{"id":393,"date":"2025-09-25T20:36:16","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T20:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/?p=393"},"modified":"2025-12-12T17:38:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:38:17","slug":"week-5-refining-gameplay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/week-5-refining-gameplay\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 5 &#8211; Refining Gameplay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"767\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-14-767x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-14-767x1024.png 767w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-14-225x300.png 225w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-14-768x1025.png 768w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-14-1151x1536.png 1151w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-14.png 1322w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 767px) 100vw, 767px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Client &amp; Partner Alignment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Early in the week, we scheduled our <strong>Zellerfeld meeting<\/strong> for Wednesday, September 24, with a pre-alignment session the day before to make sure our asks for both Zellerfeld and Ansys were crystal clear. In parallel, we kept building toward our <strong>end-of-week meeting with Ansys<\/strong>, ensuring our design and prototyping work tied directly into their expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From our previous session with <strong>Chris and Ethan from Ansys<\/strong> we dove deeper into their simulation workflow. One of Ethan\u2019s most useful insights was how <strong>simulation iterations multiply<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Every shoe design \u00d7 every material \u00d7 every test = one iteration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even two sneakers (e.g., high top and low top), paired with a few materials (zNylon, zLycra) and tests (split tear, abrasion), already result in dozens of simulations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This highlighted the need to <strong>limit variations<\/strong> to keep simulations feasible. We even saw a <strong>stress test demo<\/strong>, which helped us visualize possibilities. Ansys suggested they might be able to <strong>mimic Zellerfeld\u2019s lattices<\/strong> in their system; though material details from Zellerfeld will be crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When discussing outputs, we explored:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Numeric values<\/strong> (easy to share, harder to interpret)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Simulation mp4s<\/strong> (great visuals, but heavy and outside our art style)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>GLBs<\/strong> (3D models only)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We may need to animate our own <strong>particle systems<\/strong> based on Ansys\u2019s data to balance technical accuracy with engaging aesthetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gameplay Loop Development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We refined the <strong>core mechanic<\/strong> of our transformational shoe testing game: players start with a broken shoe and diagnose its issues by running simulated tests on different components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Shoe Types:<\/strong> high-top sneakers, low-top sneakers, rainboots, sandals, and high heels\u2014each with unique material and structural challenges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Component Breakdown:<\/strong> upper, midsole, and outsole defined for each shoe type, with materials including Nylon, Lycra, Cambrelle, EVA, synthetic leathers, and various polymers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Simulated Tests:<\/strong> part-level tests (split tear, resilience rebound, din abrasion, compression set, slip resistance, tensile strength) and whole-shoe tests (e.g., tensile strength, slip resistance) mapped to components.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Problem Mapping<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We also finalized a preliminary list of potential shoe problems for players to diagnose:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Pronation and supination<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lever inefficiencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toe box and heel scraping<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This mapping grounds the gameplay in <strong>real-world engineering challenges<\/strong> while keeping it engaging and educational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Integration of 3D Printing Insights<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Our meeting with <strong>Tim from Zellerfeld<\/strong> gave us key insights into 3D-printed shoes that shaped gameplay design:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rigidity Levels:<\/strong> shoes generally use three stiffness levels, represented in-game as toggleable material property sets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Single Print Structure:<\/strong> no secondary assembly, reinforcing our approach of treating shoes as unified components with adjustable properties.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Material Properties > Exact Materials:<\/strong> prioritizing property sets over direct material replication aligns with our simulation-based design.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biomechanical Considerations:<\/strong> designers address foot problems through shoe structure and stiffness, a concept we can weave directly into our diagnostic gameplay.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Iteration &amp; Material Testing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With these insights, players will experiment with <strong>materials and reinforcements<\/strong> to solve problems. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Reinforcing the toe box to prevent splitting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adjusting midsole padding for compression\/rebound<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selecting outsoles to improve slip resistance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Toggling stiffness levels to see how rigidity impacts performance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outreach &amp; Youth Engagement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Outreach continued to expand this week. <strong>Sam followed up with Ben<\/strong>, who connected us with several youth-oriented groups in Pittsburgh, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Assemble<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>LIFE Male STEAM Academy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>City High<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We sent an introduction email and requested support for <strong>educator interviews<\/strong> and <strong>student playtests<\/strong>. Scheduling with both teachers and students (ages 13\u201318) is now underway\u2014a major step toward grounding our design in real player feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Creative &amp; Documentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>On the creative side, <strong>Skye and Jiwon finalized our logo, poster, and half-sheet design<\/strong>, marking a big milestone for visual identity. We also:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Continued <strong>brainstorming in FigJam<\/strong> on the gameplay journey.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pushed forward <strong>website development<\/strong> (despite a few publishing snags).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kept building strong <strong>documentation<\/strong> to track updates and align the team.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Looking Ahead to Week 5<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Next week, our focus is on action:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next Tuesday: Meeting with <strong>Onur Gun (New Balance)<\/strong> for the designer\/engineer panel call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Next <strong>Monday:<\/strong> Client meeting with Ansys to present a wireframe and confirm scope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Next Tuesday:<\/strong> Test our <strong>prototype based on the gameplay loop<\/strong> at Playtest Night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finalize the <strong>poster and logo rollout<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Confirm <strong>youth sessions<\/strong> and launch the <strong>teen survey<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"863\" src=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-25-164747-1024x863.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-25-164747-1024x863.png 1024w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-25-164747-300x253.png 300w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-25-164747-768x647.png 768w, https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Screenshot-2025-09-25-164747.png 1493w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Client &amp; Partner Alignment Early in the week, we scheduled our Zellerfeld meeting for Wednesday, September 24, with a pre-alignment session the day before to make sure our asks for both Zellerfeld and Ansys were crystal clear. In parallel, we kept building toward our end-of-week meeting with Ansys, ensuring our design and prototyping work tied [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":395,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":415,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393\/revisions\/415"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/projects.etc.cmu.edu\/kicks-lab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}