This week, our team spent most of our time preparing for our halves presentation. We also are planning for an upcoming playtest and refining the foundation of our project.
Research and Development
We began the week by deepening our understanding of shoe archetypes, materials, and structure, making sense of the logic behind what makes a court shoe different from an outdoor shoe, a jungle boot different from a snow boot. Turns out, a lot of these are design and material engineering innovations.
These insights directly informed both our design direction and our collaboration with our industry partner, who is providing access to a sustainable materials database. On the gameplay side, we continued developing wireframes and refining the gameplay loop, ensuring the experience feels intuitive and aligned with our goals.
To ground our design decisions in real user perspectives, we also conducted interviews with teens about their experiences with STEM learning these conversations are helping shape how we connect play with learning outcomes.
Client and Partner Coordination
Communication and alignment were a key focus this week. We held several meetings with our client and external partners to share updates and coordinate next steps. A detailed shoe breakdown spreadsheet was sent to the client, who will return mock data visualizations using their sustainable materials database.
During our meeting with ANSYS over fall break, we came into alignment with how we plan to conduct our tests.
We also followed up with community partners to provide team clearances and distribute playtest flyers, ensuring that logistics are set for the upcoming testing sessions. Importantly, we confirmed with our clients Ansys that their expectation of a success is that we deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): a playable version of the project that demonstrates the core concept in full.
Playtesting Preparation
With the first playtest on the horizon, we focused on ensuring everything is ready for a smooth session. Visual materials like the playtest flyer were finalized, and scheduling with our partner organizations is underway. The team is actively building the MVP, refining the gameplay flow, and designing the background art that will define the look and feel of the experience.
Presentation and Documentation
Our halves presentation was refined this week, focusing on clarifying the project’s goals, core framework, and narrative foundation. We also updated the project website and began drafting new blog posts to share progress with the broader community. These updates will continue as we move into the testing phase.
Looking Ahead
Next week, our priorities are clear:
- Confirm the playtest date and logistics.
- Finalize the MVP for testing.
- Align art direction across gameplay assets.
- Continue collaboration with the client on materials data.
- Prepare new content for the website and social media.
With our first MVP nearing completion and the playtest approaching, the project is entering an exciting phase where ideas will finally meet players. We can’t wait to see how our work resonates in the real world and what insights we’ll gain from the first round of feedback.
