Using Serious Game Design to Enhance Product Knowledge via Online Training

Online training for product knowledge is often considered to be dull and boring among most employees. To be able to change this perspective, it is your job as a designer to find an innovative way to integrate serious game design techniques into your client’s online training strategy.

Making Product Knowledge Fun

The key is to find ways to help employees brush up on the product specs in an engaging manner through online training simulations and presentations that are interactive and complete with game mechanics. You need to go beyond forcing employees to simply read out features and give them a chance to explore the product in an immersive environment. Here are a few things you need to consider when working on a product knowledge project after completing your serious game course in Singapore –

• Making the Game Mobile Friendly and Bite Sized
  

The most effective serious games in the market are the ones that are convenient and quick. Most modern learners don’t have the inclination, concentration span and time to engage in a game that drags on for hours. Even if you are offering them critical skills and information in exchange, you want to make sure that the micro-learning online training courses are easy to access and digest.

Your game should be engaging enough to motivate employees to repeat them again and again for the purpose of learner retention and reduction of cognitive load.

• Focusing on Product Specifications and Features 

It is obvious that the focal point of your serious game needs to be on the features, specifications and benefits of the product. A common mistake developers make is to prioritize game mechanics over product knowledge. The idea is to make sure that every eLearning situation, character and challenge is linked to the product and game design elements are used as purely a performance support tool to make the process more engaging.
 

• Encourage Competition with Leader Boards

Competition can be powerful motivation tool. It often drives employees to do things they wouldn’t normally do. Leverage this core human nature by putting up a leader board. Employees who know the product or take the time to get to know it better will rank better. This provides a great source of motivation for employees on the top as well as bottom end of the leader board where the leaders will want to keep their spots while the others will want to prove themselves to their peers.

• Incorporate Sales Skills
  

Understand the difference between learning about a new product and learning how to sell it. Your online training serious game should be able to explore not only the features of the products but also provide tools that help employees to negotiate various aspects of the transaction. You could find ways to help employees re-enact common sales challenges allowing them to deal with difficult clients, enhance communication, etc.

By channelling the right skills from your serious game course in Singapore, you will be able to help you clients create the perfect product knowledge training solution for their employees. 

5 Short Portfolio Building Programs for Gamers and Digital Artists

Whether you are pursuing gaming as a hobby or looking to build your resume as a digital artist, School Holiday Programmes can be amazing way to put your free time to good use while picking up some essential skills needed to succeed. Here are some interesting and unique courses that can add great value to your portfolio of skills-

Digital Sculpting for Artists

The main focus of this program is on creating various complex organic models and textures that are utilized in video and gaming industry. This course will allow you to learn skills such as surface texturing to help you give your object a more realistic appeal. During the process of this course you can also learn various techniques such as cutting or building soft and rigid surfaces. With an aim to have a sculpted 3D organic character complete with colors, accessories and textured elements, this course covers all the essentials of the topic.

Digital Comic Design

The thrilling picture version of depicting a story, comics, is an industry that is making a comeback. With modern applications such as online comics, they are only growing in demand. This course is perfect to delve into the world of graphical story telling that makes use of both images as well as words. This course will allow you to discover the importance of using art to set the right tone while giving it a complete look in order to be reviewed by publishers. Learn all the essentials of creating a good comic with this short course.
 

Digital Painting and Concept Art

For those with a streak of creativity embedded in them, this is the perfect short summer course to take. This program has been specifically designed to teach students the essentials of designing digital characters and environments. From being able to get the right proportion to understanding elements such as tone, light and placement, this course is the best way to cover it all.

Level Design for Games

The rapidly expanding field of gaming makes this a well timed course to take. It is important for prospective game developers to have a basic understanding of developing levels. This course focuses on factors that make level games interesting, Architecture Theory, and incorporating storytelling into the model. At the end of this program you will not only be planning and drawing basic gaming levels but also be a master of concepts such as balance, flow and interactivity that makes you a professional.

Games Programming for Windows, Android & iPhone

If you have been dreaming of a game that hasn’t been created yet, why don’t you just do it yourself? This workshop will enable you to create games for both mobile phones and PCs with ease. The comprehensive workshop covers everything from using 2D & 3D game engines to learning the game mechanics and how to test your final game.  

These short courses are not only perfect for summer but also for working professionals who wish to upgrade their skill set and retain their competitive edge in order to succeed. 

Inspiring Children through Game Design

Video games today have been integrated into the daily lives of children across the globe. Today some of the best gamers are not adults but passionate children too. While curbing the use of these games for health reasons is essential, if used in the right manner you can ensure your kids can use it as a successful educational tool. Here are five essential skills that can be learnt through game programming classes for children:

Encouraging Creativity

Allowing children to indulge in the gaming world opens many doors such as exposure to new worlds, their rules and characters. Encouraging them to explore these new worlds and solve their problems will help them achieve success. Allowing them to develop their own games and levels can unlock creativity and let their imagination roam free. They not only learn essential skills as a gamer but also improve their artistic abilities. Forcing them to think in a creative manner, designing games can give children a chance to indulge in their passion in a positive manner.

Communication Skills

Designing a successful game involves various elements. When children are made to design creative games they are forced to think artistically while clearly defining how it works and the various elements while communicating their goals. Making mistakes during the process is even better as it helps them understand problems and devise solutions on their own. By giving the freedom to create story lines no matter how abstract, they can communicate their new world and let other users experience it too.

Technology Skills

Since incorporating cutting edge technology with brilliant stories is key to successful games, game development can be a great way to develop technological skills among children. Using their imagination as a tool to conceptualize and technology to provide tangible results, children pick up skills that are great not only for potential gamers and artists, but for life as well. Enrolling them in a formal gaming program can enable them to use powerful tools such as gaming engines and advanced artist applications to create graphics. It also allows them to explore the world of game development in all its glory and challenges.

Collaboration Skills

In an environment where they are surrounded by like-minded children who share the same passions, all the inhibitions and walls come down. They are not only a lot more comfortable making mistakes and asking questions, but seek help from peers as well. Working with others gives them an opportunity to discover new ideas, trends, designs and technology while understanding the importance of diversity.

Problem Solving Skills

The process of designing a game involves various challenges that crop up eventfully. Most of the gaming world involves creating problems and then finding solutions for them in order to make them exciting and thrilling. Logical thinking and problem solving skills can be developed in an interesting manner through engaging your children in such activities.

 These skills are applicable in every walk of life, making them all the more important for children to develop as early as possible. 

5 Signs that your Child is Inclined to the World of Art and Design

Every kid is born with one or more talents. However, as a parent if you are unable to recognize the talent and encourage it through training and practice, it is more likely to wane with time. One of the best ways to identify your child’s talent is by noticing his inclination towards a specific discipline. This blog is dedicated to discussing 5 signs that would help you know if your little one is inclined to the world of art and design. Hobby classes for kids allow the talent of a child to grow up into an expertise.

Here are 5 specific signs that help you spot that your child has increased interest in art and design:

1. When Artwork Keeps Him Engaged for Long:

Kids who are born with artistic talent and have an inclination towards artwork usually start young. If you find your child loving to spend hours with drawing books and color pencils, know that he is interested in the artwork. In many instances, it is seen that many children who have a liking for drawing in the beginning, grow up an interest in animation and motion graphic design as they grow older. In this instance, let your kid join hobby classes for kids dedicated to teaching the art of animation and graphic design.

2. When He Does It with More Perfection and Dedication:

If you find that your little darling loves to complete an art project with more dedication, and his endeavor is always to attain perfection in it, consider it as a sign that he is inclined to the world of art and design.

3. When He Doesn’t Need any Stimulation to Do the Work:

If you see that your kid is more fluent with imagination and its expression, know that he possesses an artistic mind. If he does not need any stimulation to do this, you can be sure that your child has a special interest towards art and design. 

4. When He is Happy Doing the Work:

If you find that your kid performs an artwork with utmost enthusiasm and joy, encourage him to do it more and master the discipline of art. 

5. When He Works Often on a Specific Art form:

If you notice that your child is frequently getting engaged in a particular form of art and is talking about it, know that he loves it. If your child has a special interest in animation and always enquires about how the animated characters are created and how the motion graphic design technique works, get him admitted to a school that offers classes on such discipline.

Hobby classes for children aim to boost the artistic talent of the children. The instructors administering these classes help the students to excel more in the discipline of art through proper instruction, training and practice assignments.  They show the children the way to explore their imagination in the best way possible and come up with more and more creative outputs.

Starting in the Gaming World with Unity 3D

As a new graduate from a designing course or even as a student, Unity 3D is a game changer to learn development on. While a number of studios even prefer using this software over their own tech, it is a great tool to have by your side. 3D game development with Unity 3D has been a transformation for the industry. Here are some reasons you should be equipped with this as a developer-

Getting Started for Free

While the paid version of the program comes with numerous features and benefits, the free version has complete features of it too. This allows students and gaming professionals to create actual games without having to pay a price.
 

The Multi Platform Application

Ranging from the gaming stations such as Xbox and Wii to various platforms such as iOS and androids, you can publish a game anywhere. With unity 3D, it is easier to customize these preferences and transfer them from one platform to the next without difficulty. This activity that took professional companies months to sometimes successfully complete can now be done without a great deal of effort.

The Community Support

With over 2 million developers making use of the software, Unity 3D has a number of online resources to guide you through difficulties and give you assistance. Sometimes these places are also a great place to learn from the mistakes of others and ask any questions that may have otherwise been left unanswered. Eager unity fans also make for great collaboration opportunities across the globe. 

Using the Net as an Extended Resource
Considering the levels of fame Unity has achieved since its conception, it is no surprise how popular it is online. With tutorials and guides by the hundreds, you can ensure all doubts will be answered. While it is a simple software to learn, figuring your way around it at the start may seem like a daunting process. Online courses and videos have made it possible to learn everything there is to know about this course at your own convenience. 

The unity Asset Store

This feature of the software is a great tool for artists, developers and designers. This store is the place to head to, if you do not wish to build elements such as characters and buildings from scratch. While at the same time, it also provides for you as an extra source of revenue as an artist. Selling your assets in the store ensures you get a royalty of 70% on every purchase, helping you fund your own various costs.

Creating Games You Desire 

While Unity is most popular for developing 3D games, there is also scope to develop 2D games on it, making it a great tool to equip yourself with. Since it also allows you to create multiplayer games, a number of professional companies too swear by this software.

Due to the growing popularity of this software, Unity also holds conferences annually across the globe to provide a platform for developers to meet and discover the world of development through Unity 3D.

Your Guide to Shifting to Web Design after a Career in Print

If you are a print designer yet want to try your hands on web designing, you can do this without much hassle with the help of just a few guidelines. Design in print and web designing have much in common though theoretically. In reality web designing has technicalities that design in print does not have and print design has its own limitations. 

Both fields require specific skills and knowledge, a proper understanding of which can help you switch to either of the both efficiently. Top designing schools such as the design college in Singapore offers you designing courses that can help you build a strong career in designing.

How is Web Designing different from Print Designing: The Basics that You Need to Keep in Mind

• Basic knowledge of HTML can help you in web-designing. Digital designing is all about HTML, where the basics of any design, for example size, color or fonts can be changed using this media. However, one has to be also familiar with SEO an important aspect of web-designing.
• Digital designing is much more lively and vibrant then print design which is created on a flat medium-paper or cloth. Web designing is more audio-visual, related to sounds, movements or links.
• Print designers use CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) process to combine colours and create the desired design. Web designers use RGB (basic Red, Green and Blue) which is created by combining colours as seen under the light. They also do it using HEX which is extended RGB.
• Print designers have vast choice in using font size. Designers on web have to keep in mind the browser or device type while designing.
  

Size alters in web-design

In Print design, a particular document to be designed and printed is made on a certain size depending on the requirement, that doesn’t alter later. A design for a particular webpage can vary according to the device or the browser you are using. So each size differs from the other. The best solution is to get a grip on Responsive Design where you could create sites that provide the same view for different devices-be it a tablet or be it your desktop.

How to make yourself marketable in both print as well as web designing areas?

If you have a penchant for designing and want to pursue it as a career, then skill in both print and web designing will be an added advantage. Your capability to work with both mediums can give you the extra mileage as a designer as per the current demand of the market. Even if you have done a course in print designing and have started your career as a print designer it is never too late to learn the intricacies of web designing and switch between the two. A reputed design college in Singapore will help you with quality designing courses with in-depth knowledge in various mediums of designing.

Common Mistakes Game Developers Make on Unity

3d Game Development with Unity 3D is an increasingly preferred approach many game developers take today. This platform follows its own pattern of function and if you are not aware of how it operates a trivial feature too, can end up being a challenge. It has to be understood well so as to avoid mistakes especially the first-timers working on Unity make.

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Common mistakes Game developers make on Unity include:

• Mixing up scripts -
  The scripts that you attach with the objects should be either written in java or C#. It should not be a mixture of both. It will help you to avoid confusion as well as save you from other issues that can crop because of mixing two languages. So choose a language you are comfortable with.
  
  
• Not Making use of the Asset Store Logically-
  Do not be in a mad rush to use the asset store to get sounds, scripts, models etc., downloaded. Make sure that the assets you want to buy are relevant for your gaming project. Beware of buying the popular ones because though you may be tempted these assets due to over usage have lost its exclusiveness making Unity games using the same visual style losing its unique visual appeal. Developers have misused the standard assets given by Unity.
  
  
• Not Knowing How to Set your Scale Right-
  As the measurement of an object is taken in meters therefore ensure while importing that the size can be compared to the object it represents. For example a building can be taken approximately as 20 meters or a spaceship can be considered as 200 meters. You might have to resize if you have not taken it likewise. Actually in Unity size does not play a major factor as much as the scale. Whatever the size is if the scale is set right then faults can be avoided like objects falling at a slow pace. You might get tempted to speed up the gravity to make it fall faster but it will only end up being unrealistic. From the very start you must try to set the scale right as changing the settings in the middle of a developed project might be a difficult task.
  
  
• Relying too Much on Reflection-
  Methods like the Get Component or Send Message is expensive and can retard your gaming speed. So it is better to switch on to an efficient alternative pattern.
  
  
• Not Using Rigid body Objects-
  A gaming object has a position, angular velocity, speed, etc. If an object is changed from its position by a script then lot of discrepancy can occur which in turn might make the game unpredictable. A rigidbody can be attached to the object to avoid collision and also to stop messing up of positions of gaming objects.
  
  Make your 3d Game Development with Unity 3d unique by creating it from newer objects.