Project Reflection
I finished this project in May 2010 after running through the whole design process. I initially didn’t know anything about cosplay (which I love to do now), which allowed me to come into the design space without a bias. I was able to learn about the culture from both sides of the design space (the convention attendees and cosplayers themselves), along with personally going through the process of cosplay and attending a con for myself. This first-hand knowledge drove my design thinking and activities, allowing me to create a situated design that allows everyone to learn, have fun, and get to meet new people at a con. Without this firsthand knowledge, the design would not have been as successful.
Design Methods
- Conducted interviews to learn about cosplay from cosplayers
- Led a focus group to learn about the fun of cons and for design ideation
- Learned how to cosplay and conducted field research to learn directly about the con atmosphere
- Sketching multiple design concepts for design ideation
- Created a paper prototype to test out the initial design and for refinements
- Evaluated a high-fidelity prototype to further evaluate the design