College of Arts & Sciences
Aesthetics vs. Functionality – The Art and Design of Diagnostic Vid eo Games
Vale ntina F eldma n AWCOMAD Animation & Visual Effects Dr . F elicia Hur ewitz Faculty Mentor Psychology
Poster Session A
The integration of digital media within traditional scholarly subjects, like psychology, is one with largely untapped potential. Video games may seem solely recreational, but the interactive component provides psychologists with a unique window into a subject’s mind. As Art Director and Lead Animator of STAR Frog Jumpers, an iPad game designed to help psychologists diagnose autism in children, optimizing the link between established psych tests and interactive alternatives has been a fascinating endeavor. STAR Frog Jumpers borrows its mechanics from a traditional, pencil-and-paper pattern recognition task called the Trail Making Test (TMT). My job as director of visuals was to adapt the TMT to an interactive, touch-controlled format while establishing the middle ground between aesthetics and functionality. Background animations are minimized to avoid visual distraction, but “success” cut scenes are emphasized to provide a tangible goal for the subject. The levels are dynamic, but designed with a muted color scheme that accentuates the bright numbers and letters. These details are crucially important to account for, as children with autism are likely to be distracted by background features. When we are finished, Drexel psychologists will compare the reaction time and accuracy results between the traditional TMT and our dynamic, colorful, goal-based interpretation. 56