For "play" "quit" and "help" I think it would help the kids if there was some consistent color associated with each button throughout the program, especially since they can't read them yet. The Area field is a little dark for the black text. Having a lighter color would help visibility. Also, "main menu" looks like 2 buttons arranged on top of "quit" and "help" (in the workspace). Perhaps putting frames around them, or spreading them out along the bottom of the screen (in consistent places) might make more sense. From the projector, the dark green and black look very similar. It looks better from the terminal, but from far away they still look fairly close in hue.
-Anon

In addition to saying what option is on a mouse over, I suggest you place a highlighted yellow box on it also. Also, whatever the color scheme may be, I think navigation should be the same color. It gets confusing otherwise.
-Anon

1) I believe that using squares as the color swatches are confusing only because the grid is already using squares and this may lead the user in believing that they can drag the color swatch directly to the grid.
2) The number of step and order of getting a square to the grid is a bit awkward. Having to select a color, then select a shape and then drag that shapes into the grid seems too much..I believe that once the user has selected a color, the user can directly drag any of those shapes into the grid.. This then may call into question the size of those shapes because right now they are half the size of the grid squares and those triangles do not necessarily appear to be triangles, instead directional arrows.
3) The use of those colors because they are default colors in other programs does not constitute them as being the most appropriate. Some colors work better against a white background then others. As you may already know some colors in that palette are difficult to see..I recommend using simple and understandable colors..those of the rainbow..red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and gray..These may reduce annoyances.
4) Your menu, once you have entered the game should be more concrete, right now they look like they were simply stamped onto the surface. The title main menu on top of the quit and help makes us read it as an option to go to main. and an option to go to menu, the word "main Menu" is broken up..however if this is really what it is then please ignore this comment.
5) I saw that you have a maroon color as the background of the text field..because by default text is black I recommend a light color, only because on some monitors the maroon is very dark making the text illegible. The same goes with the red..the yellow becomes almost invisible and then the red text on top creates a uncomfortable vibration for the eyes to handle..It also becomes distracting.
6) The bee shaking gets very annoying and might cause the user to want to quit the game.
well that is all I can comment on now..I believe your team did a good job..good luck with the remainder of the project.
-Danny Tse

What is the "ok" doing (next to area)? Is it a button? If why, why doesn't it look like other buttons? You should be consistent in colors you use e.g. not use the same color (pink) for clickable buttons and headlines. I don't really get how the moving fly works, but it seemed to constantly move while you were doing the exercise. If this is true, it's annoying and distracting. Pink font on yellow background don't work! Why does "help" have the yellow box while "main menu" and "quit" don't? Wouldn't it be much easier for choosing the right colored square to just pick the one in the right color (which is just your color indicator right now) and drag them over to the grid? The grid lines seem unnecessary thick and disturb the appearance of the shape. The dark colors in your color palette are too close to each other/not distinctive enough!
-Matt

+Color shape interface: although you are emulating MSPaint or similar programs I think that having to select a shape & then drag it on to the workspace involves an unnecessary step. You appear to have enough room in the workspace to display all four possible shapes. Having a selection each time isn't necessary because the students always have to select. Since there are no other opportunities with the workspace, why force the user to always make an extra mouse click? It should be implicit in the step of dragging a shape on to the workspace.
Additionally, it would make a lot more sense IMHO if shapes already could be dragged around (& not placed over one another). I'm not sure how this will affect deletion. One thought is a "trash can" tile on the side (as opposed to a specific eraser tool"). If taken with the above suggestions this would simplify your interface significantly by reducing it to two operations: color selection and dragging (either a new shape on to the top of the workspace; shapes to a new position on the workspace; delete shape by dragging it off the workspace). Just one food for thought, I think you shouldn't be wed to the MSPaint idea, & the simpler the better.
-Anon

My visiting brother suggested more colors. He (15 years old) found yellow and purple lacking. The background and the grid background are both white - one should not be white, or both should be different. Maybe you should show the eraser-end of the pencil? having continually vibrating fly is a distraction. Perhaps have it sit still until you click on it, then have it do something (a la Living Books).
-Lindsey

Reminder to make text box for area lighter. Space the buttons differently; it looks like "main" and "menu" are part of their own column since "quit" and "help" are separate underneath. Maybe change to... menu * quit * help or

Maybe don't have sound on mouse over (which is a little annoying) but on mouse clicks. I think you should take out the triangles and use only the squares. The "rules" that require an even number of triangles to make a square seem silly. You have made a workspace, not a game. I don't think the workspace should have "rules" like that. It seems like a programming fudge and not something that is necessary for learning area/perimeter. Use primary colors instead of hot pink and turquoise. Allow shapes not to be contiguous. There is no reason they have to be. Just have AREA be total area of both shapes.
-Kate

I don't understand why the kids can create triangles but can't calculate A+P with them. Make up your mind.
-Ben

In general I like it. A couple of suggestions: make the grid thinner/dotted line; eraser - copy what's in MSPaint. A shape with an empty square in the middle would cause problems. Maybe have the fly say "let's try a solid shape."
-Anon

Color Palette: Try rainbow colors. You have 3 very dark colors. Try replacing one or two of them. Shape Selection It would be better if you could eliminate the "shape pop up" step and enable dragging directly from the shape selector. If you make the triangles invisible, it will be less obvious, and maybe even confusing, that you cannot simply drag the square. Sound: You should include elements such as "pick a color" "red" "blue" - for mouse over each color, "eraser." In general, if there is sound for every object, that would probably be good. Think about the software we have seen in class. Help: mouse over the fly should move the fly maybe. Clicking on the fly should help the user (give instructions). Game: I am not sure how the game concept enhances your system. The workspace is great, and I think it stand alone on its own merits. Instructions for the workspace could partially replace the rules of the game. You could have a simple statistic show on the workspace: "number right _____" "number wrong _____" or nothing at all. I'm not sure this type of motivation is necessary. Looks good. Great presentation.
-Chad