Rhythm Breaker User Test Results

Graphics and Interaction

During early user testing, a critical issue was that the players did not understand the purpose of the application without explanation when they saw it for the first time. To increase the program's intuitiveness, the proposed solution was to have a stationary "conductor" at the center of the table that sends out visual cues to the pads to signal the players when to hit. Since it takes time for the visual cues to move from the center to a pad, the players have time to prepare before they hit the pads. Further user testing with this solution revealed that nearly all of the players were able understood that they were supposed to hit the pads when the visual cues reached the pads; and many realized the cues were timed to match the background rhythm.

A scoring system based on the players' rhythmic accuracy was also added so that an ultimate victor could be declared at the end of the game. The players are able to see their scores during the game and text messages are also given as visual feedbacks to the players based on how well they are keeping with the beat. For example, if a player hits a pad and matches a beat perfectly, an image of the word "PERFECT!" scrolls upward from his/her pad.

There was also some experimentation as to how the waves should behave. One idea was that the waves would go all the way across the table, but the strength of the wave would be determined by how well the player was matching the rhythm - that is, the more accurate the hit, the thicker the wave. The other idea was that the waves would only move a distance proportional to how well the player is doing - so if a player was doing well, his/her waves will travel farther. Based on user test results, the former idea was implemented, since the latter was confusing for some players.

Music and Audio

The original scheme had different pieces of the background rhythm delegated to different players in order to try and make the entire rhythm a combined product of all of the players' efforts. User testing revealed that most players perceived that there were three completely different rhythms that didn't make much sense together. The composition was simplified so that all three players were given a single, unified rhythm to match.

Audiovisual Integration

A major challenge was striking an appropriate balance between the visual and audio elements. After the "conductor" component was integrated into the experience, most players focused their attention almost exclusively on the visual cues. A significant number felt that if they had diverted their attention to elsewhere on the table, they would not be able to follow the rhythm. Simplifying the musical tracks, starting simple, and pacing the changes started to help, but continued tuning is necessary. The key here is finding a rhythm that is very simple at first, repeat it for a long time, and then gradually increase its difficulty. This would make the players focus on the visual cues initially, learn the rhythm quickly, explore what else is going on, and then, if necessary, have the visual cues available as a crutch when the rhythm becomes more difficult to follow.