BRAINSTORMING (at least 20 ideas)
What to do while waiting in line:
- Check email/twitter/facebook/skype/tumblr/other social networks/etc. on smartphone/tablet device
- Talk to the person next to you in line, whether it's your friend or a stranger (make a new friend!)
- Play a game on portable gaming device/smartphone
- Listen to music
- Draw
- Play I Spy with friend/new found friend
- Call a relative/friend you haven't talked to in a while
- Look up at the clouds and find shapes?
- Listen to music
- Crack knuckles/joints?
- Sing to yourself?
- Keep hydrated?
- Have your friend (not a new one) get a snack/drink for you to share
- Like Disney/Universal Studios, enable a FastPass/Express Lane ticket system to get before waiting in line, then spend that time that could have been standing in line doing other things THEN go when that ticket says you can.
- Look up random articles on Wikipedia. Learn things?
- Read a book/newspaper/magazine/graphic novel - whether in print/online
- Watch a movie on mobile device
- Watch random funny videos from youtube
- Secretly pick your nose (?????????)
- Play a word game via association.
FAVORITES:
One of my favorites has to be the last one that I just recalled because I spent the day at my cousin's house (since it was the Superbowl/one of my cousin's birthday). Back in 6th/7th grade, I came up with a word association game called Pizza (because it was always the first word
to be used for some reason) and we did use it to kill time. Between 2 or more people, start with "pizza" and take turns coming up with the next word which can either start with the same letter or being something related to it; try not to repeat words and limit yourself to 1 or 2 words at a time.
My second favorite is a combo of looking up random facts/wikipedia articles since I used to tweet a random fact a day on my twitter account (when I was a very avid twitter user). Just generate random articles/facts at a push of a button.
PROTOTYPING:
PIZZA:
RANDOM FACT:
I decided to slim it down some more and make it date specific instead of just pulling random facts.
OUT IN THE FIELD & FEEDBACK:
Since I was super busy this whole week, I didn't have time to plan this out until Sunday, but I'll bring these Prototyping ideas to school on Monday and try them out with some friends. Pictures and feedback will be included in a new blog post called Curing the Queue: Part Two - Executing.
I like your word association game. I would play that "with friends" in a heartbeat!
ReplyDeleteI like that you added "with friends"! It definitely could be developed into a back-and-forth game like words with friends or draw something, huh?
DeleteGreat brainstorming list - I particularly like the ones involving talking to other people such as neighbors in the queue, relatives you haven't talked to in a while. I think one of the dangers of modern technology is the way we end up disconnecting from people.
ReplyDeleteLove both of your prototypes. The word game reminds me of the Japanese word game "Shiritori" which my kids love. In Japanese you take a word and then the next person has to think of a word (usually a noun) that starts with that letter. You're out if you repeat an earlier word or if you choose a Japanese word that ends in "nn" because no Japanese words ever start with it.
Random facts are awesome - I love getting stuff off wikipedia, although I tend to seek out individual topics rather than just browsing ... looking forward to your follow up blog!
I've played that game with visiting Okinawa a good... almost 7 years ago, but the students my exchange group was visiting insisted on playing it in English as well.
DeleteOne thing I noticed with the growth of technology is the physical disconnect with people. We're constantly on our phones even while out with friends, checking facebook or other social media things, totally ignoring the company we have in front of us. I try not to pay too much attention to my phone when I'm out with people I'm really familiar with.