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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING & DESIGN

Research Unit for Modern Architecture Studies in Southeast Asia
Foundation of Natural Build Environment (FNBE)

Creative Thinking Skills [FDES0213/ ARC30104]
Prerequisite: None
Lecturers: Sufina Abu Bakar, Wan Muhammad, Ida Marlina

Final Project: The Board Game Design
20% Group Work + 20 % Individual
Part A- Individual Submission (Proposal): Week 12
Part B-Group Presentation (Game Board Carnival): Week 17

Introduction

Games are an integral part of all societies. Like work and relationships, they are an expression of some
basic part of the human nature. Games are formalized expressions of play which allow people to go
beyond immediate imagination and direct physical activity. Games capture the ideas and behaviors of
people at one period of time and carry that through time to their descendants. Games like Xiangqi and
Go illustrate the thinking of the military leaders centuries ago.

Today millions of people around the world are constantly online at work, at home and on mobile phones.
Social sites are popular with students, professionals and anyone who wants to see each others
thoughts, photos, videos, and recommendations. People are having less face to face interaction. Social
networking and casual games online or mobile can be a huge waste of time, both at home and at work.

A non-digital game could help us improve our social relationship, strengthens team work, improves our
health and also increase creativity.

Objectives of Project

The objectives of this project:

1. To understand the modes of thinking commonly associated with critical thinking (left-brain),
creative thinking (right brain) as well as holistic (whole brain) thinking.
2. To implement divergent and convergent thinking methods in researching, developing and
presenting ideas and conclusions in the form of tangible statements.

Learning Outcomes of this Project
On successful completion of this subject, students will be able to demonstrate the following:
1. Recognize the characteristics of critical and creative thinking and their applications in students
personal and working lives
2. Identify the importance of expressing personal opinions as part of academic development and
the systematic journey(s) taken to evolve these statements

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Tasks - Methodology

This project is divided into two parts: Part A (Individual) and Part B (Group). The main task of this
project is to create a board game either played by adults or children. The first part of this project is
to do research and game board proposal. The second part of this project is to plan and organise a
BOARD GAME Carnival to demonstrate the complete board game.

PART A (INDIVIDUAL)

Part A is an individual component. Students are required to investigate and understand what a game
board is and how to make a good game board. Through creative process, experimentation, investigation
and exploration each student will have to propose an appropriate game board according to the chosen
category. Once presented, the best proposal in the group (of 5 students) will be brought forward to
Part B.

The game should consider freshness,surprises, equal opportunity, winning chances, no king
maker effect, no early elimination, reasonable waiting time, creative control, uniformity, quality
of components, target group, consistency of rules, tension level, learning and mastering a game,
and level of complexity.

Individually the students will have to do the followings:
1. To find information on games and understand its meaning, different types of games and factors
that involves in creating games
2. To understand and experiment with different types of material that can be used to design the
game board
3. To come up with a lot of ideas before settling to one idea. Students are encourage to use
different idea generating tools such as brainstorming and FFOE

You are then required to document your findings, in A4 booklet format and proposed a game board
which contains the followings:
a. The objective and information about the proposed game
b. Idea Development and process
c. Experimentation, research and investigation
d. A Simple illustration of the games name, logo and packaging
e. A simple write up of how the game works, the instructions and rule.

PART B (GROUP)

Part B is a group component. As a team you shall do the followings:

1. To understand, improve, elaborate and refine the chosen game through series of brainstorming
session (to improve the games physical look, instructions, rules etc.)
2. To plan and organize the Game Board Carnival which include preparing the props and items,
to plan out the layout and setting up the display for each game board.
3. To prepare and present the followings:

a. A finalized game board with manual instruction booklet and proper packaging
b. A promo-video which includes the instructions on how to play the game.
c. A proper display booth for your board game. Best display will be awarded!
d. To document the process in planning and making the game board in A4 booklet format

The Board Game Carnival will be treated as the final project presentation. The assessment will focus on
how the group successfully plan and manage their final board game presentation. The idea is for
everyone in the class to try out all the games created by each group. It will require the whole class to
organize a well planned carnival.
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Submission Requirement

PART A (INDIVIDUAL)

You are required to document your findings, in A4 booklet format (refer individual task for content)
which includes:
Sketches, diagrams and doodles of ideas
Annotations and descriptions
May include photographs (to show process and experiments)

There is no limitation on page but it should not be less than 5 pages. The complete A4 booklet should
Include a cover page, table of content and bind (black plastic bind). Students are required to scan their
work and upload it onto their E-Portolio.

PART B (GROUP)

1. The promo and instruction video
- The video should show a promo ad, instructions and rules of the game. The video should
not be more than 3 minutes

2. Setting up the Game Board Carnival
- The display should be presented complete with the final board game, its packaging and
manual instruction booklet.
- Students may use any suitable materials as long as it is not too expensive for the final
board game(total should not exceed RM200 for this group project)


Assessment criteria

The assessment for this assignment will be based on:
demonstrated understanding of brief
appropriateness and creative application in designing and refining the board game
originality and quality of the idea
team collaboration
individual documentation



















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Marking criteria

Marks shall be distributed as follows:
Work will be assessed based on:
TGC
Acquired
Assessment Criteria Marks %
PART A: Individual Component

Demonstrated understanding and meeting the brief requirements

10 %

Appropriateness and creative application in visualizing the board game

40%

Originality and quality of proposal 20%

Individual documentation(Process and idea elaboration) 30%
(Will be calculated as 20%)TOTAL 100%
PART B: Group Component

Demonstrated understanding and meeting the brief requirements

10 %

Appropriateness and creative application of problem solving
(to plan and manage the event )

30%

Quality and workmanship of the board game 20%

Creativity in promoting the board game (brochure design and promo
video)

30%

Team collaboration 10%
(Will be calculated as 20%)TOTAL 100%

NOTE: PLEASE BE INFORMED THAT INVIDUAL COMPONENTS IN GROUP WORKS IS EVALUATED BASED ON PEER
EVALUATION AND INSTRUCTURS EVALUATION ON INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE OF A GROUP MEMBER.
Suggested References

1. de Bono, Edward, 1994, De Bonos Thinking Course, BBC Books
2. Igor Byttebier, Ramon Vullings, G. Spaas, 2009, Creativity Today,
3. Wolfgang, Kramer http://www.thegamesjournal.com/articles/WhatMakesaGame.shtml