Abstract:

Designing and implementing software systems and applications is commonly done in industry. It is extremely important when creating them to fit the application to target users. We describe the process of designing and creating a jigsaw puzzle game for the elderly. In particular, we targeted the generation of users commonly known as “Traditionalists” in American culture. Before the project began we had to understand characteristics of our target users. After goals for the project were defined, we created discovery prototypes. In each prototype that was created, we considered issues encountered in each version for improvements. The jigsaw puzzle game slowly evolved as changes were made to fit our target users. Finally, we conducted field trials at two senior communities to determine its usefulness. Survey results are collected and analyzed so that future versions of the system will cater to the needs of the users.

Keywords:

Puzzle game, elderly, software design, prototyping.