At Boston Productions Inc. (BPI), I designed and iterated mid-fi prototypes for two complex museum interactive experiences: Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express. Each project went through several iterations over 1-week sprints, with changes driven by direct client feedback.
I also created game flows for both projects to map branching decisions, collaborated closely with developers, and authored 19 software breakdown documents that detailed UI and UX elements for our developers.
Boston Productions Inc. is a production agency that designs immersive media experiences for museums and cultural institutions. Their projects merge storytelling, education, and interactivity into installations for physical spaces. Every design must work seamlessly for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. Here is what I worked on:
I created mid-fi prototypes for two historical, interactive games set during WWII. These experiences will be a part of the National Museum of the Pacific War located in Texas!
Carrier Clash: A resource-management and strategy game based on aircraft carrier battles.
Stop the Tokyo Express: A fast-paced, nighttime naval engagement simulating the tension of real battles.
These games are planned to be displayed on large, wall-mounted touchscreens.
Beyond wireframes, I created software breakdown documents for both Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express alongside 17 other concurrent projects.
Museum exhibits don’t follow the usual UX playbook of starting with market research and personas. These projects require close coordination with interior designers, architects, and physical prototyping teams, alongside the experience designer.
This multidisciplinary approach means that every digital interactive must integrate seamlessly into the physical space and take into account sightlines, visitor flow, accessibility needs, and tactile elements.
While a specific museum installation may be targeting small children, it's still worthwhile to consider how other demographics like parents may interact with it!
For Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express, this meant balancing engaging digital gameplay with historical accuracy and ensuring that the interactives are accessible for all visitors. On top of this complexity, both projects were driven by tight sprint cycles and direct client feedback.
Before fully diving into prototyping, I needed to understand the historical context behind these proposed games.
Researchers and historians on our team compiled "content documents" that included both historical information and client needs.
My mentor sketched the first playable prototypes to establish baseline mechanics, visual style, and interaction patterns.
With the sketches and historical information, I created game flows for Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express.
Like user flows, game flows are perfect assets for crafting functional and complete designs. These flows:
Both Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express went through seven iterations. After each round, I incorporated feedback from my mentor, the clients, and other BPI teams to refine the experience.
Since the size and mounting height of the final touch screens for these projects were already set, we knew exactly where the interactive elements needed to be placed.
In each frame, the dotted red line marks the boundary. I designed both projects to have most visual features above that line and ensured that all functional elements fell below it and within reach to every visitor.
Carrier Clash challenged players to sink the enemy carrier before their own was destroyed. To succeed, they had to balance the speed of scout planes with the firepower of slower bombers, using both strategically to locate and take down the target.
My first prototype translated my mentor's simple sketches into clean and simple mid-fi prototypes.
Besides some gameplay changes, version 2.1 most notably removed the mini grid aspect of the game. The bottom half of the screens were too busy, and by concentrating the visuals to just the main grid, the overall UI looked more cohesive.
UI/UX wise, the latest prototype cleaned up all the extra instructional text in the "game loop" frames. We needed to make the best use of our functional space.
Stop the Tokyo Express challenged players to prevent enemy destroyers from delivering vital supplies to their fleet. To succeed, players had to navigate stormy skies, carefully balance fuel and ammunition, and strategically take down as many destroyers as possible before they reached their destination.
My first prototype mimicked the other project, and similarily translated my mentor's simple sketches into clean and simple mid-fi prototypes.
After reviewing the first versions with clients and content experts, we realized the real historical events were less about a static blockade and much more dynamic. In response, we reworked the gameplay. I redesigned the prototype to center around dive bombers actively targeting enemy destroyers and added a fuel/armament toggle to bring back some complexity in gameplay.
The latest prototype cleaned up all the extra instructional text in the "game loop" frames, and also streamlined the fuel/armament system.
In the mid-fi stage, I kept prototypes monochromatic to avoid distractions and keep the focus where it mattered: on gameplay and functionality.
Adding colors or polished visuals too early can cause clients to hyper-focus on aesthetics instead of how the interaction actually works. By stripping back the design, it was easier to test core mechanics, refine user flow, and make sure the experience felt clear and engaging before moving on to more detailed graphics.
Beyond wireframes, I created software breakdown documents for not just Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express, but 17 other concurrent projects.
These breakdowns captured every button state, transition, and interaction. They tied directly to prototype frames and included placement notes and trigger conditions. To make implementation easier, they also mapped out branching logic for developers to follow.
Beyond guiding developers, these breakdowns acted as a bridge between teams. They helped consolidate graphics with functionality, and aligned copywriting/content documents, so everyone was working from the same source.
They also made it easier to spot inconsistencies across projects within the same museum, which improved overall cohesion.
For my own projects, these docs will continue to be useful even after my internship—giving the team clear references to build on, troubleshoot from, and keep the experience consistent as the work moves forward.
Alongside my software breakdown docs and project work, I conducted in-person usability testing with both children in the target demographic and client stakeholders for some other museum interactive projects.
Through task-based play sessions and immediate feedback, I observed how players navigated mechanics, identified points of confusion, and gathered insights on pacing and clarity. These sessions were crucial for validating design decisions and understanding how real visitors engaged with prototypes.
This internship was especially exciting since it was my first time designing more game-like digital experiences. Working under tight deadlines while also accounting for different accessibility needs in the museum world pushed me to learn quickly, and those lessons are definitely going to stick with me in future projects. Some key takeaways from this experience:
Right now, Carrier Clash and Stop the Tokyo Express are in alpha. After more development, the next step is connecting them to touch screens and testing with real visitors. Before long, they will be installed at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Texas.
It's exciting to imagine these projects becoming part of museum exhibits in the near future!
