02/04

Testing 2

//Updated Protocol

For the second round of testing, i used a slightly different testing protocol. The main difference was that some steps were removed: Previously it was: Palace construction, palace training, memory anchoring, then training of the full journey. Palace training as a separate step was removed for multiple reasons: First, in the interest of time, the technique was pretty long to conduct last time, and the participant also noted it being quite intense for quite long, so shortening it might be helpful. Secondly, with the previous protocol, the users would do quite a few rounds through the palace anyways, picking up objects, picking up memories, so it is likely that they would remember without this training step inbetween. The last participant seemed to have a pretty easy time remembering, so that was the trial if this could just be cut. 

//Testing Results & Feedback
The second testing participant had a similarly easy time identifying memories as the first, although they reported a variance in amount of impressions per memory that were available. In the end feedback, they reported this to be a bit harder to do than the building, anchoring or recalling.  

Learning the controls, they had a similar background with VR as the first candidate, having used it three times prior. The learning went well, but the tutorial teaching the controls could be even more granular, since the texts as of now are rather long, a lot to keep in mind before reaching the next tutorial pole. Just telling the participant what to do as the facilitator was definitely still easier and a bit faster for teaching controls, as opposed to mostly relying on text, so my work on that part was not done yet.

The balance between the activities was a bit different this time, leaving out the palace training did not seem to be a problem, this participant spent more time building the palace and placing the objects where they wanted, and spent a little less time on fleshing out the anchoring. 

The recall performance was quite similar to the first very good, when testing at the end they could name all rooms, objects and memories in order pretty effortlessly, backwards and starting from the middle aswell.

The overall experience was deemed fun, the building especially, although the controls were perceived to be still a bit janky, and the overall experience still a bit too long. Thinking about and deepening the memories was reportedly nice, the inherent humor of some of the bizarre objects was positively mentioned.

//Takeaways for further development: 

• Breaking up control explanations further probably necessary

• Make more clear which pillar is the next one, the order of them is not quite clear and it can get confusing when placing rooms

• The pillar platforms all look alike and thus might create a small disconnect between rooms

• Ask users to look at controllers in tutorial texts, so it’s easier to connect the mention of the colour coded buttons to the actual buttons on the controllers

//Full Memory Journey of second round of testing:

Memory Journey 2 (Translated & Anonymized)

• Start at first platform

• Plaza

  • L1: Nutella jar on small pole; ID: First Waltz;
    > Memory: The satisfaction of landing a “waltz jump” for the first time, during ice skating

  • > Connection: There was a crepe stand at the skating rink with nutella crepes

• Lego

  • L2: Plant in chest; ID: [a place of a first date];
    > Memory: A first date with current partner, at a specific place in nature

  • > Connection: The plant is in the scene, like a tree

• Ruin

  • L3: Nice chair standing on ruin wall; ID: [Character] Cosplay;
    > Memory: Cosplaying as a specific character, feeling good wearing it 

  • > Connection: The character lazily lounging on the chair

• Rock path

• Platform

• Small German Town main Street

  • L4: Dog shaped planter in the no parking zone; ID: Nose piercing lunch break;
    > Memory: Getting a nose piercing in the lunch break spontaneously, feeling of freedom

  • > Connection: The dog is the dog of the piercing studios owners that was around

  • L5:  Knight statue on top of trash bin; ID: Jacket Crafting Process;
    > Memory: Feeling proficient and proud while and after sewing a leather jacket

  • > Connection: The knight is wearing the jacket like a sewing mannequin

• Subway

  • L6: Skateboard besides yellow jacket person; ID: With partner on balcony;
    > Memory: Spending time & sleeping over with a partner on the balcony, summer vibes, serene
    > Connection: Partner was having a skateboard and doing tricks on the balcony

• Platform

• Rondell

  • L7: Cat on statue head; ID: Own cats on both lap;
    > Memory: The participants cats resting both on their lap for the first time after getting them 

  • > Connection: The cats look like the one from the app anyways

• Joshua Tree

  • L8: Grated cheese at the beginning of the path; ID: [Friends] party;
    > Memory: A great party with many friends gathered, feeling connected, like one group

  • > Connection: The people at the party were constantly snacking from the giant bowl of grated cheese

  • L9: Small mouse statue offers snack at end of path; ID: Stealing produce at night;
    > Memory: On a very nice vacation, procuring produce at night from a container, cooking with it afterwards

  • > Connection: The mouse also was at the table during eating

• Platform

• Stairs at the Rhine

  • L10: Traffic cone as nose of relief; ID: [Place] Castle;
    > Memory: Visiting a castle with a nice view with a partner

  • > Connection: The traffic cone holds back the partner, who is tempted to climb the ruins

  • L11: Bananas on the tree; ID: Clinic Pizza;
    > Memory: Friends coming bringing pizza, while the participant was in the clinic, eating it in the clinics park

  • > Connection: Bananas between all the pizzas, picnic style

  • L12: Rubiks cube on the edge of the railing; ID: [Favourite Game]first time;
    > Memory: Playing the favourite video game as a child for the first time at a friends place, sense of wonder, bliss
    > Connection: Rubiks cube inbetween the desk clutter in the room

• Platform

• Small German Town Intersection

  • L13: Squirrel sheriff on yellow house wall; ID: New years at [Friend’s];
    > Memory: Smoking around the kitchen table at a friends new years eve get-together

  • > Connection: The squirrel sheriff was also there, sharing a smoke

• Museum

  • L14: Can of WD-40 between museum exhibits; ID: Psytrance Bus;
    > Memory: Being in a party bus, energetic dancing, knocking on the walls in the rhythm of the music, very fun 

  • > Connection: Knocking on the wall with cans of WD-40

  • L15: Small hedgehog between the pillars; ID: Sunday cuddling & cheer up;
    > Memory: Cuddling with partners on a sunday, receiving emotional support and feeling cozy and cared for

  • > Connection: Feeling like whimsical forest animals tucked in for hibernation, the hedgehog was also there

Nutella: Pretty memorable

The whole journey

A can of WD-40 reminds of the psytrance bus

Second journey from above

Second journey recall sheet