Moment 1: Concepting a game that didn’t exist yet
The early phase was intense, messy, and energising. Hours were spent banging heads, challenging assumptions, and pressure-testing ideas with SMEs across design, engineering, and delivery. We had to define the type of game before we could design anything at all. Key decisions included committing to portrait orientation to keep the experience hyper-casual and accessible, and structuring the game around three core modes: Quick Play, Campaign (Road to Race), and Grand Prix. This structure gave us flexibility, immediate engagement for casual players, progression for return players, and a clear sense of ambition and payoff.
Moment 2: Ground truth in Philipstown
To avoid designing from a distance, part of the team travelled to Philipstown to do the work properly. We ran interviews with local children, spent time listening and observing, and used drawing sessions and workshops to co-create the visual language of the game. The brand identity, tone, and expression were shaped directly by the community.
Alongside this, we captured drone footage and photography, mapping the different tracks.
All of this was synthesised back into the product thinking, sharpening our point of view and raising the bar on authenticity.
Moment 3: From vision to system
With a clear creative vision, we moved into building a brand identity and design system that could do two things at once: honour the character of Philipstown and allow us to move fast. Resources were limited and timelines tight, so the system had to support rapid prototyping without collapsing under its own weight.
We designed modular UI, flexible visual components, and clear interaction patterns that could scale across game modes while staying cohesive.
Moment 4: Building together, sprint by sprint
