Focus Group (Testing Round 2)

Did some group user testing this last week. 

Took some pics. 

Waiting for user surveys to be returned.

Overall, they seemed to enjoy the experimentation with the medium. They were all faced down drawing cards the entire time.

About 50/50 split between those who liked what they made enough to keep and those who enjoyed the process but abandoned the collages they made. (its a pretty nice sweet spot)

   

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JC

What are your initial thoughts about the deck?

 

Was having the instructions helpful?

Yes, the verbal instructions were helpful. The instructions card is necessary when I don't have the verbal instructions.

Were the prompts clear?

Most, yes. I was confused by the one that suggested a "page bleed," which is also a phrase not everyone knows. It could be more descriptive like "create a collage that extends beyond the page."

 

What would you like to see added?

 I didn't read all the cards, but a 3D prompt would be cool, especially after seeing Aubrey's collage and how she pushed hers into space.

What do you think should be taken out?  

There were a few repetitive ones, maybe add something to differentiate them more.

What would you otherwise change about the deck?

Could you see yourself using the deck in your own practice?

Yes, but I'd be more likely to use a digital deck than a physical one. 

Any additional thoughts?

Thanks for a fun activity! I genuinely enjoyed it.

AF

What are your initial thoughts about the deck?

 

I know this is a prototype so maybe these comments are not even warranted. Visually, the prompts are not much to look at. I can see why you wouldn’t want the cards to influence the creative output, but maybe the design could be ticked up a notch. I feel like the cards should be laminated / coated for reuse. I could see getting glue and scraps stuck to them over time.

 

Was having the instructions helpful?

 

Yes. It is helpful to have instructions how to use the deck. 

 

Were the prompts clear?

 

Yes. 

What would you like to see added?

Since I kinda of knew the concept, I had several collages going at once and picked and chose prompts rather than following them in a specific order. It felt a little like cheating but I also wanted the person I was sharing cards with to get the full experience. But maybe it was a good prompt - make 5 collages at once. 

 

What do you think should be taken out?  

 

I can’t think of anything to take out. 

 

What would you otherwise change about the deck?

 

I wasn’t sure how many prompts to use or when to start or stop a collage. I felt like I needed more commands than loose suggestions. 

Maybe there could be a sort of wild card that is in the deck 4 times like UNO - something like “This collage is done. Start a new one.” 

 

Could you see yourself using the deck in your own practice?

 

This would be fun to do with my daughter. It would also be interesting to apply it to other projects and see what it helps open up creatively. 

 

Any additional thoughts?

 

I liked when you had us rotate the collage to the next person. That could be a great way to start the class to build instant community. Rotate it every minute until it gets back to you and then everyone in the class has added something to your collage. Then make them cut it up! 

MB

What are your initial thoughts about the deck?

Over the last year I've found myself coming across the collages I'd made in your Chaos and Composition class and wishing I had some sort of prompt generator to mimic the experience so I was quite pleased to find out that you've created this deck!

Was having the instructions helpful?

Yes, but I was also already familiar with the process so I didn't really scrutinize the instruction cards that much.

Were the prompts clear?

Yes. I did start to wonder if they might work better divided into categories based on the type of prompt so that a user could draw a card from each stack without getting two cards that are too similar.

What would you like to see added?

Honestly, the only thing I could see adding to this would be expansions of additional prompts or even cards with imagery that are meant to me used in a collage! User submitted prompts would also be a fun interaction.

What do you think should be taken out?  

I didn't look through the entire deck, so I'm not sure that there are any prompts that I would suggest removing. 

What would you otherwise change about the deck?

For the pdf version, I would consider enlarging the size of the cards to print at the size of a traditional playing card. I could be wrong about this but I remember them being smaller in my hand. I LOVE that it will be such an accessible tool!

I can't wait to check out a deck you have produced professionally!

Could you see yourself using the deck in your own practice?

OMG YES! I can see using this with a group of friends for a really fun creative hangout too!

Any additional thoughts?

I really don't care for the name, "Make more. Think Less." It can't help but associate it with Target's "Expect More. Pay Less.", which I also don't like. "Chaos & Composition" has a more special quality to it for me. Plus alliteration is always ::chef's kiss:: in my opinion. I think everyone who told you not to use that title is a FOOL! Hahaha! "Chaos, Composition & Collage" could work as well. "Make more, think less", could still be the tagline and/or hashtag for it.

This is also screaming to be a free app! You don't have to make it yourself but I think it would be such a useful interpretation if you can connect with someone who would enjoy building it. It could feature a built-in timer that you start when you draw a time-based prompt, along with a notification for when you have 1 minute left. I imagine using this app (or card deck) while listening to music, and having an audible notification, or vibration, would allow me to get more lost in what I was making rather than wondering if I should be done. Being able to shake your device to get a random prompt, our set of prompts, would also be cool! As an app I also imagine it would also be much easier to incorporate user generated prompts so it could have a sense of the unexpected.

This is such a cool project and the concept is so strong! 

AB

What are your initial thoughts about the deck?

• I loved it! I thought it was so much fun and it really made me present for a whole hour/hour and a half which feels rare these days.
  

Was having the instructions helpful?

•  Yes I liked the instructions, see next answer for potential addition.
  

Were the prompts clear?

•  The prompts were clear! I think it could be useful to add something about how this is a guide and you can adhere to the prompts as much or as little as you want would be helpful.
  

What would you like to see added?

•  Nothing off the top of my head.
  

What do you think should be taken out?  

• Some of the, 'make a collage with 3 items,' 'make a collage with 6 items,' etc. cards felt a little repetitive, so maybe less of those?
  

What would you otherwise change about the deck?

• Perhaps you could visually distinguish the instructions card from the others, so it's clear you set it aside once you're done.
  

Could you see yourself using the deck in your own practice?

• Absolutely!
  

Any additional thoughts?

• I know you said you don't want to sell it, but a low cost version would be such an amazing gift to give for holidays/birthdays/etc! One that doesn't have to be downloaded and cut out, that you could just pick up at the art store would be amazing!!