Building External Connections
Early in the week, Derek connected us with Onur Gun, New Balance’s Director of Computational Design. This opened the door to an exciting opportunity: a future panel Zoom call with New Balance designers and engineers. The date isn’t set yet, but we are looking forward to it.
Client Check-In with Ansys
On the client side, we had a productive meeting with Ansys to discuss both gameplay and simulation. Leading up to it, we dug into lab and footwear testing methods; like how researchers break down shoes to study materials and performance. That preparation really paid off, giving us the right language and perspective for the conversation.
Here’s what we learned:
- Material simulations scale best; even a one-inch square can yield useful results.
- Lab tests like aerodynamics are realistic to simulate.
- Long-term wear tests are simply too computationally heavy.
- Less is more: even five designs across a few materials and methods is already “too much.”
This reinforced the need to simplify player choices in-game. Skye also sent over a Maya shoe model to test the export pipeline, and we’re expecting results back on Friday.
Gameplay Development
On the gameplay side, we developed an early prototype concept, which he’ll begin building in Unity next week. We also started exploring one of our big design questions:
👉 How should we reward players for making a correct diagnosis?
It’s a small detail, but one that could shape how engaging the overall experience feels.
Team Progress
- Libby has been refreshing our project website to showcase the latest progress.
- We’ve been consolidating research and meeting notes to keep everyone aligned.
- Sam reached out to Benjamin to start organizing youth play sessions (ages 13–18): a step we’re especially excited about.
- We wrapped the week with a team bonding session on Friday, which was a fun way to recharge after a busy stretch.
Looking Ahead
Next week, our focus will be on:
- Scheduling the New Balance panel call
- Visiting Ansys’s physical site for firsthand insights (and plenty of photos)
- Confirming youth play sessions and launching our teen survey
- Building out a paper prototype of the gameplay loop
