Road of Trials

Design Process and Reflection: 

Over the past six weeks, I've had the opportunity to collaborate with a team to design a game-based simulation that introduces pre-service teachers to computational thinking (CT) and helps them learn how to integrate CT strategies into different content areas. While the final product is still evolving, the process has challenged and grown me—as a designer, an educator, and a teammate.


Our team launch was tentative. We shared our expertise and passions, but the process leaned heavily toward task delegation rather than collaboration. I found myself jumping in more than I anticipated or wanted—not to take over, but to jumpstart our thinking and generate forward momentum. As a coach, I know that sometimes you must show before you tell. After initial game ideas and client communication, I created a hybrid game concept document that synthesized multiple team ideas and addressed our client's goals: helping future teachers understand computational thinking and see it as a powerful, practical tool for lesson design. While the intent was co-creation, the response leaned more into critique or silence, and the discussion didn't take off. It did, however, give us a starting point. From our evolving conversations and client feedback, we landed on the idea of CT Quest: A Teacher's Adventure. 


The game concept revolves around players entering a digital school—The Spark School—where subject areas have glitched due to the absence of CT. As CT Designers, players restore classrooms from glitching by solving bite-sized puzzles (pattern recognition, algorithms, etc.). They culminate the play by redesigning lessons with CT integration. Each phase of the game offers scaffolded challenges, giving players opportunities to experiment, fail, refine, and grow. The mentor character, BYTE, guides players and gives feedback, reinforcing the power of iteration. We later renamed the game ReBoot, reflecting both the narrative arc and the player's role in restoring creative, problem-based learning.


I led the storyboarding, narrative design, and the prototype's visual assets. One of my passions is video storytelling. I created the game's intro video using Keynote, Canva, and Final Cut Pro. It introduces BYTE and the broken world of The Spark School. My goal was to hook players emotionally—so they'd feel the glitch, the urgency, and the hope that their choices could restore balance. I drafted dialogue for BYTE, sketched the full storyboard for all game levels, and created graphic assets to support our prototype build in Construct 3. I collaborated closely with a teammate leading the prototype, ensuring our visuals matched the story's tone, mechanics, and progression. I created a Character Journey Map for BYTE and the player to support alignment. This helped guide emotional beats across the game and ensure that each level served the learning objectives and the larger narrative arc. As feedback came in from our professor and client, I continually refined the story and gameplay loop to strengthen clarity and cohesion. Another teammate consistently supported this iterative process. 


The most challenging part of this project for me wasn't the technical work—it was gracefully navigating group dynamics. At the start of the project, I had hoped for more organic collaboration and iterative design. Early in the process, I felt like presenting drafts for approval rather than building something together. While this happens in group projects, it reminded me that creative work thrives in environments where all voices are empowered to create—not just react. Overall, the group collaboration was humbling for me. I grew as a teammate as I navigated the tension between moving things forward and holding space for others. As the weeks unfolded, the collaboration strengthened, which surprised and delighted me. 

This design experience gave me new insight into how narrative, mechanics and learning goals can intersect in meaningful ways. I see game design as interactive scriptwriting—every puzzle, character interaction, and challenge is an opportunity to deepen understanding.


Useful New Content


Some of my most valuable takeaways:

  • Designing with intention is my north star—every element must serve story and learning.
  • CT is more than a concept—it's a creative lens for real-world problem-solving.
  • Storyboards are empathy maps—not just planning tools but ways to anticipate the player's experience. Feedback doesn't have to be formal—it can be embedded into the game's flow in motivating, meaningful ways.
  • The power of stealth assessment—thinking about how to measure learning without breaking immersion.


If I could rewind and start again, I'd suggest a more structured co-creation framework for the group—perhaps a rotating lead system or collaborative sketch sessions. But ultimately, I wouldn't trade the experience. I've stretched my design and relational muscles, and I'm walking away with a clearer sense of how I want to lead, build, and teach. 


There's still work to be done—refining levels, revising assets, and integrating feedback—but I'm excited. We're not just building a game. We're crafting a learning experience that empowers future teachers to see CT as more than a buzzword. We're helping them reboot their perspective and unlock new ways to design with purpose.


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Portfolio of Work

Designs and contributions to our ReBoot game:


Videos 

  • Intro Video 
  • Cut Scene Video 

Narrative and Storyboarding 

  • Lead on storyline | storyboard 
  • Lead on Byte Dialogue 
  • Science Puzzle 
  • Lead on Hallway Puzzles 
  • Character Journey Map for BYTE/players 

Visual Assets 

  • Created all graphics (except BYTE) 
  • Support for Construct 3 build integration 

Client Communication 

  • Created Canva presentation to pitch our game to the client 
  • Synthesized feedback and iterated storyboard accordingly 

Game Assessment Integration 

  • Assisted with assessment by proposing ways to embed stealth assessment and feedback loops
  • Offered ideas for Innovation Hub feedback structure