Schedule

Schedule:

9/24: Continue AutoCad work of board game
9/25: Continue AutoCad work of board game
9/26: Scan Alternative Solutions and Brainstorming drawings, Email/Call mentor to tell progress
9/27: Draw alternative solutions on AutoCad
9/28: Draw alternative solutions on AutoCad
10/1: Draw alternative solutions on AutoCad
10/2: Write outline for Informal Progress Update Meeting
10/3: Informal Progress Update Meeting, Brainstorming, Alternative Solutions and Testing Procedures Due on Blog
10/4: Call mentor to consult about solution, Research game pieces from different board games
10/5: Select final solution, finalize AutoCad drawing of solution
10/9: Brainstorm and sketch different game pieces
10/10: Design game pieces on AutoCad
10/11: Make 3-d models of game pieces, email mentor
10/12: Continue making model of game pieces
10/15: Finish modeling game pieces
10/16: Begin model of game board
10/17: Work on model
10/18: Work on model
10/19: Work on model
10/22: Finish model, take picture of model for webblog
10/23: Write Selection-Rejection report, email mentor
10/24: Locate pictures to upload to webblog
10/25: Begin outline for Formal Progress Update Presentation
10/26: Finish outline for formal Presentation, practice presentation
10/29: Prepare for presentation, ensure blog is up to date, email mentor, practice presentation
10/30: Practice presentation
10/31: Mentor contacts and model due, selection-rejection report due on blog and 3 copies of outline for formal presentation due, practice presentation
11/1: Formal Progress Update Presentations
11/2: Formal Progress Update Presentations
11/5: Formal Progress Update Presentations

C.A.F.E. Q.U.E.

Cost
o School already has most materials needed
o Computers equipped with software
o Printer capable of printing color board game
o Cardboard is inexpensive
Aesthetics
o Finished product
o Smooth texture
o Bright colors
o Look like modern board games
o Graphics appealing to the players
Function
o Test knowledge of nutrition
o Educate about good nutrition habits at a young age
o Foldable for storage
Ergonomics
o Game pieces easily manipulated
o Game cards at accessible locations on game board
Quality
o Best quality
o Well made board and pieces
o Won’t fall apart or break after a few plays
User
o Middle School Students
o Young
o Uneducated yet think they know everything
o Naïve
o Short attention spans
Environment
o Played in classrooms
o Played at home

Testing Procedures & Expectations

Expectations

The final product is expected to be in the form of a professional board game that is ready to play. It will be equipped with all playing pieces and cards, as well as a set of directions for easy play. To test the "Healthy Choices" board game, I will have a group of middle school students play the game in their Family and Consumer Sciences class at Howell Memorial Middle School. After playing, I will have each of the participants answer a few questions pertaining to what they thought of the game. Then, I will have a group of students from M.A.S.T. test the game and give their feedback.

Testing Procedures

How to Set Up and Play Game:
1. Locate flat surface to play on that is clear of any obstructions
2. Take board game, game pieces and directions out of box
3. Read instructions thoroughly
4. Each player roll die
5. Whoever gets highest number goes first, then go in clockwise order
6. As each player lands on game pieces, read and answer questions corresponding with piece you landed on
7. Continue answering questions and going around board until first person collects all of the food group cards
8. At end of game, each player must fill out questionnaire

Limitations

The game board must:
• Be approximately 20” x 20”
• Be foldable to fit in box, approximately 10” x 20”
• Be affordable to construct, not costing more than $50.00 to the consumer
•Not take longer than 1 hour to play
•Be able to accommodate 2-6 players at a time
The package must:
• Be approximately 21” x 11” x 2 ½”
•Be durable
•Have best quality construction

Specifications

The game board must:
• Clearly educate about healthy nutrition habits
• Be easily understood by middle school students
• Include directions for easy play
• Include all game pieces
The package must:
• Clearly illustrate what is being sold
• Display design principles
• Be easy to open
• Be appealing to look at
The questions must:
• Be testing knowledge of nutrition
• Be taken from material in middle-school Nutrition textbooks

Design Brief

To design, produce and package a board game to teach young teens about healthy nutrition habits to be used in an educational setting

Background Information

Nutrition is an aspect of life that affects all human beings walking the earth. No matter what country you may be in, people are always worrying about their health and how to improve it. In America, with the rise of the fast food industry, cheap prices and “dollar menus” are clouding our ability to see the lack of nutritional value in this food. Not to mention how convenient fast food may be for families on the go.
According to the statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics, 19 % of girls between the ages of 12 to 19 are considered overweight. An astounding 28% of boys in that same age group are considered overweight. See graph to compare those percentages to the previous years. This noticeable overweight population shows that the American youth is learning poor eating habits at a young age.
Many young people today who set out to loose weight end up putting themselves on some sort of crash diet. These are diets such as the Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet, which don’t teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle. These diets are just for the short term. See in the picture of the South Beach Diet Book that these crash diets are made popular because they are easily accessible in almost every bookstore or library.
Dating back centuries, board games have been made in history as a source of entertainment. From an old Taiwanese game, Sz’Kwa, (below) to modern games such as Monopoly and the game of Life (below), players just want to entertain themselves for a little while and escape from the real world.
Something needs to be done to help young teens between the ages of 12 to 14 learn about nutrition. They are young and uneducated. Although they think that they know everything, they still have much to learn. In some schools, nutrition is taught but not enough. Even so, students may not learn to their full potential because it is not fun.

Research

Design

Different colors evoke different feelings

o Yellow- Warmth, brilliance, quickness, mental deftness

o Turquoise- Calm, introspective, self-sufficient, boastful, deceptive



Nutrition

Nutrients: substances important for the body’s growth and care

3 ways the body uses nutrients- To provide energy, To build and repair cells, To regulate body processes





Technical Research

For more research before thinking of my designs for the board game, I decided to play a variety of popular games. I played games such as Life, Monopoly, Candyland and the Barbie game. While playing, I thought about incorporating parts of each game into my nutritional game. You can see from figure below that I liked the idea of having the game around the perimeter of the board, as in Monopoly. Also, when I played Candyland, I liked having the game board colorful as well as the winding nature of the path. When I drew my board game solutions, I was able to incorporate each of these game board designs. The only difficulty I realized would be incorporating an educational aspect into the game through question cards.