Case Study
Whimsy Orb – Give text a toy box
Whimsy Orb mixes micro-fiction, animated dice, and prompts so writers can spark ideas in under a minute. I designed the entire toy box.
Overview
Think tarot, but for writing. The Orb spits out themed prompts, textures, and sound cues. My job was to craft the grammar so surprises feel delightful—not random.
Problem / Goal
- First build felt like a UI kit, not a playful toy.
- Need to balance randomness with user agency.
- Shaders had to run smoothly on iPhone 8-era GPUs.
My Role
Mechanics mapping, writing prompt decks, shader direction, and microcopy for every Orb response.
Constraints
One dev, one sprint, and no third-party engines—everything built in Unity with in-house art.
Process
- Wireframe → created a card stack for prompts, lore, and actions with simple swipe gestures.
- UI → blended pastel holographics with chunky typography to keep it toy-like.
- Shipping → set up daily prompt rotations, reward screens, and marketing kit assets.
Outcomes
- 70% of testers create a story fragment within the first session.
- Shader optimizations cut battery drain by 32%.
- TODO: add metrics for subscriptions post soft-launch.
Live Product
Next Steps
Adding co-op prompts for writing groups and merch drops featuring Orb glyphs. Curious about playful UX for your app? Play with the Orb and ping me.