Motivation & ConceptInspired by Articulate's new AI features, I set out to showcase how AI can be integrated into content development. My goal was to:- Gamify an article on maintaining focus at work
- Use Storyline for interactive game slides
- Create a Rise companion guide featuring a digital twin as an interactive coach
Tools of the Trade
Here's a quick look at the AI-powered toolkit that made Focus Feud possible:
- Articulate Storyline and Rise: Game development and companion guide creation.
- ChatGPT: Content summarization, game ideation, JavaScript co-creation.
- HeyGen: Digital host avatar with a custom voice.
- Camtasia: Video editing of avatar.
- Canva/Photoshop: Graphic tweaks.
- Word/PowerPoint: Storyboarding and scriptwriting.
Game Planning & Storyboarding
I kicked off the process by feeding the original article into ChatGPT. It helped me extract key points from the article, convert these points into game objectives and elements, and brainstorm game show formats that would work well with the content. After settling on a Wordle/Family Feud hybrid, I created a PowerPoint storyboard to visualize the game flow and mechanics.
Graphics and Narration
Storyline's AI generated most of the images, requiring only minor tweaks in Canva and Photoshop. While Storyline’s neural voices worked well, for the game show host, I used HeyGen to create a video-style avatar with a custom voice, which I then refined in Camtasia.
Coding and Development
This was a balancing act between AI assistance and traditional development:
- JavaScript and AI: Initially, I used ChatGPT to co-create JavaScript for input validation, scoring, and timers. While this was incredibly helpful for complex functionalities, it sometimes led to troubleshooting challenges.
- Storyline Triggers: As the project progressed, I found that leveraging Storyline's built-in triggers and variables was more effective for many game mechanisms. This brought me back to familiar territory and improved overall stability.
- Variables: I set up numerous variables for each mini-game in Storyline, testing incrementally to isolate and fix issues as they arose.
Content Creation and Editing
AI tools proved invaluable for content creation. ChatGPT helped generate and edit content. This was useful as Storyline's current AI features cannot evaluate external links/content (and the game was based on a web-based source). Storyline's AI features significantly reduced the time needed to generate images, sounds, and edit text.
Overcoming Challenges with AI
Throughout the development process, AI helped me overcome several hurdles:
- Complex Functionality: AI-assisted JavaScript allowed me to implement features I couldn't have coded on my own, and in a matter of minutes.
- Time Constraints: Storyline's AI features dramatically sped up image generation, sound creation, text editing, and overall development.
- Consistency Issues: When AI-generated graphics needed adjustments, non-AI tools like Photoshop helped maintain visual consistency.
The Rise Companion Guide
To complement the game, I created a companion guide in Rise that features my digital twin. This guide explains the game’s content and includes an interactive digital avatar trained on the article’s material that acts as a live coach. While an API allows direct integration, for this example, it launches into a new window.
Conclusion: AI - A Solo Developer's Powerful Equalizer
Combining Storyline's AI features with tools like ChatGPT has revolutionized content creation for solo developers. Limited knowledge of JavaScript or advanced Storyline triggers and variables is no longer a barrier. AI acts as both tool and tutor, enabling the creation of complex learning experiences beyond one's coding abilities while consistently suggesting efficient solutions.
These new AI tools are leveling the playing field, allowing solo developers to create sophisticated e-learning rivaling team-produced content. By accelerating ideation, prototyping, and media generation, AI dramatically reduces development time. We're just at the beginning of this transformation, with even more accessible and innovative opportunities on the horizon as AI continues to evolve.
