from games to tissues

gavan wilhite

about me

  • VP of Software Engineering, Prellis Biologics
  • Founder, AltspaceVR
  • Computer Science (Games), USC
  • Born in Honolulu, HI

Topics

  1. Shared principles
  2. TissueWorkshop
  3. Creativity Tips
  • Math is the same
  • Shared libraries, engines, tools, formats, etc
  • Similar talent pool

Shared Principal

3D is 3D

  • Better tools
    • improve productivity
    • make work more fun
    • unlock capabilities
  • Game tooling is powerful (it's a $120 billion industry)

Shared Principal

Tools are Important

Cmder

Unity

PyCharm

  • Automate your toolchains
  • Test your code
  • Foster DevOps capabilities
  • Beware persistent security threats

Shared Principal

Scaling Matters

  • Design tool for tissue engineering
  • Runs in a web browser

TissueWorkshop

  • Draws inspiration from character creation tools
  • Addresses similar combinatoric challenges
  • Enables high accessibility

TissueWorkshop

Game UI Design

  • Power is in the algorithm
  • Automatically do tedious or impossible design tasks
  • Used in games for buildings, vehicles, etc
  • Few bits in, many bits out
    • Analogous to Cell -> Body data expansion

TissueWorkshop

Generative Design

{
 "diameter": 10,
 "layersPerMM": 0.5,
 "quality": "print",
 "resolution": 100,
 "horizontalTubes": {
  "perMM": 0.5,
  "dimensionVariants": [
   {
    "prevalence": 0.5,
    "innerDiameter": 600,
    "wallThickness": 100
   }
  ]
 },
 "crossingTubes": {
  "perMM": 0.5,
  "crossingAngle": 45,
  "dimensionVariants": [
   {
    "prevalence": 0.5,
    "innerDiameter": 600,
    "wallThickness": 100
   }
  ]
 },
 "verticalTubes": {
  "dimensionVariants": [
   {
    "prevalence": 0.5,
    "innerDiameter": 600,
    "wallThickness": 100
   }
  ]
 },
 "extras": {
  "curvedTubes": {
   "count": 20,
   "dimensionVariants": [
    {
     "prevalence": 0.5,
     "innerDiameter": 600,
     "wallThickness": 100
    }
   ]
  }
 },
 "seed": 673976
}
  • Enables exploration of design spaces
  • Creates useful surprises
  • Analogous to game server latency
  • Requires architectural dedication

TissueWorkshop

Iteration Time

TissueWorkshop

The Future

  1. One
  2. Two
  3. Three
  4. Four
  5. ...

Creativity Exercise

List Making

  • Take 3 minutes to list 20 items
  • Good daily creativity practice
  • Numbering helps
  1. Mind map  (#nofilter)
  2. Highlight interesting ideas
  3. Erase the board
  4. Add the highlights back
  5. Repeat..

Creativity Exercise

Expansion <> Contraction

  1. Get post-its or a text editor
  2. Set a 3 minute timer
  3. Brainstorm privately
  4. Combine everyone's items
  5. Organize and consolidate together
  • Use in meetings with > 3 people
  • Great way to ensure people get heard
  • Can be kept anonymous

Parallel Brainstorm

 

Gavan Wilhite

gavan(@)wilhite.io

Thank You

  • Game design involves constant cycles of creativity
  • Lenses can remind us of important considerations
  • Useful in UX design
  • Some might not fit, but most can spark thought

Game Design Lenses

Bonus Tool

Bonus Tool

Rory's Story Cubes

  • Interpreted metaphorically
  • Useful for escaping local maxima
    • Adds significant "annealing heat"
  • Out of the cube thinking