Designing a prototype of a book series wiki with spoiler control

Abstract

Spoilers can be defined as learning plot points in a narrative before the creator of the narrative intended, and are generally thought of in a negative light. There are however studies that show that spoilers can positively affect the enjoyment for certain types of people. This thesis will define and use six requirements in the design process for a book series wiki with spoiler control, named unspoiled. The thesis will delve into the two major domains the unspoiled solution will exist in; storytelling and the internet. Further, a more theoretical dive into both narrative theory and participatory cultures serve as the basis to define the six requirements. The main part of the thesis will cover the design of a prototype for unspoiled and how the requirements impacted this design. This prototype was used in five user tests to gain further insight for a new iteration. Finally the thesis concludes with how well the requirements served their purpose of enhancing and guiding the design.