iPhone, Apple Watch
Front-end Programmer
Game Designer
JAN – MAY, 2024
About this project
Beyond Touch is an academic project developed at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) that reimagines the capabilities and constraints of the Apple Watch to support social gaming experiences. Believing that portable gaming can go beyond the touch screen, our goal is to enhance social interaction between players by leveraging Apple Watch’s functionalities and integrating physical data as part of the gameplay.
Supported by Apple AIML Engineering Manager Gierad Laput, we explore the wearable IoT(Apple Watch) potential for creating engaging social gaming experiences.
The social game we developed and published, Otter Agent: Truth or Lie, is now available for download on the App Store.
Otter Agent: Truth or Lie Commercial
My Roles
As the front-end programmer on the team, I was responsible for implementing all UI elements designed by our UI/UX team, bringing their designs from the Figma board to life on the Apple Watch. The role went beyond simply recreating UI elements. It also involved ensuring that our UI/UX design was clear, intuitive, and visually comfortable on the Apple Watch’s small screen. I regularly participated in on-campus playtest nights to validate our designs and gather feedback on their usability and overall user experience.
My development Recap:
UI Overview
Rapid Prototype — Decibel Detector
Rapid Prototype — Balance Game
Miscellaneous UI Implementations & Prototypes
UI Polishing and Optimizations
As the game designer on the team, my first task was to explore and identify Apple Watch functionalities that could be leveraged and gamified for a social game experience. Once we discovered a feature with strong potential, we rapidly prototyped it to test whether it could evoke the emotions and engagement we wanted players to experience. Based on playtest feedback and design analysis, we refined and developed the concept into a polished, playable experience. We conducted numerous playtests with both new and returning users, iterating continuously until we ultimately shipped the game as a complete product.
Our Design Journey Recap:
Design Loop & Methodology
Discover Functionalities
Rapid Prototypes & Playtests
Develop the prototype into a polished & playable experience
Playtests
Iterations
SERIOUS PLAY Conference
In May 2024, Beyond Touch was selected as an exhibitor to showcase Otter Agent: Truth or Lie at the SERIOUS PLAY Conference in Toronto, Canada, scheduled for August.
Launch on the App Store
In October 2024, Otter Agent: Truth or Lie was officially launched on the App Store, becoming available for all Apple Watch users. By December 8th, it had 142 downloads and 2.56k impressions. During the ETC Festival on December 6th, our project room was filled with enthusiastic guests who were eager to try out the game and to meet new friends in this social game.
Team Beyond Touch
It has been a tremendous honor and pleasure to work on this team alongside such talented teammates, whose capabilities, dedication, excellence, professionalism, and empathy have truly stood out.
One day, we will regroup and launch Beyond Touch Game Studio, connecting people and bringing them joy through games.
