Test Your Fate: Idea Generation

In order to aid idea generation and research I've explored different word associations and initial thoughts surrounding the pinball machine, looking at what I want to achieve and feature within the machines. The main areas explored was the idea of routes taken such traditional routes vs non-traditional routes to show the multiple paths students can take after graduation. This was inspired by more traditional machines, pre-electrification, which used pegs to sheld and contain balls within certain sections. These pegs could be used to guide the ball creating routes similar to a penny machine in an arcade. Furthermore I considered what a pinball machine actually is, looking at how points could be incorporated within a less technical machine. This lead to the idea of having a traditional pinball machine with a point system that would correspond to different cards, containing the route you had won e.g; 0-100 - starving artist, 150-500 - junior designer, 5000 - creative director. 

Based on these initial ideas I started to explore ideas related to graduation and fate rather than pinball machines. Continuing on the idea of routes, I looked at different ways paths could be incorporated within a machine such as having coloured lanes that relate to a specific job role so players had holes to aim for. Another idea was exploring the idea of a design career map so there would be multiple routes with key destinations (holes would be destinations). This idea was interesting as it presented the opportunity for 'easter eggs' to be used, hiding tips or funny expressions within some of the road names that could be featured on the map. Furthermore I explored the idea of traditional and non-traditional routes further through the idea of splitting the board in half with holes at the top being more traditional and holes at the bottom being more unusual routes. In addition to exploring graduation I've looked at the idea of fate and luck through tarot cards. There a multiple tarot card spreads such as the career spread and the success spread, the structure of which could be implemented within the machine with different outcomes being featured on each card. As the cards are numbered in the spread to indicate order of which is chosen first, these numbers could be used to indicate a certain card on which players get given a prediction. These predictions could be careers or simple phrases such as try, fail and try again or wing it, to highlight the idea that no-one stays in particular position forever and that it's perfectly normal to not know where you want to go or what you want to do.