Mapping an experience for Location Based Games

Experience maps are a convenient tool for any discipline that involves UX processes or methods to optimise the relationship between the user and interface. They provide a visual representation to support problem understanding during the design and development of an artefact and have been used across a range of design disciplines. They potentially offer a useful mechanism for ensuring that all the appropriate attributes of a context and people involved are considered during a game design process. They can be used as a framework for research investigations with stakeholders, inspire creative processes or be used as an evaluation tool to check all aspects of the context have been considered. However, the exact form and nature of an experience map varies according to its area of application and purpose and there are a variety of definitions, depending on discipline and author. In this paper we review existing experience maps and propose a new version that addresses the requirements of researching and designing situated educational location-based games. The form of the map was developed through a design research methodology, using the case of an educational outdoor digital game and its co-design with children. Through this research, we were considering how useful an experience map would be for game design, the exact form it should take and also how to include the emotional and latent needs of the player besides playability considerations. The resulting visual tool proved to be a helpful design guide and also provided a framework for a series of guidelines that will support the creation of any location-based game.