- Comics

- Folklore

- Fairytales

- Art

- Literature

- Mythology

- History

Are there other sources that should be considered, especially ones that are suited to interactive story telling via video games? We would love to know your views.  Casting the net more widely to inform video game design (or movie ideas for that matter) will be good news for all.     

Parking signs: are they too confusing?

It may be my age but I find it harder and harder to interpret the parking signs that surround us in the UK. The purpose of a parking sign is clear: tell a driver where and when they can park, and whether there is a charge or any time restrictions. That’s it. 

So how come some signs make it difficult to answer these questions? Why do I have to check other cars to see if they are displaying a ticket or a permit?

Take the generic example above. Why are both the yellow and the white panels needed as part of the sign? It creates twice the amount of text and numbers to read despite the fact that the timing restrictions for parking and loading are exactly the same.

Here is another example with four panels, lots of numbers and repeated references to permit holders. Now I reckon that permit holders know the area already and know where they can park because they have a permit and local knowledge. 

What does not leap out from this sign is when the non-permit holders can park. But then perhaps that’s the point...

Teen perspective on social networking

Work experience students can be a rich source of insights. Two teenage interns spent a week teaching us (older internet users!) about how they use social networking websites. 

They told us what they loved about the sites, what they felt was missing and how the sites fit into their lives. Naturally Facebook was a firm favourite, used whenever possible, but it was interesting to learn that Twitter did not seem to hold any appeal for them. 

Is 'modelled' music software stifling innovation?

Many music software releases aim to emulate or 'model' the performance characteristics of some classic piece of hardware. Whether it's a 1970's synthesiser with unpredictable tuning quirks or the channel strip of a $1.5 million mid-'80s mixing console, software versions of legendary pieces of equipment are emerging all the time. There are good reasons for this: hardware synths and outboard gear are expensive, bulky and require ongoing maintenance, while software emulations are inexpensive by comparison and take up no space at all. The result is that small project studios and bedroom set-ups have access to sounds and effects that were once the preserve of major studios with big budgets.

Well designed entrance at Sainsbury's

This is the entrance to our local Sainsbury's supermarket, a model of good design.

The supermarket's site is recessed under the level of the road, having replaced an old industrial steelworks site along the train tracks. The designers chose to raise the shop up to the road level and put parking down below, so it's always been a problem how to move shoppers and their groceries around.

When we first moved here, we used to take a dingy stairway up. Then, when a Tesco moved in next door, they decided to posh it up a bit, and did a great job.

They added a big entryway with a handsome glass front, and two long travelators to take people and their trolleys up and down. The travelators are like escalators but without steps, and have a clever arrangement so the trolleys don't roll down the slope even if you let go of them.

Netbooks appear to be losing their magic

The original Netbook recipe was simple. 

Take a small light computer with enough power to handle common web-based tasks. Stuff like browsing, email, messaging, skype etc. Ensure the device is hardy for use by school pupils, students and anyone else on the move. Get rid of the unreliable hard disk and make use of flash storage. Oh and offer a free operating system - let's call that operating system Linux and let's not call it Windows. Mix the ingredients and serve to the market at an attractive price. Hey presto a range of best sellers and a growing computing hardware category during these recession hit times. 

Fast forward into 2009 and a lot of the original design characteristics have been lost and bloated systems are back. Linux seems to be out, replaced by Windows in most retail outlets. Those troublesome hard disks are also back. I know some people may have bought these devices thinking they were getting a PC-like experience (or frankly, were told by poorly informed sales people that they would). However, it feels like this product category has lost some of the original design vision.  

Machines too big for your eyes

Here's a mystery. A few years back these hulking payment machines appeared in our local train station's carpark.

It looks like someone took some trouble to think through their design. They have big graphics and bold arrows to tell you what to do, and a decent-sized screen with large print and simple instructions.

But in the real world, the machines just don't work. People aren't sure what to do, the brave ones turning around to ask the people behind them. Where do I put my ticket? Did I press the right button for the receipt? Is it done yet? They try to stick their bills where the ticket goes, they leave their ticket behind or they toss it in the trash even though they need it to get their car through the barrier, they forget their credit cards. Meanwhile the queue behind grows and everyone mutters that the 20 minutes the train company shaved off the train schedule is now eaten up by the amount of time it takes to pay for parking.

Where do these problems come from?

An email by any other name

When I file something in my file cabinet, I can call it what I like. Same when I file it in my address book. Or my hard disk. Or my recipe box. So why when I archive an email in Outlook or Gmail or Thunderbird or Yahoo am I stuck with whatever subject line the sender decided to slap on it? About half the time it’s “Hi” or “Checking in” or a leftover subject line from 2 weeks ago that was at one time appropriate but now no longer is.

Email providers, let people choose their own titles when they archive an email. Sure, most of the time they’ll stick with the subject line, but let them specify something different if they like.