User Interaction Design for BioStrike

[Erez Simon]

Hi everybody, my name is Erez Simon, an engineer and Graduate student at Bezalel, Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem.

As a student, I am creating a "Connectivity Lab" project and chose to focus on the DYI Bio field, with the vision to create an easy and fun collaborative experience for this audience. 

Following a wide research for significant connectivity ideas I found out about BioStrike.

Pieter introduced me to the program and I see a great potential in creating a designated user experience approach that is suitable to the audience of the game.

I am about to create a concept design for a collaborative platform for the game, and as typical players, I got some questions for you.

In general, what is the collaborative experience you envision? Describe it.

What tools and capabilities would you expect to find that serve the game experience?

What would make things easy and fun to encourage new people to join?

Thanks!

Erez

[Denisa Kera]

Hi Erez and everyone,

Welcome and it is great to see more designers joining.. I'm running a module with my graduate students in Singapore on these issues "Design for Public Engagement" and we picked us Biostrike as a case study... What came clear in our first discussion is the importance of distinguishing between user/players/collaborators interaction x stakeholders, it seems that citizen science projects often create such stakeholders interaction between some research centre, schools or groups and media, but maybe we can be more creative and define the stakeholders differently & become more aware what goes on there on the level of the interface... 

I maybe wrong, but I really think it is too difficult for an individual without microbiology training to join this project, the entry level is too difficult, but if it is part of an organized effort of some stakeholder (local DIYBio, school, module, existing citizen science organization) who organizes workshop and kickstarts the project, provides some local support, it maybe work out...  In this we should follow a bit the radiation monitoring/Safecast efforts and someone should do a serious interview with the guys on his aspect (I may integrate this in our module, but would be great if you join somehow). 

I guess we need a piratepad just on these design issues related to BioStrike, so I created one https://www.piratepad.ca/p/biostrike - lets coordinate the different design activities and share texts/info, I know the people in Shanghai were interested in the design aspect, especially Vivianne who does amazing art projects with agar plates. One fantastic user experience research should target just that 0 what people feel when they see something growing on agar plates, there is some wow effect right there that makes this project possible.... 

I'm sharing with the rest this week assignment for my class, but it would be great if more of you join & I'll include Erez's question in the piratepad if you can answer... For now we are mapping some basic user experiences in citize science projects & stakeholders interaction (what is considered success of such projects)....

 

I included my students in this conversation, guys, maybe you should join the google group Biostrike to see some of the older conversations... 

I will be in EU soon and I hope with Pieter but also with some Berlin folks who are taking part in the workshops http://www.artlaboratory-berlin.org/home.htm we define the protocol. I will also stay for Transmediela.de so if anyone is there, lets meet/talk in Berlin.

Best,

Denisa

ek 3: 20 Jan-26 Jan Feedback

Gamification and Citizen science: strategies and evaluation Comments & links to articles, comments, repository: https://www.piratepad.ca/p/NM5214 To do by Tuesday 6 PM: 1. Pick up ONE citizens science project from http://www.citizensciencealliance.org/ or http://scistarter.com/ or http://www.scientificamerican.com/citizen-science/ For example - Folding http://www.americanscientist.org/science/pub/behind-the-scenes-of-foldit-pioneering-science-gamification Florcatching http://scistarter.com/blog/2013/10/gamifying-citizen-science-floracaching/ 2. Identify THREE types of activities users perform to take part. What are the related user experiences? Describe typical scenario of use? What is the context? What type of users are targeted? 3. Does this project have elements of social networking? Gamification? Crowdscourcing? How does that influence the group dynamic? Are there other stakeholders involved? How? What are the criteria of success for individual activity? For the whole project? How can we assess the impact? Define the evaluation categories: what is its end product" and results? quality of data collection? How are these criteria supported by the design? What works in this project? What doesn't work? Where you see opportunities for improvement? 4. Draw, sketch some nice graph/table representing your observations about a given game.   5. Apply these principles and ideas on our agar plate/open antibiotics project.  Bring to class!

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "BioStrike" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to biostrike+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

[Erez Simon]

Hi Denisa, Team, 

Thanks for the welcoming and for taking this to the next level with your students.

While diving in deeper to BioStrike I'm really excited about it. I see this as an opportunity to pioneer a fresh approach to citizen science that has potentially substantial value to the global community.

I created a Google doc with Gamification mechanics and their effect on BioStrike.
You all have access to edit this document and I encourage you to do so. Please edit, add your own ideas, add visual representations for the elements as you envision them.

I also created a draft design concept based on a WordPress template I found.
This is really a basic draft just so we have something to start a discussion with.
This document is missing the user experience of the first engagement with the game. This is what needs to be deciphered, alongside with the tutorial and walkthrough.
Again, feel comfortable to add slides, concept designs and modify the document as you see fit (don't worry, I got a local copy just in case:))

Piratepad  was updated with links to these documents. 

Thanks,

Erez

[Marc Dusseiller]

i found this...

maybe interesting:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22129530.800-antibiotic-abyss-the-extreme-quest-for-new-medicines.html?full=true#.Uug3yhn-JAg

greets,

marc

[Erez Simon]

Very interesting. This can be a great idea for a "Challenge" in the BioStrike game!