controller design

1. SoleGrip Controller Design
Usability GDN2240-O
December 2014
Elf Mafia:
Lauren Jenkins
Paula Hair
Alexander Talbott
Matthew Gardner

2. The SoleGrip - A one handed PlayStation 3 controller design

3. Abstract
We’ve created the blueprints
for the design of a one handed
PlayStation 3 controller called the
SoleGrip. Along with concept
sketches and buttons maps, we’ve
also constructed a prototype. This
prototype has been tested for
comfort, style and ease of use.
Finally, the design process is
summed up.
The DUALSHOCK3
Wireless Controller, the
standard controller for the
Playstation 3. Source

4. Introduction
Our main objective was to
think outside the box and create
something new. After a bit of
brainstorming, things started to
come together and our team
realized we had a clever way to
solve the lack of space for buttons
on a one-handed controller. With a
“clench” mechanism (outlined in
later slides) we essentially doubled
the number of buttons.
Source

5. Design Purpose
Our purpose for designing this controller was to solve
the lack of space problem. We overcame the limited space on a
one handed controller and created an apparatus that is
triggered when the player clenches his or her fist. There are 4
buttons along the neck of the controller that players can reach
with their index, middle and ring fingers. The fourth button is
NOT a designated pinky button, but it is the players choice
whether or not they decide to use it as such. Through
clenching, players can use these same buttons for different
functions. This turns these 4 buttons into 8 buttons.

6. Inspiration
My inspiration for the controller was to make sure
the player was able to recognize it as a controller from
Sony so that it is familiar to them. Next gen consoles can
be sold on simple things like familiarity. “With Sony
incorporating the Vita into the PS4’s control methods it
could be a case of familiarity that helps consumers take
the plunge when decided their next console” (Williams,
2013). What I’ve always loved about controllers is that
the controls have always been the same. This means it’s
easier to jump into a game and know what to do just
based on standard control schemes. My goal is to get
some of that same familiarity of the controller by adding
the colors that Sony uses for its buttons on its
PlayStation controllers. - Lauren Jenkins
It doesn’t
FEEL right!
Source

7. Inspiration (CONT.)
My focus for the controller was comfort. Comfort is extremely important
because on average gamers log 2.5+ hours a week playing video games, usually more
(Yin-Poole, 2011). An uncomfortable controller can cause swelling of the thumbs, carpal
tunnel, and tendonitis (Dube 2013). I saw my mother suffer from tendonitis first hand
while she was trying to 100% Banjo-Kazooie
Source
when I was a child. The
issue is important to me, so
I made sure that we shaped
the controller to the palm,
and added a cushion to the
clench button. My goal is to
ensure that even after hours
of gaming, players will be
free of pain. - Paula Hair

8. Inspiration (CONT.)
I focused primarily on giving a one handed player the same vast array of
actions that a player with two hands could perform. When we look at a two-
handed controller, we see a lot of real estate and room for buttons because the
controller is being supported by two hands. However a one-handed controller must
be thin enough to be held by one hand and have all buttons within reach of that
hand’s fingers. This dilemma
is what shaped the ‘grip button’,
allowing the player a whole new
array of actions rather than being
bound by four buttons. - Alex
Talbott

9. Inspiration (CONT.)
Since this is a controller for someone with the use of only one
hand, I knew that there had to be a good grip for the player to hold
on to. If the player can’t properly grip the controller, then the rest
of the controller is kind of moot. So my main concern was the grip.
This got me thinking of things that people grip with a single hand,
and I quickly came to the conclusion of a gun. Guns, specifically
pistols, have a good grip for one hand. There are no shortages of
gun controllers in video games, but most of these are light guns for
arcade games. In fact, one of the first light guns was made “in 1936,
a company named Seeburg released the Seeburg Ray-O-Lite, a
carnival game that used light-sensing tubes to recreate a shooting
gallery” (Scalzo 2007). These controllers are not really useable for
complete console games. So we just had to find a way to
incorporate a gun-like grip into a controller for console games. -
Matthew Gardner
Source

10. Design Method
We knew we wanted to include most of the
buttons that are on a Playstation 3 controller. The
difficult task was finding a way to include all
these buttons in places that feel comfortable and
can build muscle memory. Our first iterations had
buttons everywhere. We tried putting the
thumbstick on the front of the controller and
having it shaped like a gun. We also tried using a
rolling ball for movement instead of an analog
stick. We realized we were getting nowhere,
because each iteration was the same controller
with the buttons and sticks moved. None of them
seemed familiar, an aspect that was important to
us throughout the process.
Source

11. Design Method (CONT.)
We realized having this many unreachable
buttons could not work, so we reduced the number
of buttons to those on one side of a Playstation 3
controller. This worked better and looked more
appealing but limited the player. With this setup,
they would only have 4 buttons (not including the
thumbstick or start and back buttons). So, we
searched for an even better way. Eventually the
idea of a clenching mechanism was mentioned. This
allowed us to include more buttons in the same
amount of space. The final controller has the 2 sides
disguised as one with the clenching feature.
Source

12. SoleGrip Schematic Diagrams
Analog stick
△ Button
□ Button
O Button
X Button
Micro USB plug
Start Button
Home Button
Clench Button

13. Design Assumptions
“One of the most important parts of any video game console is not the hardware or the
software, but the controller; after all, what good is the hardware or games to play on it if your
controller makes them impossible to enjoy? With this philosophy in mind, Sony has been an industry
leader with their PlayStation controller variations for over 17 years.” (PS4 experts,n.d.) With that
quote being said the PS controller has not changed its look over the years, making this controller
iconic to Sony consoles. In our design we have kept the original colors of the buttons X, square,
triangle, and circle. This and a PlayStation button gives the controller its familiarity, that a PS user
is looking for. - Lauren Jenkins

14. Design Assumptions
“The feeling of a controller in someone’s hand is
extremely important, and can be the deciding factor
in whether or not they will use it. That’s why our
design is tailored to the palm and has comfort grips
on the buttons and thumb sticks. While comfort is
important, familiarity is important as well. People
are naturally inclined to prefer a controller that feels
familiar (Corriea, 2013). Our design nestles the
controller snuggly in the users’ palm, something that
every great controller does. The weight and balance
of the controller makes it easy for the user to hold
onto it without using too much effort, making it
easier for players to focus on gameplay (Plunkett
2013).” - Paula Hair
Source

15. Design Assumptions
“The lightweight plastic that the controller is
made out of and its relatively small size allow the
users to comfortably stand and move around
without being constrained by a heavy remote, and
thus, the lightweight material affords (or allows)
users to move the remote in almost any humanly
possible way both freely and easily without much
constraint.” (Stubbs, n.d.) Looking at the Wii-
mote’s design and focusing on what made it a good
controller was key in designing our own. The Wii-
mote is a one-handed remote after all and a
successful one at that so it seemed logical to
borrow ideas and build upon them to make
something innovative and unique. - Alex TalbottSource

16. Design Assumptions
For me, the grip or handle of the controller is the most important thing.
Players can overcome strange button placement or analog stick issues, but if
the grip of the controller is uncomfortable, they are not going to want to use
it. If the grip fits in the player’s hands well, they can play for extended
periods comfortably. One example of the improvement of controller grips was
the transition from the DualShock 3 to the DualShock 4. Sony made a lot of
changes to their controller, but one of the most important was the size and
shape of the grips. Most of the reviews of the DualShock 4 made note of this.
Valerie Richardson says “the design of the DualShock 4 has been changed to
make way for a slightly easier to hold grip and overall better functionality”
(Richardson 2014). Others have stated that the larger and more rounded grips
make it more comfortable (Greenwald 2014). Above all, a controller needs to
fit well in the hands of the player. - Matthew Gardner

17. Control Mapping - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The Call of Duty series is one of the most well-known game franchises in the world today, so it seems to be a
good option to show how our controller’s layout for first-person shooters. Specifically, we will address Call of
Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s button layout. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a military shooter with many
different weapons and equipment for the player to utilize.
The analog stick moves the player around. Moving the analog stick while pressing the grip button will rotate the
gun and look around. The triangle button shoots the gun. The square button reloads the gun, but also can be
used for breaching doors and collecting intel when a contextual prompt appears. Double tapping the square
button will change to the secondary weapon. The circle button changes the player’s stance, pressing it makes
the character crouch, and holding it makes the character go prone. The X button will make the player jump.
To sprint the player must press the analog stick forward twice in quick succession.
Pressing the grip and square aims down the sight. Pressing the grip and circle throws grenades. And pressing grip
and X throws down a special item, like a claymore or C4. Double pressing the grip quickly will melee.
Finally the start button brings up the pause menu and selected shows the Scoreboard in multiplayer. And of
course, the home button brings up the home screen.
Using the triangle button to shoot gives the player a similar feeling to shooting a gun. This game has a lot of
different controls, so the grip and double button presses were needed, but all the controls fit and given
enough practice, players should be able to play competitive multiplayer with this controller.

18. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Button Map
Unclenched Clenched
Move Player/Sprint
Shoot
Reload/Use/Switch
Weapons
Crouch/Prone
Jump
Move Camera
Aim Down Sight
Throw Grenade
Equipment

19. Control Mapping - LittleBigPlanet Karting
Racing games can be sorted into two general genres, racing simulators and non-racing simulators.
Racing simulators are games that try to reach the highest level of realism and give the player
the feeling of driving an actual car. Non-racing simulators are less realistic, which allow for
more fantastic gameplay. One such game genre is kart racers, and one example of this is
LittleBigPlanet Karting.
The analog stick is used for steering the kart left and right. The triangle button is the accelerate
button. The square button causes the kart to hop, and keeping it held down while steering will
make the player drift. The circle button looks behind you. The X button brakes and reverses
the kart.
Pressing the grip button fires weapons. Clicking in on the analog stick blows the horn. Pressing
the grip and triangle button at the same time will deploy the grappling hook. The grip and
square at the same time will cause the player to slap opponents. The start button pauses the
game and the select button resets the racer back on the course. Finally, the grip and circle
button will toggle the mini map.
The main controls of any racing game are steering and acceleration, which are easy to handle
with the controller. However, kart racers usually have other mechanics, like attacking and
throwing weapons. We were able cover every needed control with the grip.

20. LittleBigPlanet Karting Button Map
Unclenched Clenched
Steer
Cart
Accelerate
Hop/Drift
Look behind
Reverse
Honk Horn
Grappling Hook
Slap
Mini Map
Fire
Weapon

21. Control Mapping - Mortal Kombat
As with any other genre of video game, there are a variety of fighting games. One of the biggest fighting
series is Mortal Kombat, probably best known for its brutal fatalities. The version we will be testing
is Mortal Kombat, also known as Mortal Kombat 9 released in 2011. Mortal Kombat’s main attacks
are punches and kicks, which can be done forward or backward.
The analog stick will be used for all of the character movement. Moving the stick left moves the
character left, and the same for right. Pressing down makes the character crouch, and up makes the
character jump. The player can also jump forward and backward by moving the stick up and right and
up and left respectively.
For the attacking controls, triangle is front punch, square is front kick, circle is back punch, and X is
back kick. Pressing down on the analog stick and square does uppercuts, and sweeps are pressing
back and the X button. The grip button is for blocking. To throw you need to press grip and triangle,
and back throw is the grip and circle. The activate X-Ray you need to clench and press square.
Since the main attacks were punches and kicks, they were easily covered by the four face buttons. Using
these button presses with the grip easily covered the extra moves, like the uppercut, sweep, and
throw. Players could easily use it to compete against other players.

22. Mortal Kombat Button Map
Unclenched Clenched
Move/Crouch/Jump
Front Punch
Front Kick
Back Punch
Back Kick
Move Camera
Front Throw
X-Ray
Back Throw
Uppercut
Sweep
Block

23. SoleGrip Prototype
The prototype uses a nunchuck as the base for the thumbstick and
to give it its initial weight. On top of that is duct tape and cardboard molded to
illustrate our design. The controller fits nicely in the palm and the duct tape
has traction that simulates grip. Unfortunately, there was no real way to create
the clench button, but by placing it on the prototype and observing whether or
not the user’s palm made appropriate contract with it, we were able to see
whether it was a viable design option.

24. Playtest Results
The smaller the controller was, the harder it was to effectively use the
‘clench button’ and the four Playstation buttons because you would have
to keep your hand clenched in order to keep the controller from falling.
Making the controller bulkier allowed the controller to be held more
comfortably without the buttons being pressed.
Clenching the controller to activate the ‘clench button’ was easy and did
not require pressing any other buttons in order to keep the controller
stable, as predicted.
People with larger fingers originally found the buttons to be too close
together, so we spaced them out a bit more. This didn’t interfere with
the ‘clench button’ as we thought it would.

25. Post Mortem
What went right?
Everyone was respectful of the ideas of others.
We came up with a new concept for our controller.
What went wrong?
There was a bit of procrastination that left a lot to be done over the weekend.
It was difficult to create the prototype from household materials, requiring a
bit of creativity from the whole team.
What did we learn?
That when prototyping it’s important to get started early to leave time for
changes and/or extra materials.
There is room to be innovative even when taking inspiration from existing
products.

26. References
Corriea, A. (2013, September 30). Super Meat Boy dev says steam controller is a 'great
start, needs some improvements' Retrieved December 4, 2014, from
http://www.polygon.com/2013/9/30/4786610/super-meat-boy-dev-says-steam-
controller-is-a-great-start-needs-some
Dube, R. (2013, September 18). 5 Dangerous gaming injuries and how to avoid them.
Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-dangerous-
gaming-injuries-and-how-to-avoid-them
Greenwald, W. (2014, May 14). Sony PlayStation 4 (PS4). Retrieved December 5, 2014,
from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2427029,00.asp
Plunkett, L. (2013, February 11). Let's rank Nintendo's controllers, best to worst.
Retrieved December 6, 2014, from http://kotaku.com/5983569/lets-rank-nintendos-
controllers-best-to-worst

27. References
PS4 experts. (n.d.).The DualShock legacy: how Sony created a legendary controller Retrieved December
5, 2014 from http://www.ps4playstation4.com/dualshock-legacy-how-sony-created-legendary-
controller
Richardson, V. (2014, February 25). DualShock 4 vs DualShock 3: what’s different? Retrieved December
5, 2014, from http://vr-zone.com/articles/dualshock-4-vs-dualshcok-3-whats-different/72781.html
Scalzo, J. (2007, November 19). Zap!: a history of light gun games. Retrieved December 5, 2014, from
http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=7892
Stubbs, P. (n.d.) Design analysis of everyday thing: nintendo Wii remote. Retrieved December 6, 2014
from http://www.tc.umn.edu/~stubb055/images/Design%20Analysis%20of%20Wii%20Remote.pdf
Williams David. (2013, July 11).Could controller familiarity save the day? Retrieved December 5, 2014
from http://techday.com/game-console/news/could-console-controller-familiarity-save-the-
day/165844/
Yin-Poole, W. (2011, June 27). Core gamers game 18 hours a week. Retrieved December 6, 2014, from
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-06-27-core-gamers-game-18-hours-a-week-npd