User Loops

About Loops

To build up these ideas, we will create a simulation which involves spinning three wheels of color to combine red, green, and blue together. We will use the concept of gameplay loops from video game design to create a three loop structure:

• We start with the idea that there some repeated action a user is doing moment to moment. This is called the core loop. Our core loop will be spinning a wheel to get to a desired color within that wheel (certain amount of red, for example).
• However, the core loop can be placed within larger loops. For example, while our core loop is changing one individual color component (how much red, green, blue), our "secondary loop" is trying to achieve a specific combined color across all three color components.
• Finally, our "tertiary loop" may be comparing different colors: the current color selected against the memory of past colors.

Note that the loops sometimes exist as explicit pieces of the code: specific functions supporting one loop or the other. However, sometimes the loops emerge from the user's experience of a piece.

Simulation

With that outline in mind, let's go ahead and build this simulation without interactivity first. Try to read my first static version of this code given what you learned from the other skills labs. These colors come from ColorBrewer. Give that a run and see what you think. Before continuing, try changing the radius.

Loops

Next, let's add in the interactivity! Take a look at my second interactive version of this code. After reading it, give it a run. Try making the lightest and darkest color you can. Can you feel the different loops? How does the experience feel if you change the rotation speed?

Terminology

Finally, a quick note about terminology. Some game designers would say that:

• There are three loops: a core, secondary, and tertiary loop.
• There is one "verb" or one "action" which is "hover" using the mouse.

Indeed, those designers would say there is only one verb by which the user can interact with the simulation even if they can use that action in diffrent contexts (different wheels) which make it feel like three verbs.

Next