The Watcher
Rekindle the love for movemenent by re-learning how to play.
"The Watcher" is an innovative and engaging digital reinvention of the classic children's game, "Red Light - Green Light." In collaboration with Generation Pep, a non-profit organization supported by the Swedish Crown Princess Couple's Foundation and led by former elite athlete Carolina Klüft, our team has created an immersive gameplay experience aimed at motivating today's youth to embrace physical activity. By leveraging the power of modern technology, such as GPS and accelerometers in smartphones, we've transformed a playground staple into an exciting and interactive game that reignites the passion for movement and play, encouraging kids to stay active and connected even as they grow older.
When
Skills
Role
Tools
Project Concept Design
UI/UX Design
User Research
Gameplay Design
Interaction Design
Application Design
Autumn, 2022
Figma
Flutter
Firebase
Android Studio
Laser cutter
Lead Interaction Design
Lead Gameplay Design
Concept Design
Meet the Team
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Marcus Neidert
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Geoffrey Chen
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Joel Jönsson
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Mårten Elfving
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Jonathan Boström
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Karl Lundqvist
The Mission
In collaboration with Generation Pep, we embark on a mission to address the concerning health trends among children and youth. Only 2 out of 10 achieve the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, and a mere 4% follow the movement and dietary recommendations. With school areas shrinking by 3.7 sqm per pupil, a threefold increase in obesity rates since 1980, and a staggering annual cost of 70 billion for Sweden, our aim is to design a solution that inspires children and young people to lead more active lives. By understanding these challenges and working closely with Generation Pep, we will explore innovative ideas to motivate and engage the younger generation in embracing physical activities and fostering healthier lifestyles for the future.
During the ideation phase, our team delved into the fundamental reasons behind our love for games and the motivations that drive us to play. We explored the core elements that make games enjoyable, such as challenge, competition, collaboration, and a sense of achievement. By understanding the psychological aspects of gaming, we aimed to uncover the essence of fun and engagement that could be incorporated into our solution. This insight guided our creative process, as we sought to design a concept that would harness the power of play to captivate and encourage children and young people to participate in physical activities, ultimately promoting healthier and more active lifestyles.
Ideation
Idea 1 - The Silly Box
The first idea is somewhat similar to a food truck, settled up next to the streets and play yards. The kids and youths are invited to go in and play some interactive games. The players will need to do some physical activities to control the in-game characters or to finish tasks.
Idea 2 - Enhanced Children’s game
The second idea -which eventually turned into “The Watcher” originated from this. Leveraging smartphones to modernize traditional games, our idea aims to incentivize outdoor play, introduce new activities, and make physical games "cooler" for today's youth.
Brainstorming
Once we decided to reimagine classic children's games, we eagerly dove into brainstorming. We sketched out various game options, such as Red Light-Green Light, Hide and Seek, and Kick the Can.
Final Concept
Utilising different feedback to notify the player about the phase changes.
The game features two distinct phases: the stationary (red light) phase.
The app will show the map and during the “Freeze” phase
First Prototype (POC)
We quickly made a prototype application to demonstrate the concept of different phases and the usage of the accelerometer.
Aesthetics
As we transitioned from brainstorming to aesthetics, our goal was to create a visual style that exuded vibrancy, fun, and a youthful yet cool appeal. We aimed for an aesthetic that was slightly childish and cartoonish while remaining easy to understand. This design approach was intended to captivate our young audience, making the game feel welcoming and enjoyable as they dive into the engaging world we've crafted for them.
Colour
We carefully selected a palette of eight colours that embodied the vibrancy and pop effect we aimed to achieve, ranging from warm oranges and yellows to cool blues and green. This dynamic colour selection served as the foundation for crafting our icons, backgrounds, and other visual assets, ensuring a cohesive and captivating aesthetic throughout the game.
Typography
Staying true to our design philosophy, we chose Cooper Black as the font for our logo and in-game text, further enhancing the vibrant, youthful, and playful aesthetic we envisioned for our game.
Assets and Icons
With our colour palette, typography, and overall concept established, we proceeded to create a comprehensive set of icons and assets, along with animations, to bring our game to life and ensure a visually engaging and cohesive experience for the players.
Assets and Icons
Animations
Player took the coin
Movement detection
Maps
Lindholmenspiren
Lindholmen Science Park
User Study and Play Testing
We conducted a user study with a focus group of 4-6 participants to test and validate our first playable prototype. The study aimed to evaluate the enjoyability of the game and gather feedback on its enhancements. Participants, who were Chalmers University of Technology master students, played one full game and shared their experiences through a questionnaire and group discussion. This engaging and insightful user study provided valuable feedback to refine our app and improve the overall gaming experience for future users.
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Getting ready
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Run!
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Play in session
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Run to the goal
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Waiting for green light
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Interview session
The Exibition
During this project, we had the incredible opportunity to partner with Generation Pep and the Visual Arena at Lindholmen for an exhibition focused on the theme of "Body Movement." Our mission was to demonstrate the potential of interaction design, game design, and visualisation in motivating young people to increase their physical activity and adopt healthier lifestyles. To enhance the event, we designed posters and laser-cut tokens as rewards for players who participated in our playtests during the exhibition. This successful collaboration not only provided valuable insights but also earned us a feature on Generation Pep's website, further validating the impact of our work and its potential to inspire positive change.
“FUN!“
of the participants were very positive regarding the question “Playing the game was fun”, with three rated 7 one rated 6 and one rated it 4.
of the participants showed high interest in playing the game again, with three participants rating their interest at 7 out of 7, and one participant each giving ratings of 6 and 5.
“AGAIN!“
Final Mockups
Drawing inspiration from the user study and playtest, we enhanced the overall feedback system in our final mockup. Now, the game offers a comprehensive experience with audio, tactile, and visual feedback.
Main Interface
Warnning
Exhibition Experience
We meticulously designed two posters for the exhibition – one illustrating the game concept and another detailing the rules. These posters aided us in explaining the game's mechanics to visitors and provided a clear understanding of how the game works.
We developed a spectator screen that allowed visitors to watch ongoing games in real-time, enhancing their engagement with the exhibition. Additionally, we created a website that provided more in-depth information about the game, further enriching the visitors' understanding and experience.
Winners Gift
Playtests
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The Watcher's booth
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Getting ready for the game
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Booth set up
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Participants after the playtest
Participants feedback
Reflection
Reflecting on this project, "The Watcher" has proven to be a highly engaging and enjoyable experience for players, successfully incorporating elements of low-stakes competition in line with our project goals. The captivating gameplay has been well-received by participants, eliciting a competitive mindset without the pressure of traditional sports.
While we identified certain areas for improvement, such as the advantage of high athletic ability, the power-up system demonstrated immense potential in levelling the playing field for all participants. With continued refinement, we are confident that our goals of "Low requirements of athleticism" and "Multiple viable playstyles" will be fully realized.
Although we couldn't directly assess the impact of our design goal, "Promote physical activity of adolescents aged 12-16 by rekindling the enjoyment of play through digital enhancement," the overwhelmingly positive feedback and reactions from participants, peer designers, and teachers indicate that "The Watcher" is a great success. Our innovative approach to enhancing traditional games with a digital touch has breathed new life into classic gameplay, creating an immersive and exciting experience for all involved. We are proud of our accomplishments and look forward to future developments and opportunities to continue refining and expanding upon this promising concept.
“That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget.”
— Walt Disney