Inevitable Rebirth

Context and Problem

Figma Game Mode is an exploratory concept designed to make learning Figma more engaging through play. Rather than relying on traditional tutorials or prescriptive step-by-step instructions, the project reframes onboarding as a low-pressure playground where users learn by experimenting directly within the tool.

PROBLEM

Many designers struggle to retain skills learned through passive tutorials. While existing learning resources explain features well, they often require observational learning or rigid task completion, which can feel tedious and overwhelming—especially for beginners.

DESIGN QUESTION

How might learning a design tool feel more intuitive and engaging if users were encouraged to play, experiment, and discover features organically?

DURATION: 2 weeks

Research

METHODS USED

This project relied on feasibility-driven experimentation rather than traditional user research, due to its speculative, physical-digital nature. I conducted a series of controlled material, scale, and hardware tests to evaluate what interactions and effects were realistically achievable within the project’s timeframe and technical constraints.

Feasibility Experiment 1: Biological Growth & Sprouting

Goal: Determine whether live plant growth could be reliably integrated into 3D-printed or wood-based architectural models to represent environmental overgrowth.

VARIABLES TESTED

  • Chia

  • Wheatgrass

  • Chia + wheatgrass combination

  • Sprout’s mixed sprouting seed blend

GROWING METHODS APPLIED ACROSS ALL SEED TYPES:

  • Seeds placed directly on scored plywood to increase surface porosity

  • Seeds grown on wet paper towels, then transferred to wooden building models once sprouted

  • Seeds grown in egg-carton cardboard pulp, then transferred to wooden building models

All methods received consistent watering and equal access to sunlight.

FINDINGS

  • Seeds grown in cardboard pulp produced the most consistent and dense growth.

  • Direct application to wood surfaces proved unreliable without a growth medium.


Feasibility Experiment 2: Large-Scale 3D Printing

Goal: Validate whether architectural models could be printed at a scale large enough to support embedded digital components.

CONSTRAINTS & METHODS

  • Used Tinkercad to test scale variations of building models.

  • Original design required:

  • Embedded Arduino-controlled LCD screens functioning as digital billboards

  • Buildings at least 1 ft tall

  • Minimum 5-inch width for at least two buildings

FINDINGS

  • Larger print scale significantly increased fabrication time and resource demands.

  • Printing in modular sections became necessary to maintain feasibility.


Feasibility Experiment 3: Simulating Time-Induced Corrosion
Goal: Explore whether gradual material degradation could visually represent environmental decay over time.

APPROACH

  • Programmed an Arduino-controlled water pump to produce a slow, continuous drip from within a building structure.

  • Tested whether building materials would visibly change through prolonged saturation.

ENCASING MATERIAL TESTS

  • Food-dyed coarse salt applied using a sugar-water binding mixture

  • Salt mixed with egg whites and applied as a paste

KEY QUESTIONS ADDRESSED

  • Which material best demonstrates visible change over time?

  • How thick should the encasing be to allow gradual erosion?

  • What application method maintains structural integrity while enabling decay?

FINDINGS

  • Salt-based encasings provided strong visual impact but introduced high unpredictability.

  • Liquid-based degradation added significant technical risk to system reliability.

KEY RESEARCH INSIGHTS

  • Early ideation emphasized technical novelty (3D printing, Arduino, animation) but lacked narrative cohesion until environmental storytelling anchored design decisions.

  • Cardboard pulp proved the most viable medium for representing biological overgrowth through live plant growth.

  • Hardware-driven effects (water pumps, salt corrosion, embedded LCDs) significantly increased system fragility, reinforcing the need for contingency planning and scope control.

puma roams the streets of Santiago, on March 24, 2020, ATON CHILE/AFP via Getty Images

Ideation

ARTIFACTS & TOOLS

  • Brainstorm Sessions: Collaborative breakout rooms helped identify compelling intersections between technology and environmental themes.
• Journey Mapping: I sketched viewer journeys through narrative arcs — from capitalist ads to dystopian decay to planetary healing.

INSPIRATION

  • Climate Clock in New York City

  • Twenty one twelve exhibit by Jennifer and Kevin Mccoy

  • The return of wild animals to urban spaces during the absence of human activity during 2020 lockdown

CONCEPT

  • A post apocalyptic metropolitan city where nature has taken back the earth after the extinction of humans.

    KEY FEATURES

  • Model building of various materials including 3D printed plastic and laser cut plywood.

  • Growing greenery throughout the city, including on the buildings.

  • Small LCD screens programmed with Arduino to display billboard advertisements for post-apocalyptic products: breathing masks, drinkable water as a luxury item, and doomsday shelters.

  • Screens as a commentary on humans valuing societal advancement over societal survival and thus our technology has outlived us

  • Active corrosion of a building to show time passing.

MEDIUM

  • Time lapse capturing the sprout growth, the building corrosion, and the flickering of the billboards advertisement.

AUDIENCE
This project targets both a general exhibition audience, and and audience of professionals in the creative technology field. The work invites viewers to question what society chooses to preserve, and the ethics of technological advancement at the detriment of human life.

Iteration

ITERATION 1: 10 WEEKS

What Worked

  • Successful sprouting growth

  • Successful camera angels and shot intervals

Improvements for the next iteration

  • The green screen was the same color as the sprouts which made post-production unsuccessful, next iteration to use a different color backdrop

  • Due to time and fabrication constraints, I scoped the project to remove the embedded LCD screens and water pump, prioritizing narrative clarity and physical completion over technical complexity.

  • Resin cars left unpainted (also due to constraints)


ITERATION 2: 10 WEEKS

What Worked

  • Successful sprouting growth

  • Successful camera angels and shot intervals

  • Successful blue screen

  • Painted resin cars

  • More time to work in post-production allowed me to edit in audio and a weather cycle to demonstrate the passing of time.

If I could do this project again:
In a future iteration, I would explore moss and fungi growth to create more organic overgrowth. Fungi’s mycorrhizal networks, which thrive through cooperation, would serve as a symbolic counterpoint to human waste—illustrating how healing emerges when living systems work together.

Outcome

The project resulted in a large-scale, physically fabricated city diorama that integrates 3D modeling, material experimentation, and narrative-driven animation to explore speculative environmental futures. Through iterative feasibility testing, the final artifact balanced conceptual ambition with reliable execution, delivering a cohesive physical–digital experience suitable for exhibition.

KEY LEARNINGS

  • Feasibility testing is a form of user research: Early material and hardware experiments surfaced constraints that directly shaped more resilient design decisions.

  • Narrative strengthens systems design: Anchoring technical components to a clear environmental story improved coherence and guided scope decisions.

  • Reducing technical risk can increase impact: Scoping back high-risk hardware allowed the project to succeed end-to-end without compromising its core message.