Major Project I

03/02/2025- 24/03/2025/ Week 1 - Week 7
Reema Arif Hamza / 0362792
Major Project I/ Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Compilation Task 1-3

Content


Task 1: Proposal Development

We have to develop a project proposal and conduct user research.
  • Project title, group name, timeline, project development plan.
  • Identify problem/issue, project aim and objectives, targeted users.
  • How Might We Statement
  • Conduct User Research - prepare interview guide/questions
  • Each team member must interview at least 3 targeted users (proof of individual work)
  • Synthesize interview data using Affinity Diagram

Group Formation

In Week 1, we were briefed on the module and assignments. Unlike, last year we're doing it as a group and it has to be with just people from within our specialization. So we have to form groups of four and decide our topic. Below is a list of my group members.
  • Alefiya
  • Iman
  • Joey
  • Reema (me)


Brainstorming

We started brainstorming topic ideas during tutorial. We came with a couple of initial ideas like skincare, addiction, relationships, clothes. Then compiled everything on MIRO and found statistics and research to backup our topic suggestions.

We presented these ideas to Dr.Wong and our supervisor Mr.Nedu. And after a lot more discussion with our supervisor and amongst ourselves we decided we want to do a game. This spurred us to come up with a couple more ideas that would translate better as a game. So we added grief, disabilities, child rights, insomnia, and fake news.

Fig. 1.1 Brainstorming Topics, Week 1 (05/02/2025)

After getting more feedback from Mr. Nedu on what topic would be good to develop further, we continued to discuss amongst ourselves. We put it to a vote and settled on the topic "Insomnia". After getting approval from our supervisor we started moving forward.

Group and Project Name

Our group was called "Major Pro(castinators)" which I personally thought was an ill omen but I caved. We came up with the project title "Eyes Wide Open" because our topic was Insomnia, so yeah eyes wide open. 

Fig. 1.2 Group and Project Name, Week 1 (07/02/2025)

Project Timeline and Gantt Chart

We organized our weekly goals into a timeline and made a detailed Gantt Chart (our project development plan) to keep us on track. The Gantt Chart is my baby because I worked very hard on it and I love making charts. We also decided to set two weekly meetings on Tuesday and Friday, this helped us manage our time and it was nice to work collaboratively in person. 

Fig. 1.3 Project Timeline, Week 1 (07/02/2025)

Fig. 1.4 Gantt Chart, Week 1 (07/02/2025)

Project Details

These are our project details, which we revised over the course of the project but essentially it remained the same at it's core. Basically our project aimed to raise awareness about insomnia and the struggle they face.

Fig. 1.5 Project Details, Week 1 (09/02/2025)

Problem Statement
Insomnia and sleep deprivation are common issues that affect mental and physical health, yet many people lack awareness of their impact. Traditional methods of raising awareness about sleep disorders can be unengaging, making it difficult to convey the struggles faced by those affected. There is a need for more immersive and engaging ways to help people understand the experience of insomnia through storytelling, visuals, and interactive engagement.

Project Aim
To create an engaging and educational experience that raises awareness about insomnia by immersing players in a dreamlike, nightmarish world that reflects the struggles of sleep deprivation.

Project Objectives
  • Develop a surreal and immersive environment that reflects the effects of insomnia.
  • Use interactive elements to represent sleep struggles
  • Craft a narrative that explores the emotional and psychological impact of insomnia.
  • Ensure a compelling and informative experience that effectively conveys the struggles of insomnia.
How Might We's
  1. How might we create engaging and realistic content for the public so that it highlights the impact of insomnia on daily life and well-being?
  2. How might we design immersive and interactive storytelling for the public so that they can empathize with the real-life challenges of living with insomnia?
  3. How might we develop relatable experiences and content for people with insomnia so that they feel seen, understood, and encouraged to seek help?


Contextual Research

Our group did a lot of in-depth contextual research for this project (and I mean A LOT). We divided the work amongst ourselves and each researched different things. If you want a better look I suggest just going through our MIRO Board.

Fig. 1.6 Target Audience, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.7 Demographic and Statistics, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.8 5W + H, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.9 Market Research, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.10 What makes a good UI/UX?, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.11 Competitive Analysis, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.12 Case Studies, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

Fig. 1.13 Can games be good for sleep?, Week 2 (15/02/2025)

To sum up we did a lot of research on insomnia and it's causes. It generally affects: young adults, people with mental health disorders, women (due to hormonal changes), and elderly. We also did market research on existing sleep aid products and what makes good UI/UX. Then we did a very in depth competitive analysis and case studies (on existing games). Lastly, we just researched on whether games can be good for sleep with relevant data to support it.


User Research

For our user research we decide to conduct a survey and interviews. After meeting with Mr. Nedu we got approval on our questions and proceeded to start distributing the survey. The survey was mostly distributed online on online forums, social media, and on campus (asking students to do our survey)

For Interviews we all did our own individual interviews (3 people) and recorded our transcripts in the google drive.

Fig. 1.14 Survey Questions, Week 2 (18/02/2025)

Fig. 1.15 Interview Questions, Week 2 (18/02/2025)

Fig. 1.16 Survey Distribution, Week 2 (18/02/2025)

Fig. 1.17 Interview Demographics, Week 2 (18/02/2025)

Data Analysis

After we finished collecting data we began going through all the responses and analyzing the data. For our survey we compiled all our survey analysis on MIRO.  Our target responses ranged from 80-100 respondents. Point of Saturation occurs when we have enough data to draw conclusions, and additional responses no longer provide new insights. 

The survey received a total of 85 responses. We stopped there because we decided we reached the point of saturation, and found no new insights. 80-100 responses is generally statistically reliable and has a low margin of error.

Fig. 1.18 Survey Analysis, Week 3 (21/02/2025)

Then all our interview transcripts were also inserted into MIRO and we each wrote a short summary of our interviews, summarizing key insights we learned.

Fig. 1.19 Interview Analysis, Week 3 (21/02/2025)

From my interviews, I learned a lot about their experiences and it was really eye opening process. All my interviewees had some form of mental health disorders and that in turn correlated to their insomnia. A lot of them actively practiced good sleeping habits and even then they still struggled a lot with insomnia.

It affected their daily life in numerous ways like blurred vision, trouble concentrating, microsleeps, hallucinations, low mood, low appetite. It took a physical and mental tolls on them. When asked about games, the interviewees gave great insights into how they would want an insomnia focused game to be. A lot of them mentioned eerie, dreamlike visuals and a story-driven game. 


Fig. 1.20 My Interview Transcripts, Week 3 (22/02/2025)

Affinity Diagrams

We continued to further analyze our data. We created affinity diagrams for our survey and interviews. On an online meeting we all wrote down our key insights on sticky notes, then sorted them into categories. This helped us identify user insights and we actually referred back to this a lot throughout our project.

Fig. 1.21 Survey Affinity Diagram, Week 3 (22/02/2025)

Fig. 1.21 Interview Affinity Diagram, Week 3 (22/02/2025)

Final Task 1

Below is our slides and presentation video.

Fig. 1.22 Task 1 Presentation PDF

Fig. 1.23 Presentation Video

Task 2: Design Proposition

We have to further develop our user insights and create user personas and journey maps.
  • Continue on developing user insights and data from user interview
  • Develop User Personas based on user research data
  • Develop User Journey Map

Refining Affinity Diagrams

Coming from Task 1 we got to know that we had to develop individual interview affinity diagrams as well. So we all did our own individual ones, and made a new overall affinity diagram (which is actually huge). 

Fig. 2.1 Individual Interview Affinity Diagram, Week 4 (25/02/2025)

Fig. 2.2 Updated Interview Affinity Diagram, Week 4 (25/02/2025)

User Insights

We summarized our user insights on MIRO and created a empathy map.

Fig. 2.3 Empathy Map, Week 4 (25/02/2025)

Fig. 2.4 User Insights, Week 4 (25/02/2025)

User Personas

After developing our user insights, we started on our User Personas. We had a total of four personas: student, working adult, fresh grad and person with a mental health disorder. All of this was derived from our user insights and data.

Fig. 2.5 User Personas, Week 4 (25/02/2025)

User Journey Maps

We were a bit confused on our user journey maps, since our game wasn't developed yet so we were wondering what to put in the user journey map. We consulted with Mr. Razif and he told us we could do user journey maps based on a typical night of insomnia for them. Then we could also make another one based on an existing game with a similar setting to the game we plan to make. 

Fig. 2.6 User Journey Maps, Week 4 (25/02/2025)

Final Task 2

Below is our updated set of slide.

Fig. 2.7 Task 2 Presentation

Task 3: Concept Presentation

We have to develop information architecture, our game design document, design guidelines, and individual low fidelity prototypes.
  • Brainstorm ideations using storyboarding/sketches
  • Design inspiration from other design resources/ websites for ideations
  • Develop User Flow Diagram
  • Design a Design Guideline
  • Initial Low Fidelity Prototype

Information Architecture

Earlier in the week we consulted with Mr.Razif and he advised us to do two card sortings. One for the UI Screens and another specifically for Game Play. After getting approval, we found participants for our card sorting getting a total of 8 responses. The card sorting analysis is below.

Fig. 3.1 Initial Card Sorting, Week 5 (04/03/2025)

Fig. 3.2 Revised Screens Card Sorting, Week 5 (04/03/2025)

Fig. 3.3 Revised Gameplay Card Sorting, Week 5 (04/03/2025)

Fig. 3.4 Card Sorting Analysis, Week 5 (04/03/2025)

Using the information from our card sorting analysis, we created a site map and simple/complex user flow. 

Fig. 3.5 Game Site Map, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Fig. 3.6 Initial User Flow, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Fig. 3.7 Simple User Flow, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Fig. 3.8 Complex User Flow, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Design Inspiration

Having finished all our user research, we could now focus on creating and designing the game. We all had the same idea of this eerie dreamlike game, and our early exploration shows a clear cohesive direction for our visuals.

After that we looked at existing games as design references. Some came from our case studies and others we found after doing some research. Later on we also made a mood board for the Game UI and another one for Game Environment.

Fig. 3.9 Initial Visual Exploration, Week 5 (09/03/2025)

Fig. 3.10 Visual References on Existing Games, Week 5 (09/03/2025)

Fig. 3.11 Game UI, Week 5 (09/03/2025)

Fig. 3.12 Game Environment, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Design Guideline

From there we developed some options for typography and colors.  We had two color palettes (happy/gloomy). Because in our game - the main character Nox goes through dreamlike sequences, so the idea is the colors would turn gloomy during those sequences. 

We voted on typefaces and colors. Settling on an Eerie typeface for the heading and sans-serif with interesting details for the body text. For our color scheme we chose teal as the main color. Teal is an interesting color because it has a duality in which it can be perceived as positive or negative depending on the balance. 

Fig. 3.13 Typography and Color Options, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Fig. 3.14 Final Typography, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Fig. 3.15 Final Colors, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Fig. 3.16 Game Mood board, Week 5 (07/03/2025)

Game Design Document

So earlier on, maybe in like Week 4? We began questioning what our final outcome was going to be. For our friends doing websites and apps, they were expected to produce a low fidelity prototype. But since we were doing a game, we didn't have the exact same standards.

To answer our doubts we had a consultation with Mr.Razif who basically said that if Major Project 2 is execution then Major Project 1 is planning. So in our cases we had to produce a detailed game design document.

Our game design document would include: 

Game Development Document
  • Game Concept
  • Game Mechanics
  • Summary
  • Storyline (suggested keeping playtime to 15 minutes)
Game Design Guideline
  • Color Scheme
  • Typography
  • UI
Initial Prototype
  • Game Layout
  • Game Art Sketch
  • Game Wireframes
We also got feedback from our supervisor Mr.Nedu later which confirmed that we could go ahead with the game design document. After this meeting we were already brainstorming game ideas and thinking of what we could do. Over the course of the next three weeks we really developed and fleshed out our game design document.

We all had loads of interesting game ideas - that we would be like love love this, lets chuck it in our game. aaand then we would figure out later that it doesn't really work, or we were straying away from our focus on insomnia.

So below is our game design document (which goes through some minor changes after our final presentation, so the updated version is further down). 

Fig. 3.17 Old Game Design Document, Week 6 (14/03/2025)


I'll just put our summarized game information below for you to look through and see. The version below is based on the updated game design document for better clarity.

Summary
Nox hasn't slept properly in months. Every night, Nox struggles with spiralling thoughts, fear of the quiet, and a racing mind that refuses to settle. They aren't alone in this insomnia—their house seems to shift when night falls, reflecting their internal struggles.

To find rest, Nox must navigate the surreal, shifting dreamscapes of their subconscious, uncovering memories, fears, and the thoughts keeping them awake. The more they learn to ground themselves, the more they reclaim their nights—and their sense of peace.

The question remains: Will Nox finally find rest, or will they remain trapped in the cycle of sleepless nights?

Concept
The game simulates the experience of insomnia. Players will navigate being plunged into unsettling dream sequences where reality bends, enemies lurk, and peaceful sleep means confronting what keeps them up at night. The story focuses on insomnia, mental struggles, and self-exploration. The suspense and tension come from psychological manipulation rather than solely relying on action or violence

Storyline
Nox's insomnia began months ago—a mix of stress, self-doubt, and emotional exhaustion. The past lingers in their mind, a voice that won’t quiet down. Their bedroom, once a safe place, now feels unfamiliar at night. Objects distort, walls shift, and shadows stretch as if the room itself is restless too.

As the night progresses, Nox experiences "episodes" where reality and dream blur. Each episode represents a different mental struggle tied to insomnia—racing thoughts, emotional numbness, overthinking past regrets, sensory overload, and finally, acceptance.

Their journey isn’t about "defeating" something, but about understanding their mind and learning how to cope with the thoughts that keep them awake.

Causes of Nox’s Insomnia:
  • Racing Thoughts (Can’t turn off their mind)
  • Emotional Overwhelm (Afraid of what they might feel if they slow down)
  • Overstimulation (Everything feels too loud, too much)
  • Regret & Guilt (Thoughts of the past keep pulling them back)

Core Gameplay Loop
Throughout the game, there is a repeating series of actions / recurring goals that the player will face. The main gameplay loop is the cycle of transitioning between real-life and nightmare sequences, with a focus on awareness management and survival.
  • Explores eerie, shifting environments while managing Nox’s struggle with sleep and intrusive thoughts.
  • Collects dream bubbles and memory fragments to maintain awareness and piece together the past.
  • Avoids & Evades night terrors and other enemies through hiding, stealth, and quick movement.
Objective
Win Condition: Successfully navigate all chapters, reaching morning (6:00 AM), where Nox gains a deeper understanding of the cause of their insomnia
Maintain their awareness bar and collect all fragmented memories to unlock Nox’s complete story

Loss Conditions: Nox’s awareness depletes completely, or he is overwhelmed by night terrors. 

Gameplay Mechanics
Combat is with a rechargeable candle and avoidance gameplay. There's an Awareness System tracks Nox’s state of mind and perception of the environment. Bad collectible and enemies deplete the awareness bar, Nox needs practice calming actions to restore their awareness bar. 

Each level players have to race against a countdown timer. If they're awareness bar depletes or the time runs out, the level resets. The good collectible are tea and white noise (which players have to interact with) and the bad collectible are caffeine. There are also candle matches to relight the candle weapon and memory fragments which unlock cinematic flashbacks.

Further information on the game is all within the game design document.

Low Fidelity Prototypes

We were told each of us needed to do individual prototypes, so we agreed upon which screens to do and did our work accordingly. 

Fig. 3.18 All LoFi Prototypes, Week 7 (18/03/2025)

For my prototype, I took a lot of references from existing games like legend of zelda. Observing the UI in those games helped me notice small details they would add, I also thought back on the games I play and how they do their UI.

I used the eye as the main icon/ logo, because our game is titled "Eyes Wide Open". To show hover/pressed, I used a light transparent highlight. Yeah you can take a look at the wireframes below.

Fig. 3.19 My LoFi Prototype, Week 7 (18/03/2025)

Final Task 3 

Below is our summarized presentation slides and our final presentation (full set of slides).


Fig. 3.20 Updated Game Design Document, Week 7 (22/03/2025)

Important Links and Documents



Google Drive:

Google Document Feedback:

MIRO Board:

Figma Board (UI Toolkit & Wireframes):

[Original] Game Design Document: 

[Updated] Game Design Document: 

Final Presentation Slides:

Summarised Presentation Slides:

Flowchart & Site Map (MIRO):

Interview and Survey:

User Personas & Journey Maps (Canva):

Content Review by Experts:

Gantt Chart:

Task 1 Submission:

Task 2 Submission:

Task 3 Submission:


Feedback

We put all our feedback in our weekly consultation log below.


Reflection

Coming into Major Project 1, I was a bit nervous because this project is very representative of our design skills and is basically our final project. When we found out it was going to be a group project, I think everyone was pretty surprised. But I am so so grateful for my group because they're all super amazing and talented people.

When we decided on doing a game (because we're absolute over achievers and want to do something stressful/fun) I was actually excited. To be honest, I struggled during game dev but that was mostly attributed to lack of time and energy to focus on it. The great thing about Major Project being split in two, is that we have the rest of the year to continue working on our game. It's a bit nerve-wracking because there's a lot we have to do but I think Major Project 1 was a great start and foundation for us.

Overall, Major Project 1 actually ran quite smoothly, I'm glad we had many weekly meetings because it really helped up to work collaboratively on so many things (ngl we can all be indecisive sometimes so making decisions was hard). I'm really glad to have Joey, Alefiya, and Iman in my group. We all work great together and everyone worked super hard during this sem. Also the Miro Board is absolutely amazing and all of the credit goes to Joey (it's her child).

I think a lot of what we learnt in minor project and our core subjects, all really prepared us for this module. Yeah, and a huge thankyou to all the lecturers we ambushed (begged) into giving us additional feedback (Mr. Nedu, Mr. Shamsul, and Mr.Razif) all of your feedback really helped us in our project

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