Illustrator Dash - HTML5 Learning Game for Adobe Illustrator
About
This HTML5 game offers an innovative, game-based approach to learning Adobe Illustrator navigation. As of now, the game is optimized for Google Chrome, and may not function as intended in other web browsers. Interactive challenges, based on randomized scenarios, enhance practical skills and muscle memory for tool access. Developed in Adobe Captivate with JavaScript integration provides smooth gameplay with randomized practice scenarios and timed challenges.
Basic Gameplay
This interactive game offers a hands-on, simulated learning experience for Adobe Illustrator beginners. You'll be presented with simulated project screens and prompted to practice basic navigation and tool activation/usage. A 60-second timer adds an element of urgency, and completing each task earns you points and unlocks the next challenge. This repeated practice helps reinforce your skills in a fun and engaging way, culminating in a final score that reflects your progress and offers the challenge of beating your own best score.
Design
This project was designed with a game-based learning approach to transform the learning of Adobe Illustrator navigation into an engaging experience. Adobe Captivate Classic was selected for its flexibility in building interactive HTML5 content and its support for custom JavaScript, which was crucial for implementing unique game mechanics.
The game's visuals were enhanced with custom icons and graphics created using Adobe Illustrator. These tailored graphics support the learning objectives by providing clear and relevant visuals, which improve the learner's understanding and engagement.
Implementing the core game mechanics involved JavaScript development to intercept key strokes and perform actions, adding complexity to the design. This required careful consideration of how to effectively "trap" and handle specific key presses within the Captivate HTML5 output, especially given potential inconsistencies or conflicts with browser-specific behaviors or default shortcuts, notably in environments like Chrome, the intended browser for this game to be played. Overcoming these complexities ensured that the intended gameplay, where users activate tools and perform actions via key combinations, functioned reliably within Chrome.
Key game mechanics include a custom JavaScript solution for the countdown timer. This timer offered flexibility over standard Captivate widgets and ensured seamless integration with the overall design. This approach allowed for a precise timer that functions independently of the quiz system's reporting requirements, which were disabled for standard website hosting purposes where an LMS is not involved. A custom randomization algorithm, also built with JavaScript, ensures a fresh challenge each time a user plays, presenting a unique sequence of navigation tasks without repetition until all exercises have been experienced. The countdown timer adds a sense of urgency and motivates users to hone their speed and accuracy in a low-stakes setting. This design approach transforms software navigation practice into a motivating activity, fostering a positive learning environment and reinforcing the learning objectives.