That's BS

Whether you graduated in 1968 or are an incoming Freshman, this app makes everyone feel at home with tales of Ball State University's unauthorized history.

Ball State University EMDD Master's Program - David Letterman Learning Experience Cohort

Liz Young - Project Manager   Heather Hendrixson - Producer   Travis Harvey - Designer   Richard Olaniyan - Designer

LOCATION ATTACHMENT

Ball State University has changed a great deal - both in landscape and culture - leaving alumni disengaged from campus and current students disconnected from its unique history. Universities rely heavily on alumni donations reaching out regularly to past grads for support, but other than rare events like Homecoming, few opportunities exist to spark a deeper attachment among this vital group.

MEET THE USERS

ALUMNI

The BSU campus has expanded and improved in so many ways and directions, alumni revisiting campus have difficulty finding old landmarks and beloved spots. Attending Homecoming doesn't feel like coming home anymore.

STUDENTS

Primary users are current Ball State University students, many of which are on campus multiple days per week. In September 2019, enrollment at Ball State was at 22,541 students.  Prospective students and families - who may be visiting campus for the first time - are also important users. This group can number in the tens of thousands per year.

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS

18

20

50+

18-85

Alumni-Semi Structured Interviews

Current Students-Focus Group

Homecoming Informal Conversations

Participant Ages

WHAT THEY SAY:

Class of 1968

“The Village has changed so much. I wish I could see the Collegiate and other places we used to go. Can you do that?”

Class of 2006

“So much was going on back then, but now, I don’t think anyone knows. Everything is so different now."

Class of 2024

“I heard there used to be concerts in the arena, but I had no idea THAT was the reason they stopped!

CURIOUS ABOUT HISTORY

During a focus group with current students, our team brought out a postered-sized BSU map from 1978. We were amazed how excitedly students hovered around it trying to figure out where their dorm or other meaningful landmarks would be on the map. 

ALUMNI WANT:

Enjoyable tour

Feel at home on campus

See familiar places

Feel like a student again 

STUDENTS WANT:

Win prizes

Learn more about campus

A game to play between classes

Enjoy student-produced content

EVERYONE WANTS:

Funny, unauthorized stories

Preserve events from "their time"

Low-commitment gameplay

Local business offers

UX/UI REQUIREMENTS

Based on the user research, the requirements began to reveal the concept of a location-based storytelling app using AR that would fit alumni, current students, prospective students, and beyond. 

NARRATIVE DESIGN

For the most enjoyable (and meaningful) experience, we designed a  story map to provide the greatest amount of content variety while encouraging campus exploration.

GAMEPLAY FRAMEWORK

The Octalysis method guided many of our gameplay and content choices throughout That's BS. Beyond playability, Octalysis focuses on motivators for a wide spectrum of personalities and ages.

PROTOTYPING

The team used design thinking, whiteboarding, and user flows to streamline the UX/UI of the experience. The screens and assets were built in Adobe XD, Illustrator, and Photoshop.

BRAND DEVELOPMENT

To appeal to all users, readability and timelessness were the top two factors when determining the look and feel of That's BS. Additionally, research participants requested the app have an aesthetic and content that seemed as far away from the typical BSU marketing-approved look as possible.

ONBOARDING

Players get a cartoon introduction of the game from some of Ball State's most famous personalities spanning 60 years such as David Letterman, Happy Friday Guy, and Chance the Rapper.

NOTEWORTHY SCREENS AND FEATURES

THE GAME BEGINS ANYWHERE

Open That's BS anywhere on campus from Worthen Arena to The Village.

The app tracks the player on the map and identifies the nearest hotspot location to begin or continue the game.

Gameplay options for the specific location pop up upon arrival.

The story option is chosen and a short begins to play relating to a memorable event at that location.

TRIVIA GAME AND LOCAL CONNECTIONS

Using trivia as a feature in That’s BS has three advantages. First, it is universally understood and appeals to users across demographics. Second, trivia furthers place attachment. The greater the knowledge about a location, the greater the emotional attachment. Third, it opens opportunities for prizes to be earned and redeemed immediately while using the app. This opens up further exploration of local businesses into The Village where gameplay continues.

NOW AND THEN SLIDER

During empathy research, one participant directly asked if this could be done! BSU has an extensive image bank, so it was quickly determined a “Now and Then”
would be an ideal fit for That’s BS. Research showed all age groups were interested in the old BSU landscape, but this feature offers straightforward engagement for less tech-savvy users. Using a single-touch slider, the user can compare 70 years of change at the main crosswalk in The Village.

TABLETOP EXPERIENCE

For even more variety, That's BS has a physical tabletop experience. Players can unlock this experience by earning achievements in the mobile version of the game. The tabletop game is a second layer of trivia challenges where players can win physical prizes. Digital awards won on the mobile version can be exchanged for tangible items to be used as tabletop game pieces. These "pucks" activate the tabletop screen using Tangible Engine SDK software.

STUDENT CREATED MEDIA

To make this truly a BSU original, students from the School of Art Animation Department and the Telecommunications Department created the visual content for That's BS. Check out this short about how the "Boom Goes the Dynamite" viral video exploded.

For more nitty-gritty details, please check out the full case study here: