Shape Burst

3D Game

An interactive 3D game built with Three.js

ThreeJS

Creative Coding

AI-Assisted Development

Challenge

In today’s web environment, capturing and retaining user attention is difficult due to information overload and short attention spans (average user attention span on a webpage is ~8 seconds, per Nielsen Norman Group studies). Traditional static content often fails to engage users deeply, especially in industries like education, marketing, or entertainment, where interaction and immersion are key.

Solution

Shape Burst tackles the challenge of user engagement in digital spaces by using interactive 3D visuals and gamified mechanics to capture attention and encourage exploration, making it ideal for industries needing immersive experiences.

🎮 Break Through the Noise with Shape Burst!

Currently not optimized for mobile

What is Three.js?

Three.js is a JavaScript library that simplifies 3D graphics rendering in the browser using WebGL. It abstracts complex WebGL operations (e.g., shaders, buffers) into a high-level API, allowing developers to create 3D scenes, objects, and animations with minimal code.

Game design and the underlying creative coding approach can have applications beyond gaming.

Education

Application: Interactive learning modules. The game’s mechanics (e.g., targeting shapes, earning points) can be adapted to teach concepts like geometry, physics (e.g., particle systems), or even data visualization (e.g., mapping scores to real-world datasets).

Example: A physics education platform could use a similar 3D environment to simulate gravitational forces, where students “burst” objects to see how mass affects motion, making learning experiential.

Application: Interactive brand experiences. Companies can use gamified 3D visuals to engage users on websites or campaigns, increasing dwell time and brand recall.

Example: A car manufacturer could create a 3D “shape burst” experience where users interact with car parts (e.g., burst shapes to reveal engine components), making the campaign memorable.

Marketing

Data Visualization

Application: Visualizing complex datasets in 3D. Shape Burst’s particle systems and constellation lines can represent data points and connections (e.g., social networks, neural networks).

Example: A fintech company could use Three.js to visualize market trends, with shapes representing stocks and constellations showing correlations, making data intuitive.

Healthcare

Application: Cognitive training or therapy tools. This game’s simple mechanics and rewarding feedback loops can be used for cognitive exercises (e.g., for patients with ADHD or memory issues).

Example: A mental health app could adapt the game to help users focus, rewarding them for sustained attention with visual effects like constellations.

Game design principles can inform larger system design challenges by modeling complex systems in a simplified, interactive way

Game Design Principle: Feedback Loops

In Shape Burst, immediate feedback (e.g., score popups, combo multipliers, visual effects) keeps players engaged and informs their next actions.

System Design Application: Feedback loops are critical in system design (e.g., DevOps pipelines, user feedback in SaaS platforms). Shape Burst shows how to design responsive systems that adapt to user input, a principle applicable to building scalable software architectures.

Game Design Principle: Modularity

This game uses modular components (e.g., Shape, Wave, ParticleBurst classes) that interact but are independent, making it easy to modify or expand features

System Design Application: Modularity is key in system design for scalability and maintenance (e.g., microservices, modular UI components in React). Shape Burst demonstrates how to design systems where components can be updated without breaking the whole.

Example: A cloud-based e-commerce platform can use modular services (e.g., payment, inventory) that interact like your game’s shapes and particles, ensuring flexibility.

Game Design Principle: User - Centric Iteration

System Design Application: This mirrors iterative design in systems, where user feedback drives improvements (e.g., A/B testing in product development). Shape Burst and other games show how to balance technical constraints with user experience.

Example: A logistics system can iterate on routing algorithms based on driver feedback, similar to how game design adjusts game mechanics for playability.

Interaction and UX Design Approach

AI Assisted Development

I utilized generative AI, specifically Grok 3 by xAI, to boost the efficiency and speed of my Three.js Shape Burst Game’s development, cutting time by about 70%. AI provided real-time troubleshooting support, deployment, optimization, allowing me to focus on creative innovation while delivering a polished, performant experience.

Shape Burst prioritizes usability with clear objectives and intuitive controls, playability through engaging mechanics and feedback, and accessibility via high contrast, touch support, and performance optimization—demonstrating focus on user-centered design for inclusive experiences.

Ready to explore how game design can revolutionize your industry? Let’s connect and build something extraordinary together!