Collaborative Design Practice - Task 1

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26/9/2025 - 26/12/2025 (Week 1 - Week 5)
Shawn Wong Kai Hen / 0375372
Collaborative Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Collaborative Design Practice - Task 1


  INTRUCTIONS  



  LECTURER BRIEF  



  Important Link  

Access to our Workspace - Miro Board Link


  Weekly Progress  

Week 1 - Module Brief & Group Arrangement

In the first week, Mr. Shamsul gave us a briefing about the project. We will be collaborating with the Game Studies April 2025 semester, treating them as our client. Our task is to redesign their game, including the visual identity, cards, box, and instructions.

We were given two game options to choose from: [Sugar High and Gluconomy]. Each group must have 5 members. My group chose Sugar High as our selected game. Below are the names of my group members:

  • Shawn Wong Kai Hen / 0375372 - [Me / Leader]
  • Wee Jun Jie / 0375271
  • Davies Annika Angela / 0362108
  • Terence Jenifer Pangestika / 0367132
  • Felita Yesica Ardiya Soewanto / 0368093

Fig 1.1 - Group Arrangement

This week, the creators of Sugar High visited our class to explain the game rules in detail. After their presentation, we had the opportunity to playtest the game ourselves, which helped us understand the gameplay and mechanics more clearly.

Fig 1.2 - Week 1 Documentation
After the playtest, I finally gained a clear understanding of how the game works, compared to being completely unsure at the start.


Week 2 - Design Research

During this week, as the group leader, I started arranging tasks for my team. Since I was still trying to fully understand the project requirements, I created a weekly timeline to guide what we need to complete each week.

For Week 2, our focus was to gather design research and references. I created a Miro board so everyone can access it and upload their references. This makes it easier for us to discuss and decide on the styling we want to use.

Fig 2.1 - Design Research Reference

After completing our research, we presented our findings to Mr. Shamsul in Week 2 and discussed the possible styling directions. In the end, we decided to use a Sugar and Candy Pop style for our design.


Week 3 - Progressing for the Art Direction

This week, we had an online class. Our group presented the progress we have made so far, along with our interview questions. I forgot to take a screenshot during the session, but overall, our progress is on track. For next week, we were advised to show more detailed art direction for the game. We also shared some initial reference research based on our chosen style to help us develop the moodboard.

Fig 3.1 - Decided Styling Reference Research - Moodboard

We also presented our interview questions and decided to conduct the interview in an audio format. We have prepared a set of questions, and you can click the link below to view the interview questions and the interview video!

  • View Interview Question - Here!
  • View Interview Video - Here!

Although we divided the tasks among the group, most of the work on the Miro board was completed by Jun Jie and me. Felita contributed by preparing the document for the interview section.


Week 4 - Interview & User Persona and Empathy Map

This week, Mr. Shamsul informed us that we will need to present our empathy map, user persona, and problem statement next week, along with our styling direction for the card, packaging, and gameboard designs.

For Week 4, we began analyzing our interview video to create the empathy map and user persona. Our target audience is teenagers aged 13–19, with a stronger focus on older teens (17–19) who are more suited for strategic gameplay.


Fig 4.1 - Empathy Map

Fig 4.2 - 3 User Persona

We prepared the empathy map and user persona this week. The user persona shown here is the refined version after our Week 5 presentation, as I forgot to keep the earlier draft for the blog.

I also began working on the presentation slides for our upcoming presentation. However, while preparing them, I realized that our progress was slower compared to other groups, with most of the work being done by Jun Jie and me.


Fig 4.3 - Working on Presentation Slide


Week 5 - Presentation & Submission Week

This week, we presented our work to Mr. Shamsul, Miss Anis, and Dr. Luqman. The feedback they provided was very valuable, especially regarding the areas we need to improve in our art direction.

Access Our Presentation Slide - Here!
Fig 5.1 - Final Task 1: Empathy Map and Problem Statement Slides



  REFLECTION  

Experience

Working on Sugar High was a hands-on and fast-paced process that started with playtesting the original game. Testing the gameplay helped us understand how players interacted with the mechanics and where improvements were needed. As we moved into redesigning the visuals and refining the flow, we focused on creating something clearer and more user-friendly. The shift from a “Sweet but Edgy” candy theme to a cookie-based concept became an important turning point, giving the game a warmer and more cohesive identity.

Observation

Throughout development, visual consistency proved to be a major factor in how players interpreted the game. The earlier version felt energetic but lacked unity and sometimes distracted from the educational message. We observed that players responded more positively to simple, familiar, and clean visuals—qualities that aligned well with the cookie-themed direction. Clear typography, balanced layouts, and readable information also played a critical role, especially when communicating scientific content.

Findings

Our main insight was that a strong theme and user-centered design greatly improve the overall experience. Simplifying the visual language and grounding it in everyday sweet elements made the game more engaging and easier to understand. The cookie-inspired approach strengthened the visual harmony and added a friendly, character-driven tone. This process highlighted the importance of feedback, iteration, and designing with player experience as the core focus.



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