Major Project 1 | Task 2: Design Proposition

26.02.2025 - 05.03.2025 / Week 3 - Week 5

Khu Ying Ying / 0357306

Major Project I / PRJ64904 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

Task 2: Design Proposition

INSTRUCTIONS

TASK 2: DESIGN PROPOSITION

Week 3 (19/02/2025) Collectible Card

Week 4 (23/02/2025) Redefining Matching Card Game

Week 5 (05/03/2025) Design Proposition

FEEDBACKS

REFLECTIONS

QUICK LINKS

INSTRUCTIONS

TASK 2: DESIGN PROPOSITION

Week 3 (19/02/2025)

Requirements:

Carry on from Task 1 Proposal Development and continue to develop the final proposal with a comprehensive design proposition.
Follow the outline/framework that is provided in the Proposal Brief for the presentation:

4) Audience Research:

Target Audience
Problem Identification

5) Existing Media Analysis:

Benchmarking Existing Media
Key Differentiators

6) Ideation, Concept Development, and Information Design:

Initial Design Concepts
Concept Selection

Submissions:

All information must be presented as slide presentations in PDF format.

Progress:

Collectible Card

After our Task 1: Proposal Presentation, Ms. V suggested shifting our focus from a matching card game to a Collectible Card, as players might lose interest after multiple plays by memorising the card pairs. Instead of emphasizing gameplay mechanics, she recommended prioritising the visual design and collectibility of the cards. To enhance the collectible aspect, we discussed several ideas:

Introducing special/limited-edition illustrations.
Differentiating standard and special cards using unique materials like prism/holographic effects.
Adding a brief description/lore to each card for better engagement.

Figure T2.1: Discussion - Collectible Card, Week 3 (19/02/2025)

Week 4 (23/02/2025)

Redefine Matching Card Game

Google Survey:

We conducted a Google Survey on our topic, "Cerita Rakyat" among our friends and family to gather opinions on the matching card game and collectible card concepts. However, most of the respondents were Indonesian, which limited perspectives from other countries.

The drawback of this was that Indonesian respondents were already familiar with their folklore, whereas people from other countries, like Malaysia, had little to no prior knowledge of it. As a result, the feedback may not fully reflect how non-Indonesian players would engage with the game.

Figure T2.2: Google Survey - Cerita Rakyat, Week 4 (23/02/2025)

Storyteller:

We then consulted with Ms. Anis on Teams, and she suggested using Storyteller (a puzzle video game on Steam) as a reference for our matching card game mechanics. Since the game encourages players to build stories using prompts, images, and keywords, it aligns well with our goal of introducing folklore interactively and engagingly.

Figure T2.3: Storyteller, Week 4 (26/02/2025)

Week 4 Meeting (27/02/2025):

After the tutorial session, we met up at X-Space to refine our matching card game again, hoping to find the best possible idea (though my brain was barely functioning). During our discussion, we focused on the game mechanics and collectible cards to determine whether they could complement each other effectively.

Based on our survey results, most respondents preferred a card game over collectible cards. While we still plan to put effort into the collectible aspect—such as visual aesthetics and materials—the primary focus of our game is its mechanics. We merged Ms. Anis's and Ms. V's suggestions with our ideas, integrating both game mechanics and collectible card elements.

1) Card System Concept:

First Stage - Matching Card Game (Easy & Medium):

The player receives a question card featuring a main character from a folklore story and must match it with the correct answer card, which represents a related side character from the same folklore.
This stage is essential, as it helps players understand the lore and relationships between the characters in each story.

Second Stage - Storyteller (Hard):

After completing the first stage and gaining a full understanding of the folklore, players can progress to the storyteller game.
In this stage, a narrative/description card is placed on the deck, setting the foundation for the story.
Each player receives 5-7 character cards and takes turns placing their cards on the deck to contribute to and complete the story based on the given narrative.

Notable:

Players must read the manual book to fully understand the game mechanics and the folklore stories before playing. This ensures they can engage with the game effectively and appreciate the cultural narratives behind each character.

Collectible Card Aspect:

Differences Between Normal and Limited Edition Cards:

Normal Edition: Uses standard materials to enhance readability and prevent light reflection.
Limited Edition: Features holographic designs, making them visually appealing for collectors.

Main Unique Selling Point (USP):

Since our survey results showed that most people enjoy the game itself rather than just collecting cards, the core product is a boxed game set, which includes:

Question Cards (Main Characters)
Answer Cards (Side Characters)
Description/Narrative Cards

Opinions:

The next day, I asked my family for their opinions on our card game (I literally kaboom):

They found the game boring and lacked the patience to read the manual before playing.
They found it overwhelming to understand the entire folklore story beforehand, especially with so many stories included.
They would give the game a chance if it had a more captivating starting point.
The current game mechanics weren’t very engaging for them.
The Indonesian folklore theme didn’t appeal much to Malaysians.

Problems and Solutions:

1) Engagement Issue with Folklore Stories:

Problem: Some players may not find reading the folklore stories as engaging as we expected.
Solution: Improve how the players interact with the manual book by making it more engaging. One idea is to transform the main story into short character dialogues, making it more fun to read while also helping players understand each character’s speech style, behavior, and personality.

Figure T2.4: Book Ideas by Sheryne & Aisya, Week 4 (27/02/2025)

2) Overwhelming Story Requirement:

Problem: Players might lose interest if they feel required to know the whole story before playing. However, what if they only needed to understand the key points instead of all the details?
Solution: Simplify the storytelling by focusing on the characters’ motives rather than full-length narratives. Provide concise summaries/conclusions that highlight why each character takes certain actions, making it easier and quicker for players to grasp the story.

Alternative Ideas:

I then discussed the card game with my mom (thank you mama for your incredible ideas > <), and we came up with two ideas:

#1 Matching Card Game:

Gameplay:

Each folklore set has multiple ending cards, but only one is the "correct" ending.
Players choose an ending card based on their opinions/thoughts and explain their reasoning.
The final chosen card is determined by majority vote.

e.g. If players A, B, and C choose "Ending Card A" and player D chooses "Ending Card B," then "Ending Card A" is selected for that round.

After finalising the choice, players can check the correct answer.

Advantage(s):

Allows players to explore different possible endings.
The various ending cards can also be used in the Storyteller Game for more flexibility.

Disadvantage(s):

The number of available ending cards is limited for the matching game.

Notable:

There is no winner in this game mechanic; the focus is on discussion and exploration.

#2 Matching Card Game (More on Collectible Card):

Gameplay:

The story/folklore remains 100% true to the original.
Players can customise elements such as the character’s face, weapon, and landscape based on regional specialties.

e.g. Kuala Lumpur characters can have the KL Twin Towers in the background.

Figure T2.5: Alternative Ideas, Week 4 (27/02/2025)

Week 5 Meeting (03/03/2025):

We met up at X-Space to discuss the art direction and game mechanic again.

Week 5 (05/03/2025)

Design Proposition

Figure T2.X: Task 2 - Design Proposition (PDF), Week 5 (05/03/2025)

FEEDBACKS

Week 4 (26/02/2025)

Specific Feedback: Notes

General Feedback: Notes

Week 5 (05/03/2025)

Specific Feedback: Notes

General Feedback: Notes

REFLECTIONS

Experience

To be honest, I would personally prefer working on something related to illustration as it doesn’t require as much deep thinking about game mechanics, especially when incorporating cultural elements. However, I see this as a valuable opportunity to consider what the target audience truly wants and prefers. This experience helps me step outside my own perspective and better understand different viewpoints, which is essential for creating a more engaging and appealing game.

Observation

Although we have a group of four people who can generate great ideas for the project, it is difficult to consolidate them into a single concept because everyone has different understandings and perspectives. Patience is key, of course, as finding common ground requires time, open-minded discussions, and a willingness to adapt.

Findings

We focused heavily on the replayability of the card game, which led us to spend a lot of time rethinking the game mechanics repeatedly. However, it’s important to consider exploring other directions instead of limiting ourselves to a narrow perspective.

QUICK LINKS

Projects

Task 1: Proposal Development

Task 2: Design Proposition
Task 3: Concept Presentation

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Khu Ying Ying (0357306)