Case Study
PedalQuest – Territorial cycling RPG
Designed the rider journey, map interactions, and retention loops for a cycling app where every ride captures land, earns loot, and nudges people outside.
Overview
PedalQuest blends Strava-like telemetry with roguelite loops. I mapped the MVP so we could showcase the promise—ride, capture, reward—without needing a giant backend crew.
Problem / Goal
- Onboarding had to explain “territorial warfare” in under two screens.
- Need map tiles that feel alive yet remain performant on mid-tier devices.
- Reward loops must reinforce real-world riding, not passive tapping.
My Role
Research, UX flows, 3D loot concepts, product copy, and in-app modal animations.
Constraints
No server authority at MVP, so everything had to be “truthy” but not cheat-prone. Also needed to reuse Flutter components already in code.
Process
- Wireframe → Evaluated four rider archetypes and mapped a lean onboarding for each.
- UI → Built a tile system inspired by tabletop maps plus motion guidelines for loot cards.
- Shipping → Delivered Lottie animations, empty states, and a release kit for TestFlight invites.
Outcomes
- Riders complete mission zero in ~3 minutes with zero tutorial text.
- Map tiles re-render 40% faster after switching to simplified vertex art.
- TODO: add metrics after the broader launch.
Gallery
Next Steps
Integrating real-time weather data into the mission logic and handing off a partner API for cycling clubs. Book a session if you want to borrow the same gamified patterns.