This project helped me grow

I loved this class as it covered my top areas of interest, including immersive technology, entertainment, software, and art. The team structure was an exciting blend of perspectives and disciplines, and it was my first time working on such a high-caliber project. We received very fast-paced and extensive training and were thrown in the deep end.

In this class, those with the elected class pitches were tasked with both project management and art direction for their respective game concepts. As an organized person who is obsessed with productivity tools like Notion, I was effective in communicating the vision, components, and needs of our design direction. However, balancing my responsibilities as a hands-on designer and a high-level planner proved challenging, and I found that I favored design and art direction over project management.

How (not to) scope: Aspirations vs. Reality
There were a few occasions where my attention to small art & design details distracted me from prioritizing constant "minimum viable product" (MVP) releases. For instance, I was fascinated with the idea of using an organic and rich “unmoving plaid” interactive pattern on the landscape to suggest deeper spaces and “brain activity” beyond the brain’s surface. I created a prototype to demonstrate this to my programmer when I really should have asked myself whether it was essential to a frictionless gameplay experience. Setting aside this idea for later would have given us more time and focus on higher-level level planning. In retrospect, I see how I leaned into my artistic vision over my role as a project manager and product strategist, which also contributed to an overly optimistic scope.

Our original plan for the prototype was to create one level with four stages representing a sleep cycle: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and REM. I believed that limiting the scope in this way would constitute a minimum viable product (MVP). However, I later realized my understanding of "minimum" was too vague when I should have focused on the minimum that could be tested and demonstrated (in our case, a single sleep stage, just a fraction of one level). Ultimately at a later stage to ensure timely completion, I made cuts to the scope with the help of my lead developer and by meeting with each team member individually. It was difficult to let go of some of the team's hard work, but it was necessary to focus on absolute minimum requirements to meet our deadline.

Having a true MVP from the start would have given us more opportunities for executing on delightful details and polish at the later cycles of development. Coming from a background in visual design and filmmaking, I was used to a more linear progression and unaccustomed to the recursive & interative nature of software development. Going forward, I want to be more cognizant of this lesson and see where I can apply it to other mediums.

Leading
During the semester, I received feedback from my team that I could be more firm on them  meeting deadlines. At first, I was uncomfortable with the idea of being too demanding, so I approached tasks with more questions and suggestions rather than clear orders. However, thanks to my team's support and feedback, I grew more confident in my leadership abilities as the semester progressed. One member told me after the final presentations that she would feel motivated to "get it done for Nathan" 🥲.

Despite the missteps, this class threw me out of my comfort zone and significantly developed my creative and professional confidence. Firing on all cylinders for that whole semester, working collaboratively, and adapting quickly to changes in strategy & approach during that semester helped prepare me for my future senior thesis film production and invigorated my love for working with people. I keep in touch with my team and hope to work with them again.