Design Brief

Persona

Type: Fan of SC2 story

Back story:

This group of people like the fiction story of StarCraft 2. Blizzard created a whole bunch of stories and videos to introduce three species story to support the game. However, because SC2 is one of the hardest games, some people may never play a game.

Motivation:

Easy access to all the stories and Computer Graphics (CGs) of StarCraft 2.

Annotations:

Because some of the story too ambiguous and has a high relation with another chapter, the user needs some annotations made by others to help them understand the plot.

Reorganized:

The stories on the official website are not in order, some people are confused about some plots.

Frustration:

Compare with the official website, this website could not show all the original pictures.

Cannot understand the store:

Although the website has added an annotation function, it needs some senior reader to write, before that, this website has no advantage compared to the official website.

Their ideal experience:

Users will see all the chapter lists on the first page so that they do not need to find them one by one. After they enter a chapter, they will see the story with words and pictures. They can choose to use an external link to find the meaning of a specific game word such as zerg, pool, hatch. On the left side, they can quickly access other chapters. On the right side, they can see some annotations made by other readers. At the bottom side, the website allows the user to leave their comments, order by ‘Like’ just like a simplify Reddit.

Type: Novice player

Back story:

This group of people has played SC2 for less than one month. As a Real-time Strategy (RTS), not everyone can enjoy the fun it brings. Attack timing accurate to the second is very important for this game, which is often hard for beginners to understand. So, the beginner is likely to uninstall the game after playing a few days. In fact, this is a common problem with RTS games and the reason why other game companies are reluctant to develop such games.

Motivation:

Beginner Strategy: the website will introduce some strategies recommend for beginners; these strategies have a high fault-tolerant rate.
Easy Understanding Strategy: the website will give a specific list should what they should do at each second, which will help the beginner to remember. Also, the website shows some inline pictures such as this.
High winning rate Strategy: Beginner strategy will focus on winning first. Get achievement is the best way to attract new players.
Easy Editing: Because the website is a forum, so all the strategies will write by other players. The website will provide some tools to support them make an easy understanding strategy for all the gamers

Frustration:

Complicated for who never played an RTS game before: Although the website will show each step in each second, some people still think this game is too hard.

Their ideal experience:

Users will see all the strategy list on the first page, then they can choose the strategy for the beginner in the filter. This type of strategy will be much more specific than others, which include introducing, timetable, and pros and cons. Then the beginner could practice following the instruction.

Type: Senior player

Back story:

This group of people has played SC2 for more than 2 months, their goals are not specific as I concerned. Some people still focus on the 1v1 game to enjoy the competition. And some people may focus on some derivative games. Compare with the 1v1 game, the derivative games are friendly for beginners, and the fight will not very tense. Although an RTS game only lasting for around 15 minutes in one game, it needs continuous operation and concentration.

Motivation:

Senior Strategy: Some strategies for seniors will focus on the timing point and the thought of strategy. Compare with the beginner strategy, this part has a new part, which is understanding of strategy.
Derivatives game Strategy: The user could create their channel for some specific derivatives game
Competition game Link: Up to now, there are still have a lot of competitions for SC2, such as GSL, ESL, Kung-Fu Cup, etc. The website will show the link to each of the competition records so that the user does not need to search it on YouTube.

Frustration:

Slow update and less focus: Most of the senior players has knowns many SC2 forum. The reason why they leave may because

Their ideal experience:

Users will see all the strategy list on the first page, then they can choose the strategy for seniors in the filter. This type of strategy will be less specific than others; however, it will include an author thought column. Also, if this strategy made by a professional player, it would have a link with the game record.

Type: Fan of videos and live- streaming

Back story:

Recently, more and more people like to watch some live-streaming on some platforms such as Twitch, AfreecaTV, and DouYu. The website will introduce some interesting channel, live-streaming and professional players

Motivation:

Link to more tutorial: Some strategies are too hard to understand in word. However, the performance of the video is much better, the uploader or blogger could show more his though and introduce more skills in the video, which is friendly for all the players.
Link to derivatives Video Channel: Except professional channel, some bloggers also make some fanny videos such as CarBot Channel.
Link to some good webcasts: Some host of webcast does not make tutorial and fanny game, but they have a better skill chatting with the audience. The website will allow the user to introduce webcasts and professional players.

Their ideal experience:

Although SC2 is a competition game, not all people could enjoy it. Other than play games in person, a bunch of people likes to watch others playing games. Wohn shows that spending on live-streaming games has increased by 400% compared with 3 years ago. [1] It is undeniable that the video show and live streaming attract a lot of people to play the same game with the uploader or host of webcasts.

Color Palette

This document introduces the color palette of SCGO.

Game Background：

StartCraft2 is a Real-Time strategy game, which has its League and world tournament. In this type of game, victory and strength are the essential theme and purposes of players and games.

Game Story:

The background game designed by Blizzard is the war between three races: Zerg, Terran, and Protoss.

Color Theme of Game:

In the series of game CGs(Computer Graphics showing the game and game story), we can find the characteristic of the three unique races:

Zerg is swarming and destructive
Terran is loyal and fearless
Protoss is cohesive and powerful

So, base on the features of the three races, I designed three colors theme on their own strategy page.

Why these colors:

Three main colors:

Because the victory and strength is the main feature of the game, so three main colors for three races are all saturated color. I am going to use their own color to design their strategy page.
- In the story video, purple is the main color for Zerg and their Queen.
  How do I adjust: Zerg is the most terrible race in this game, I designed it darker similar to dark orchid to show its power and to describe the helpless feeling when Protoss and Terran see the swarm rush into the city.
- In the story video, no main color for Terran.
  How do I adjust: Although there is no color suggestion in the story video, I give red for Terran. One of the main storylines is the commander of Terran framed Hero Renault’s lover Kerrigan, who becomes the queen of Zerg in the future. As I understand fidelity, revenge, and brave are all related to red. On the other hand, red is in harmony with darkorchid and gold.
- In the story video, golden is the main color for Protoss.
  How do I adjust: I am still going to use gold for Protoss because it is their armor color. And it is also the default building color in the video and game, which Zerg and Terran do not have. Currently, Gold is the best color to characterize Protoss.
Two background color:

Light blue and cold blue are two colors I choose for the color of the menu and shading of the word. No matter how the story is, SCGO is a strategy forum, the information show should be professional and powerful. Besides, I find three main colors are all in warm color, which needs some other colors to show the calm and intelligent are a good player should have.
- StarCraft story background is about star war, dark blue is an indispensable color for all the scenery.
- Light blue is an unsaturated transition color on the page, which will use on the transition module and word shading.
White and black:

The purpose of the website is to share the strategy and information in word. White or nearly white background and black word is the best way to show them clearly.