What Test Readers Thought

I invited a group of 25 young people aged from 11 to 16 to read and give feedback on After Words, before I completed the piece.

Some of the young people I knew, some I didn’t know at all and have never met.

I worked with a broad range of readers aged 11-17, in terms of socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, literacy levels and enthusiasm for reading.

All feedback was gathered anonymously via a Google Feedback form on the After Words site and can be read below.

What did you think of the moving infinity loop text?

• I thought it was impressive and a nice symbol to finish on after the poem
• Found it interesting and it was in a different style.
• The style wanted me to read the story again
• It’s Pretty cool
• Fun
• I thought it was cool
• It was cool I guess
• It was very cool, but also very powerful and symbolic
• I thought it was helpful to understand that the whole text is never ending and that you can just keep choosing your own paths.
• That was cool!! Would like it bigger on the page maybe?
• It was well cool 😎
• It created suspense !
• I liked it
• It was inspiring
• Affective, fun to look at and read , different
• It was pretty cool actually, I liked that touch.
• It was really cool
• It looked interesting
• It was very cool but complicated
• It looked like it was going on forever
• CoolCool and different
• I thought it was amazingly cool and loved it!
• It left me awestruck – I liked the fact that you could cooperate and be involved with the movement.
• It was very interactive and fun to look at

Anything else you would like to tell the writer of After Words?

• A very moving story
• It was really interesting
• I loved the way the story was told
• At the start I didn’t really want to read it but as I started reading it, then it got interesting and I started reading more and it got me thinking of my future and my past if I was an adult so I really liked it
• Loved it and the playlist was a great idea.
• I really loved your story – I was very confused at the start. It’s funny looking back at it now, now I understand more. I definetly as you foresaw reread it clicking more links. I think the first link I clicked the first time I read it was ‘ the things adult’s say’. Probably to get more insight and connect more to the story since I wasn’t 100% sure what it was about. Nearer to the end I realised or I thought in my perspective it was a goodbye letter, or more of a reminiscent letter for a child who lost her mother to look at? I love the storytelling tips – how it was almost a metaphor not just for writing tips but also as instructions and tips for the child to use later in their life. This is something I could imagine reading in school and analysing in English – like how the writer is trapped in only the beginning and imagines what her child’s middle and end look like and how these tips are for the child to discover in their own middle and end. I found the part about the inappropriate language about the music funny and the family photos are beautiful, the views made me envious. Thanks.
• You are cool I guess
• It was an incredible piece of work, really made me think about the true meaning of life and all of its intricate details, highlighted in the links such as ‘things children say’ or ‘our family photos’
• I think that the story is confusing at the start but the more times you read it or the more you go back to the beginning it starts to all become more clear.
• Cool, very intriguing! I was initially confused and felt like I was missing out on bits, like that netlix thing remember, Bander something?!? So i was going back and forth a lot but realised I was still picking up the story… So then I could chill a bit and get through top to bottom and enjoy the links in between. Really liked the ‘what kids say’ ‘what adults say’ and the ‘sayings’ links especially. Really beautiful and touching words, quite sad actually was emotional to read… I’ve never seen anything like this and I reckon with the right intro to it, and encouragement kids in school would really enjoy and explore it.
• I wasn’t sure what was happening at the start but as I kept reading it I really enjoyed it
• I really enjoyed the piece and you have inspired me to start writing more !
• How come you did this ?
• Push to get them used in schools
• I enioyed this a lot. Its something different and raw. Definitely would read again 😀
• I liked that it was interactive and I could click on the links. I felt like it was written for me and I was expecting to see my own family photos! I think that this would help people to write their own stories. I enjoyed it a lot!
• I really like the story.
• The layout should be easier to understand. There should not be as many links and external actions. The instructions should be better explained on how to read and understand the complicated story line.
• It is very nice and long which makes us realise time goes fast
• No
• The text you click on is a bit similar to black if you could change it to be brighter that would be good.
• I think it is brilliant. When you said ‘you will go back to the beginning because you were not paying attention’ I laughed and went back.
• Very intriguing and left me beguiled. “Wow” I said at the end as I found After Words quite exciting and liked how you could change or just simply follow the text.
• I liked the rhetorical questioning, it makes you feel deeply about you own thought.
• It was difficult to get you head around it at first , but they I became interesting and pulled me in