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THE AMPED-UX BLOG

THOUGHTS ON UX DESIGN, GAMIFICATION, & VR/AR in LOS ANGELES

Why  Go  Independent?  -  A Game-School.Com  Panel Video  Discussion

11/6/2015

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Recently, some new friends at LA-based  Heart-Centered  Tech and Game-School.com asked me to help organize and participate in a panel discussion at  Rhubarb Studios in the US Bank Tower in Downtown LA.  The panel was conducted by Charlie Trinh, Founder of Game-School.com, and featured Jay Kootarapallil of White Moon Dreams, Eric "Giz" Gewirtz of Seismic Games, myself, and Jason Mathias of Game-School.com.  

In this video, we discussed the various aspects of Independent game development, touching upon topics such as VR, game engine technology, and personal enterpreneurship.  While Game Development is one of several services I offer at Amped-UX.com, I'm happy to share my experiences and help the guys at GameSchool.com guide independent developers to reach their  goals and realize their ambitions.

What do you think of the video?  Do you have different motivations for "goin' indie?"  Feel free to share this with  other like-minded developers and entrepreneurs or comment below!
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THE  FREELANCER'S  PATH - SIX  TACTICS  TO  DEAL  WITH   DOWNTIME (And  YOURSELF)

8/18/2015

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Amped-UX Los Angeles - Laptop Eating
Eating your laptop only relieves slightly more tension than constantly checking your Inbox.
LOS ANGELES, CA

It's been just over a year since I turned away from a career in retail video game design.  My biggest insight from the past year as a freelance user experience designer here in Los Angeles is that the hardest thing to deal with can be your own thoughts, insecurities, and emotions.  I've experienced all parts of the emotional spectrum; from elation to dread and every shade of the blues in between, especially when I’ve got bills to pay, tons of time on my hands, and I’m itching and restless to just work!  
So, instead of talking about some new UX-related discovery or opinion, I wanted to put together some thoughts to help other freelance UX designers cope with the inevitable lulls of being self-employed.  Here are six tactics to deal with downtime (and your emotions):  
  • Develop Yourself and Your Business - There is so much out there to learn once you have surplus time on your hands.  Talk to former clients or employers and get testimonials or portfolio samples.  Read articles on Twitter, participate in LinkedIn groups, or Quora discussions.  Learn how to  better understand and promote your business with Google Analytics, Content Marketing, or Social Media.   For UX  designers, try learning a new wireframing or prototyping tool,  or if you're feeling ambitious,   try out  Codecademy or W3 Schools to teach yourself code.  Perhaps you can become one of the  "UX unicorns" everyone seems to want to hire!   
AMPED-UX Los Angeles - UX Unicorn Photo
You, too, can become a beautiful, mythical creature.
  • Seek the Hidden Win -  I believe that successful entrepreneurs cultivate an ability to perceive hidden opportunities within their setbacks and failures.   After all, we learn more from our failures than our successes, so strive to find these secret golden opportunities lurking amidst the clouds of emotional gloom and doom we tend to summon around our setbacks.  If I didn't have an unexpected chunk of spare time on my h ands, AMPED-UX would never exist.   Opportunities like this are waiting for you to take advantage of them!   
  • Manage Your Expectations - It's great to hope for the best, but it sucks when you get your hopes up only for them to be dashed.  Sometimes what you think will be "YOUR BEST MONTH EVAR!!!" ends up being the least busy.  Accept that ups and downs are natural; it's better to assume that things will not always go the way you imagine or want them to be.
  • Exercise    -  If you ever felt you could never hit the gym as a full-time, salaried worker because you were stressing about too many things to do (and no time to do it) it's no longer a valid excuse.   Exercise will help you sleep better, which improves your health, your mood, everything.    
  • Connect with Family and Friends   - The freelancing lifestyle has enabled me to be a better, more supportive family member in ways that would simply not be possible in the 9-to-5 full-time grind.  Use your newfound time to be more present mentally, emotionally, and physically for family and friends.  Make an effort to network and make new friends and expand your network.  You can never assume where your next potential gig might come from.
  • It Gets Better - Each setback makes your stronger and better equipped to deal with future adversity.  Your failures can be the fire that strengthens the steel of your character, giving you the grit and determination to persevere in your future career.   I've always felt that a big part of luck is just persistence over time, so be patient and you'll get to where you want to be.
What say you, my freelancing brothers and sisters...anything to add or disagree with?    Feel free to share your stories about your own trials on the Freelancer’s Path in the comments below.
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UX  FAIL  VOL.  1  - aka -  HOW  TO  LOOP  A  VIDEO  ON  YOUTUBE

7/28/2015

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LOS ANGELES, CA
Rarely do I make a UI or UX related discovery that delights and angers me at the same time.  I recently learned that there is a secret repeat or "loop" function on Youtube.  Here's how to do it (it's so simple yet obtuse at the same time that it's maddening).
In Youtube, double-right click the video window, and select "Loop" from the pop-up menu that appears.

I use Youtube almost exclusively for listening to background music to enhance mental focus on tasks and remain "in the flow."   Many times, I just want to listen to the same piece of music over and over again.  Sometimes I'll search for "extended" versions of songs or playlists to remove the need to constantly interrupt what I'm doing to switch over to my YouTube browser tab and reload the video.  

I'm delighted that I found out about this feature, which is why I'm sharing it on the blog.  Hopefully it will help you too - spread the word!  But I'm also super-annoyed that it took me years to find out about it.  Why?

First, there's a long-standing precedent for obvious looping music functions in consumer product user interfaces.  Think about a repeat button on a physical CD player or even MP3 desktop player UI’s like WinAmp. You click the repeat function to toggle between repeat once and repeat all settings. 
Amped-UX-Blog-Youtube-Loop-Video-UX-Issues
Something's a little rotten in Denmark...
Second, when in the 30+ year history of graphical user interfaces has any function been mapped to double-right click for God's sake?  In terms of discoverability and providing an intuitive affordance, this is a pretty obtuse implementation.  It’s frustrating because you could easily fix it by putting the function on the existing repeat playlist icon, or on the single right-click menu.

Now, I've noticed that repeat functions don't seem to be present in a lot of modern music software.  It's completely absent on iPods and iTunes (hmmm...maybe I’ll save the latter for a  future “UX Fail” blog post - stay tuned).  Did this fall out of style somehow?  
I’m open to the possibility that I’m missing some point or that it’s just not important to the majority of users, but just do a Youtube search for any artists or song title and add the word “extended mix” or “extended version."  I bet it won’t take you long to find find similar results, so draw your own conclusions.  
Amped-UX-Youtube-Video-Search-Extended
Notice how popular extended remixes on Youtube can be...
   So what do YOU think is going on with the Youtube UI?  Is the repeat function a relic of a bygone era?   Is this a well-intentioned but misguided band-aid fix?  Or are there valid business, e-commerce, or UX reasons for this implementation?  Share your thoughts in the comments below!

PS - The screenshot of Youtube was taken from the soundtrack for the video game “Shatter” by Sidhe Interactive.  It was composed by a super-talented, New Zealand-based electronic musician known as Module.  Both the game and the soundtrack are  well worth your time and support.

http://www.shattergame.com/

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Four  Ways  Microsoft's  Hololens  Might  "Beat"  VR

6/23/2015

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PRESS THE HEADLINE TO COMMENT
Well, we survived E3-2015 in Los Angeles this year, and it was impossible not to  talk about Virtual Reality.   Microsoft's HoloLens made a big splash, and  here's four reasons why they might be onto something:
Microsoft's HoloLens Augmented Reality Headset
MICROSOFT'S HOLOLENS AUGMENTED REALITY HEADSET
The Price/Form Factor - As a standalone unit,  Hololens  isn't  tethered to an expensive $1000 - $1500 PC or a $400 Playstation 4.  We don't know the Hololens's price yet, and it may be unfair to compare since it's got a smaller field of view and different tech goals and  capabilities.  I believe  VR won't really pick up momentum until the form factor looks more inviting, like a lightweight pair of sunglasses or ski goggles that you're not  embarrassed to wear in public.   This ideal form factor may still be many years away, but for now, HoloLens looks  more like it.   Combined with a potentially lower price, it may  drive mainstream adoption faster and  beyond just the hardcore gamer/tech geek crowd.   
Augmented vs. Virtual Reality    -  We're big fans of differentiation, disruption, and "blue ocean" as UX product strategies here at AMPED-UX.   All the existing or planned VR platforms put users in a "replacement reality" that cuts them off from the outside world.   That's fine - I'm a predominantly "wanderer/immersion-seeking" type of  gamer that loves escapist experiences, but even with introducing some multi-player features, VR still strikes me as kind of an "anti-social" UX value proposition.   HoloLens blends the virtual and the actual, so parents will know that their kids are looking at something that augments their existing  environment.   This is a strong market differentiator that could increase parents' comfort level and awareness of what their kids are experiencing with the technology.   More importantly, if parents approve the tech, retailers will be more likely to carry it, driving sales and adoption.     
Voice Recognition  - Even though I struggle to do anything useful with Siri besides phone calls and texting, I think Voice Recognition will only grow as a natural input method over time.   Although Sony could theoretically integrate Voice into its Morpheus VR strategy,  there's little indication anyone other than HoloLens is doing so.  With two generations of Kinect technology under their belt, Microsoft may be in a unique position to leverage their expertise in this area to provide a more intuitive, natural user experience. 
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This could be your kid next year (or you!)
Minecraft -  Showcasing HoloLens with Minecraft might be one of the shrewdest, clutch marketing moves of E3-2015.   Remember, consumers  bought the original Nintendo Wii as a Wii Sports box to play with Grandpa over Thanksgiving.  While I don't doubt that VR will produce an amazing variety of super-immersive  user experiences,  all Microsoft needs to do is brand Hololens as the "MINECRAFT  2" headset and they'd have the next kid-centric killer-app phenomenon  on their hands.    The mainstream mega-marketability of the Minecraft brand  easily dwarfs the combined appeal of all current VR efforts combined.
So, do you think HoloLens is onto something, or is it the next Kinect?  
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OUR  LOST  PLANET  3  UX  DESIGN  PAGE   IS  LIVE!

6/12/2015

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We've been working hard at getting AMPED-UX up and running and we're happy to announce that the LOST PLANET 3  page is open for business!  
Are you curious about some of the unique UX/UI  challenges that gamedevs face when making a cutting-edge UI for  AAA retail console games?   Have an interest in Unreal or Scaleform development?  LP3 was both a special and particularly challenging project, so  press the image above to check out the page and share your thoughts, questions, or comments.

 Please stay tuned  for further insights and UX advice as we have lots more content and topics in store for you here at AMPED-UX! 

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Welcome TO  THE AMPED-UX  BLOG

5/18/2015

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This is our very first entry.  More to follow!
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    ​EDWARD MOORE

    UX Design & Gamification Consultant

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