Interdisciple

Month: February 2018

  • Undertale

    undertale logo

    Undertale is an RPG created by an indie game developer, Toby Fox. In the game, players control a human child who has fallen into the Underground, a large, secluded region underneath the surface of the Earth, separated by a magic barrier.

    The player meets many different beings along the way, some nice, some not so nice. The player also engages in battles and conversations, which the actions dictate the outcome of the game.

    undertale battle scene

    Undertale was made by one person, but exhibits humor, emotion, replay-ability, and ease of access. He not only made the whole game and all of the music, but put so much thought into the relationships that it can feel really great or really regrettable depending on your choices.

    undertale talking to Sans

    Character development goes so far as to a pair of skeleton brothers who’s names are the font of their words

    The game is simple, with only arrow keys as controls for most of the game. This allows essentially all players the ability to enjoy the game. From a usability standpoint, this is great because many people with disabilities cannot use a mouse at their computer. Most PC games require mice and sometimes even an exceptionally fast gaming computer. Undertale is beautiful because it opens up its walls to all and anyone with an interest can play the game.

    The graphics are charming, but pixelated. There is no 60 fps required for enjoyment. All of the factors of this product are accessible, and Mr. Fox thought of these when creating his claim to fame.

    The player and your caretaker, Toriel.

    The game represents diversity, even when talking about monsters. You feel like you are in another world, but it seems familiar in a way. The game gives you the freedom of choice, along with repercussions for your choices, good and bad.

    This is a good example of what a game can become with the right intentions. The game is usable, ethical, and accessible. The reception reflected that and made Toby Fox and Undertale very well known in the indie game world.

    Something to think about: What other games can you think of that give a nod to usability and ethics?

    This was originally posted on Medium.

  • Information Architecture (IA)

    Information architecture (IA) is a professional practice and field of studies focused on solving the basic problems of accessing, and using, the vast amounts of information available today.

    In simple terms, it answers the questions:

    Where am I? What am I looking at? Where else can I go?

    Information architecture if done well, allows the user to navigate around a website or application with ease, and gives them the best way to accomplish their goal.

    The term “information architecture” was first coined by Richard Saul Wurman in 1975. Wurman was trained as an architect, but became interested in the way information is gathered, organized and presented to convey meaning. Wurman’s initial definition of information architecture was “organizing the patterns in data, making the complex clear”.

    venn diagram of information architecture

    This is commonly how IA is represented.

    There are two main approaches to defining an information architecture. These are:

    • Top-down information architecture: This involves developing a broad understanding of the business strategies and user needs, before defining the high level structure of site, and finally the detailed relationships between content.
    • Bottom-up information architecture: This involves understanding the detailed relationships between content, creating walkthroughs (or storyboards) to show how the system could support specific user requirements and then considering the higher level structure that will be required to support these requirements.

    The most common methods of defining and IA are things like site maps, page templates and layouts, to personas and storyboards.

    Without a good IA, people will have a difficult time finding what they need to on a page or website, and most likely not come back. Just like with architects of buildings, if they do not design with codes, accessibility, and the user in mind, the final product suffers.

    Something to think about: What websites do you frequent that have good IA? Which ones are not so good?

    This was originally published on Medium.