Last Friday, we attended the Interactive and Multimedia Showcase at the University of East London (UEL) to present awards to the second year Multimedia and Games Design students. We wrote about the project brief we set for the students earlier this year and after four months it was time to pick a winning group from each course.
Earlier in the month, Matt and I attended the final presentations and were extremely impressed by the professionalism shown by each group as they presented their projects. Many of the students really took on-board our advice; putting the user at heart of design decisions and it was great to see the final websites and games they produced.
We then had to sit down and pick the winners. It was a difficult decision and after much consideration we chose our winning teams.
And the winner is...
From the Multimedia Design student groups we chose the “Digital Pond Creators”. They displayed excellent project management skills by continually keeping us (the client) involved throughout the design process. We were impressed with the way that they sought our feedback during early prototype stages, which we feel was key for the excellent information architecture they eventually managed to develop for the new Digital Pond website. The team took a user centred design approach, speaking to members of the Digital Pond and even conducting eye-tracker user testing sessions here at our offices with various stakeholders. We were also pleased with the way in which they built the prototype website to work responsively across tablet and mobile devices too.
The Digital Pond Creators applied user-centred design to their work.
From the Computer Games Design student groups we chose Team Dynamite. We found their game concept really interesting, as they mashed up 2 classic retro games: Pac-Man and Bomberman to create a unique and addictive gameplay. We felt the group clearly displayed how they considered the needs of the end-user. For example, they ensured the game could be played with only one hand, ideal for if the game was to be developed for mobile in the future. The group even considered the business model of the game by potentially offering in-game purchases for upgrades and multipliers. As a result, we feel the game has great potential, especially if it were to be made into a multiplayer game where players work together to complete levels.
We presented the winning groups with a certificate and each member received a ticket to the upcoming New Designers exhibition in July, where Cyber-Duck will be sponsors once again this year. This will be the fourth year that we have been involved in one the UK’s largest and most popular design exhibitions.
Career Opportunities
On May 30th, Cyber-Duck will also be announcing the individual prize-winners from each group at UEL’s Creative Futures event. This award will be for the stand-out person from each group who will receive a four-week paid internship at Cyber-Duck over this summer.
From all at Cyber-Duck we want to say a huge well done to all the students and the teaching staff at UEL. We were thoroughly impressed with the exceptional standard of the projects, and we look forward to seeing more work in the future!
