UPF Verão 2017

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Pokémon Go: a new experience

Amber Stechyshyn

[1] By now, everybody has heard about Pokémon Go and its swift

[2] and spectacular rise to the top of the app world. For a game

[3] based on an old 90’s Gameboy game and TV show, it has

[4] surprisingly universal appeal – kids and grandparents, hipsters

[5] and business people have all embraced it. At its height, the

[6] app had 25 million active users.

[7] Aside from making Augmented Reality (AR) mainstream by

[8] introducing it to the general public, this app is also a significant

[9] turning point for those working in User Experience Design. Bit

[10] by bit, the world has become more aware of the impact of UX

[11] design on everyday life and products. Our efforts to provide

[12] better user experiences have been acknowledged and UX

[13] designers are now considered an integral part of most

[14] businesses. User experience design has also shifted from a

[15] predominant desktop environment to mobile devices as users

[16] demanded more mobility in their products. Customers have also

[17] noticed this shift, and it has raised their expectations of what

[18] products and services are on offer.

[19] User Experience Designers are used to adjusting for new

[20] information and rolling with the punches, but a big phenomenon

[21] like this does not come along every day, especially one that

[22] impacts us directly. This is a great opportunity for us to make

[23] new and innovative changes in our workplaces, but there are

[24] also pitfalls that we should stay aware of as we move into a new

[25] era of app development. Here are a couple of changes that are

[26] on the horizon. The main screen of Pokémon Go is seen

[27] through your mobile phone. Your avatar moves around a virtual

[28] map of the real world on your phone, scattered with PokéStops,

[29] lures, and gyms. This map reflects your real-world

[30] surroundings, but it does not require you to actively engage

[31] unless you want to. However, when you spot a Pokémon in the

[32] app and click on it, you switch to another screen where a

[33] Pokémon is standing in an enhanced version of your phone

[34] camera lens, ready to be caught.

[35] The implications of augmented reality are massive. Pokémon

[36] Go is a game, albeit a very addictive one, but it begs the

[37] question of what will happen when the technology it employs

[38] spreads to other uses. What about overlaying Google Map

[39] directions on the actual road? Passing by a store and seeing

[40] online sales displayed on their physical window?

(Retrieved and adapted from http://usabilitygeek.com/pokemon-go-user-experience. Access on August 21st, 2016)

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