TERRIBLE WORKERS
A transformational game to educate and empower high school students on the significance of soft skills.
Client: South Fayette School District
MY ROLE:
Research: semi-structured interviews, guerilla research, experiential research, surveys, focus groups, stakeholder analysis, analogous domain analysis, usability testing
Design: concept maps, storyboards, participatory design, game design, prototypes, play-test
TIMELINE:
8 Months
Jan 2023 - August 2023
TOOLS:
Figma
Qualtrics
UserTesting.com
TEAM:
4 Master's HCI Students
CONTEXT
What is the project goal?
What is the solution?
Empower high school students to recognize and prioritize interpersonal skills for success after graduation.
Currently, they tend to focus solely on grades and college applications and have a checklist mindset.
A comprehensive design guide for South Fayette teachers and administrators to design engaging gameplay experiences (both in and out of the classroom) that enhance students' people skills.
Create distance from daily life
Play first, explain later
Make it fun and silly
Keep stakes low
Stimulate social connection
Promote active thinking during gameplay
Figure: Some of the heuristics suggested as part of the design guide
Moreover, we delivered a fully designed in-person multiplayer transformational game, following the heuristics, to showcase the importance of interpersonal skills across various professions.
The game also assists students in -
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Reframing negatives
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Developing self-pitching abilities
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Fostering creative thinking
What is the result?
2/19 students
12/19 students
After gameplay
Before gameplay
Total number of students who set grade-oriented goals
Potential Long-Term Impact
Shift from academic goals to prioritizing essential people skills and fostering a holistic growth
I loved being creative with our responses.
I loved how everyone laughed and it was so fun
It encouraged us to collaborate as a team
Student Reactions
RESEARCH
Understanding the domain and the users
21
Classroom Observation Sessions (Diverse classes - AP, Regular, different standards, etc.)
14
1hr Interviews with South Fayette High School Teachers
11
1hr Interviews with Domain Level Experts (Education and Pyschology)
6
45 minutes Parent Interviews
Figure: Learning about the system through different lenses
Figure: Rearranging the Magnets Activity to understand teacher's and admin's perspectives on the education system and government policies
To prioritize student input, we began by conducting interviews but faced low participation. We primarily received responses from high-achieving students.
To address this, I proposed using guerrilla research technique during lunch time. We also utilized a metaphor-based poster and visited multiple classrooms to gather diverse student responses relating the metaphors to their school life.
With minimal firsthand knowledge of Pittsburgh schools and the need to understand student lifestyles, we extensively researched secondary sources, collaborated with our client, observed diverse classes, and interviewed teachers.
Figure: Rose Bud Thorn Activity with clients to understand the system
85% of job success comes from having well‐developed soft and people skills, and only 15% of job success comes from technical skills and knowledge.
-- Research conducted by Harvard University, the Carnegie Foundation and Stanford Research Center
Figure: Statistics on the importance of soft skills
6
1hr Student Interviews
15
15-minute Activities
76
Co-Design Activity Responses
Figure: Understanding student perspectives through various school visits
Figure: Metaphor Based Poster and some student responses to the poster
SYNTHESIS AND INSIGHTS
New learnings about the domain
Using Affinity Diagramming, we synthesized data and identified key takeaways:
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Students prioritize the end goal of achieving good grades and getting into good colleges.
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Students have limited opportunities to explore their personal values.
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Teachers care about student success but need safe spaces to try new techniques
As we aimed to promote more holistic student development and shift away from a grade-focused mindset, we formulated the following main questions:
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How might we encourage meaningful self-reflection?
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How might we provide actionable steps to students
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How might we leverage social connections for growth?
"I look at YouTube videos of people who got into prestigious colleges and try to take those clubs.”
- Student Interview
“It is hard to fit in soft skills class in South Fayette’s ecosystem.”
- Teacher Interview
"I follow teachers’ instructions and constantly mold to the people around me"
- Student response to the Metaphor Activity
Figure: Some evidence for the key takeaways on the left
IDEATION + PROTOTYPING
Rapid Idea Generation
During this phase of the project, we primarily adopted the research-through-design process. Weekly, we employed various ideation techniques, including "crazy-8," "reverse assumptions," "forced relationships," etc.
I took the lead in this phase and introduced my variation of "20 answers". We also used a modified Six Thinking Hats Method to critique concepts and conducted dot-voting on ideas.
Figure: Dot-voting to narrow down on ideas
An application that generates mini games
AI chat bot that helps in mentorship and goal setting
Meeting new people to broaden perspective
Visioning their future and creating a timeline
Figure: Some prototypes ideas we tested
Before creating prototypes, we conducted internal testing with archetypes to validate our ideas.
I developed a concept map with mini-games and students approaching someone new. I wanted to observe gamification's impact on "boring" activities. I also wanted to learn the frequency of engagement and factors that sustain students' interest.
Figure: End-to-end concept map for small activities
Figure: Prototype for mini-games tested with students
Some of the things we learned:
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Using a game format encourages people to be more open to new experiences and learnings.
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Teachers are overwhelmed and lack sufficient time to facilitate activities.
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Students are hesitant about activities that seem boring or too "educational."
Based on these insights, we opted for a game-based solution. Utilizing the Embedded Design Model and the Transformational Games Framework, we focused on enhancing awareness of personal/interpersonal skills as our central player transformation.
Figure: Ideating using different aspects of the Transformational Games Framework
Next, we developed various game concepts and produced promotional videos for each. These videos were sent out as a survey to gauge high school students' preferences nationwide - for the most appealing play style, theme, etc.
Figure: Exploring different game styles and genres
Figure: Different game concepts tested using a survey
Figure: Game Concept "Principal's Dilemma"
We received 72 responses to our survey, with students favoring 3 out of the 6 game concepts. We learned -
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They enjoy activities with friends.
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Excessive goofiness can be seen as childish; respecting their maturity is essential.
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Students love elements of surprise and a bit of competition.
Figure: Survey result on students' preferences for various game concepts
Based on our research data, student survey responses, and understanding the main driving factor for each game and its potential long-term impact on students, we made the decision to proceed with the "Terrible Workers" idea.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
Iterating on the "Terrible Workers" game concept
After play-testing "Terrible Worker" with 5 college students, we gathered feedback and brainstormed various game directions. We also took inspiration from existing games (especially card/board games).
Figure: Inspirations from different existing games
Figure: Play-testing with SF High Students
Figure: Game Mechanics involving forming teams
I proposed the below game mechanics:
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Incorporate pitching yourself for the job.
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Introduce role-playing as an element.
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Include various types of job cards instead of a single role.
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Add job descriptions to enhance gameplay.
We also explored other game mechanics like keeping scores or incorporating teams. To assess these various mechanics thoroughly, we conducted internal play-testing sessions, allowing us to identify their respective strengths and weaknesses.
After consulting with 3 game design experts, we finalized two mechanics for testing with high school students. We maintained high content fidelity but opted for low visual fidelity in the design, allowing students to focus on the game mechanics.
Figure: Game Mechanics involving independent jobs
Students strongly preferred the individual jobs version during testing. We observed their gameplay without interference and iterated on the instructions manual based on their feedback.
After additional gameplay sessions with two different groups of college students, we fine-tuned the rules. Once satisfied, we progressed to higher visual fidelity for the cards, designed the card box, and produced five sets of the game for manufacturing.
Figure: Final Game Rules
A guide for the teachers
Acknowledging that this game is just one component of the broader picture and given students' tendency to get bored easily, I proposed creating a design guide for teachers and admins.
This guide with 10 design heuristics (with actionable steps) will assist them in developing similar experiences that help students grasp the significance of soft skills while learning them in the process.
Figure: One page from the design guide
IMPACT
Qualitative Data
The game led to a remarkable change in students' perspective on people skills in the short term.
The client was excited by the student's enthusiasm and simultaneous reflection on essential personality traits vital for success. They even suggested involving teachers to advocate for the game.
Subject matter experts recognized the game's potential to impact student interactions positively, even with just one playthrough.