Stichting DOCK
The challenge
How can we use gamification to facilitate collaboration between seniors and their social networks to boost self-sufficiency in digital skills?
The solution
A hybrid board game aimed at teaching digital literacy and building confidence.
Team
Merel van Ooijen, UX/UI designer
Laura Bos, UX/UI designer
Fleur Krijnen, UX/UI designer
Elisha Lo-a-njoe, UX/UI designer
Disciplines
UX research
UX design
UX research
Responsibilities
UX research
UX design
UI design
Prototyping
Testing
Tools
Figma
Adobe Illustrator
TROTEC laser cutter
Summa vinyl cutter
Projects phases
1
Discover
Identifying problems
Formulate design question
Interviews and observations
Specify target group
Desk research
2
Define
Empathy map
Persona’s
Brainstorm ideas
Develop solutions
Pitch solutions
Design guidelines
3
Design
Mid-fidelity prototype
Testing
Accessibility research
Expert interviews
Refine design
Card sorting
Expert interviews
4
Deliver
High-fidelity prototype
Testing
Refine design
Pitch solution
Research
Key insights on
current situation
Through interviews and observations at the central library in Rotterdam and DOCK’s community center Dreesplein, we gathered user insights that highlighted the lengthy waiting time for enrolling in courses to practice digital skills at the library.
Long waiting times
Seniors expressed feelings of dependency and helplessness while waiting to be enrolled in digital courses at the library.
Solution: Create an engaging, easy-to-use hybrid board game to bridge waiting times.
Digital anxiety
Many seniors felt anxious about using digital products, often viewing them as overwhelming or difficult to navigate.
Solution: By incorporating familiar elements from traditional board games, this solution reduces the intimidation factor and uses gamification to gently introduce digital literacy skills.
Collaboration
Users from different cultural backgrounds actively help each other practice and improve their digital skills. Often translating materials for those who face language barriers.
Solution: Create a solution that facilitates peer-to-peer learning and resource sharing, encouraging users to collaborate.
Diverse skill levels
Users exhibit a wide range of digital skills, with some having high proficiency while others are beginners.
Solution: Offer content tailored to varying difficulty levels to ensure an inclusive experience for all users.
Talking to experts
Determining
importance and
difficulty levels
With DOCK’s experts in Schiedam Oost, we mapped out their thoughts on vital digital skills for their community, organizing topics by difficulty and importance. This enabled us to create a learning game that meets players at their skill level. Thus avoiding frustration and helping them build confidence in using digital tools.
Card sorting about vital digital skills
Preparing for the expo
Designing and
making
I designed the board game in Adobe Illustrator and used a TROTEC laser cutter to engrave and cut it. To further improve accessibility, Elisha and I created colorblind-friendly stickers with a vinyl cutter. Since I had some time left, I also made a fun welcome mat for the expo, to ty the presentation together.
Laser cutting and engraving the physics board game
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Me holding the freshly laser cut welcome mat
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Welcome mat displayed inside a TROTEC laser cutter
Testing final prototype at expo
Exposition
Accessibility
award
The Digitafel won the Accessibility Award at the expo, earning top scores from both teachers and the client. Key features included colorblind-friendly stickers, icons, and numbers, as well as large, easy-to-grasp game pieces designed for individuals with motor or visual impairments. Additionally, deeply engraved grooves enhanced tactile accessibility for those with visual challenges.
Receiving the accessibility award during the expo.
The final product
Hybrid board
game
The Digitafel is designed for use in community centers to help seniors improve their digital skills in an engaging and educational way. It caters to various levels of digital proficiency, offering challenges for both beginners and advanced users. Users can train individually or in groups, with real-life scenarios that test the practical application of their skills. This solution helps make productive use of waiting times for courses and supports DOCK’s goal of enhancing digital literacy and self-reliance.
What did I learn?
"Seeing people return to test the final result at the expo was a great reminder to engage with your audience."
