Guerrilla Productivity: Gamification and Design-Related Touch Interfaces

Abstract

In recent years, applications for touch screen devices have experienced tremendous growth and distribution. While some of the most widely-adopted applications offer game-based drawing experiences, tools designed specifically for digital drawing and sketching have experienced only modest popularity. Drawing games (and "gamified" experiences) have the ability to captivate users in ways that productivity-focused applications and tools cannot. This thesis describes a history of touch interfaces for designers, including a more thorough analysis of a few contemporary examples. It then identifies strengths and weaknesses in current drawing applications, core principles to abide by when creating new applications, as well as unfulfilled market opportunities. Ultimately, these findings inform the development of a prototype application that serves to demonstrate how principles of gamification and play might be leveraged for a sort of guerrilla productivity -- that is, user experiences that possess dual-citizenship within the realms of work and play.