Supervisor - Bruno Giesteira
Co-supervisor - Pedro Cardoso
Co-supervisor - Pedro Cardoso
My master's dissertation revolved around the unconventional idea of "intentional friction" in game user interfaces, challenging the prevailing norms of user-friendly designs to evoke reflection in players. This work was graded of 20 out of 20, and its contributions have been recognized through a paper and a book chapter publication.
Challenge
Modern user interface paradigms are primarily driven by user-friendliness and enjoyment. My research delved into how deliberately introducing friction into game UIs could transform player experiences, challenging their perceptions and inciting reflection.
Approach
- Started with a literature review to define interface elements in game design and understand the friction concept against the backdrop of user-friendly paradigms.
- Analyzed game instances exhibiting intentional UI friction to glean insights on their design strategy, contrasting their techniques against established design principles by Donald Norman and Jakob Nielsen 10 Usability Heuristics. This work culminated in a paper titled "Strategies of Intentional Friction in the User Interface of Digital Games."
- Organized co-creation workshops with students and professionals in UI and Game Design, extracting more strategies and viewpoints on intentional friction.
One of the Miro boards prepared and used during co-creation workshop
Workshop output , with participants ideas for intentional friction organized into themes
Outcome
A deck-based tool named "Friction Firestarter" was developed, encapsulating the discovered intentional friction strategies. Initial evaluations with a new set of participants showcased the tool's potency in driving innovative discussions and ideation processes centered on friction in game UIs.
Dissertation: Intentional Friction in the User Interface of Digital Games. https://repositorio-aberto.up.pt/handle/10216/145082
Book Chapter: "Friction Firestarter: A Toolkit for Designing Meaningful Friction in Game User Interfaces" in Springer's "Perspectives on Design and Digital Communication IV" IV". http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41770-2_14
Paper: "Strategies of Intentional Friction in the User Interface of Digital Games" in Springer's "Advances in Design and Digital Communication III" during DIGICOM 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-20364-0_5