User testing
I've changed my final project idea and I'm now building a dance floor step sequencer (combined with physical computing). See my progress from the weekend here.
Today we did user testing in class. Here's a short clip of one session (the floor switches started to break down near the end of the testing session, but you get the right idea...)
Some good ideas and questions that came out of this:
- Rather than a "ghost" collaborator (recording a sequence on top of the previous user of the device), why not make two smaller controllers (fewer pads, maybe same size) and let people collaborate in real-time? Either a dance battle or a duet.
- There probably should be immediate feedback when you step on a tile to let you know which sound it triggers.
- I developed a better sense of the pitch for the project. I am inviting users to come up to the device, do a little expressive dance, and allow them to produce a nice-sounding musical beat which feels unique. Users can optionally choose to collaborate with friends in dancing & beat-making.
- Instead of a metronome, consider keeping a 4-on-the-floor kick drum pattern to get users dancing and their own musical ideas flowing.
- There should probably be a kind of console or controller to play/stop, change sample banks, etc.
- Users seemed to feel a need for a neutral spot to stand on the controller (akin to DDR pads), and I am inclined to agree. This would likely make the device more inviting to interact with in the way I imagined it.