BDC Case Study

1 // PROJECT OVERVIEW

Our team at Outpost 4 was engaged to create a suite of mobile applications centered around both clinical-style activity interactions and experimental gamified variations. The engagement began with the delivery of a Control App, which became the baseline experience used to validate patterns for future products.

Because we delivered the Control App under budget and ahead of schedule, the client expanded the scope significantly. We were then further retained to build three gamified prototype SKUs.

ControlMatch.webp
Pulse_Match.webp
Polinate_Butterfly.webp

Gamified Activity Prototypes

    • Control App establishing the complete UI/UX pattern library

    • Three experimental gamified apps

    • A complete design system

    • Cross-platform builds (iOS + Android)

    • Weekly releases for executive review

    • Full documentation for game design, UI behaviors, and progression systems

  • All apps were built in Unity and published for:

    • iOS (via Xcode export)

    • Android

    • UX, UI, and game design

    • Creative concept exploration

    • Technical architecture + engineering

    • Asset production + animation

    • Audio integration

    • Analytics integration

    • Compliance-friendly workflows

    • QA, deployment, and mobile optimization

    • Project management, planning, and sprint execution

    • Weekly build distribution

    • Managing version control across three simultaneous apps

    • Implementing mobile-platform–specific requirements

    • Comprehensive QA across multiple generations of devices

2 // CLIENT OBJECTIVES

The client aimed to evaluate whether gamification could meaningfully improve adherence and retention in a set of motor and cognitive activities typically delivered in a clinical-style format.

Goals:

Build an experience that:

  • Increased user engagement

  • Felt pleasant and motivating rather than clinical

  • Supported a 3-month engagement study

  • Captured analytics for retention and activity performance

  • Demonstrated the potential to reimagine future diagnostic or health-support experiences

Constraints:

  • Timeline:

    • ~8 weeks for the Control App

    • Expanded to an 8-month production window for three additional prototypes

  • Compliance Considerations:

    • HIPAA-sensitive workflows

    • Secure handling of activity data

    • NDA-constrained content

    • Conservative design patterns suitable for medically adjacent use

3 // RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

O4 conducted significant research to ensure the apps would be both engaging and accessible for the target user population.

Gamification & Behavioral Research

Research efforts included:

  • Studying gamification models for health-related behavior reinforcement including popular fitness apps

  • Reviewing behavioral-design frameworks

  • Incorporating methodologies related to design research and user motivation

Accessibility Research

O4 evaluated:

  • Readability requirements for older adults

  • Dyslexia-friendly typography and layouts

  • Reduced cognitive-load systems

  • Contrast, sizing, and spacing for accessibility

  • Device-generation constraints, particularly on older phones

Testing across multiple device generations helped shape:

  • Minimum element sizes

  • Cross-device scaling rules using parametric equations

  • A conservative, medically appropriate UI style

Design Philosophy

Constraints reinforced a disciplined design approach.

The result was:

  • Intentional visual restraint

  • Emphasis on clarity over novelty

  • Strong consistency across all app variants

  • A visual language that supported both emotional comfort and data integrity

4 // CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

Concept development involved:

  • Early sketches and visual explorations

  • Moodboards and environmental inspirations

  • Narrative framing through the metaphor of tending a garden

  • Establishing a design system rooted in warmth, clarity, and accessibility

Design System & Documentation

O4 created:

  • A robust Figma system with comprehensive layering

  • Live documentation for rapid iteration

  • Organized UI libraries

  • Clear communication artifacts for reviews and approvals

Ideation Considerations

Several factors shaped ideation:

  • Prioritization of data integrity

  • Compliance-sensitive terminology and visual language

  • Careful handling of metaphors related to health

  • Fast-paced iteration cycles

  • Continual evaluation of user cognitive load

5 // TECHNICAL DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Activity Interactions

  • Three primary activities, modeled after motor/cognitive tasks, were redesigned as gamified gesture actions:

    • Pinch Variants

      • Planting: pinch to release seeds onto soil

      • Fertilizing: pinch to spray “plant food”

      • Harvesting: pinch to collect ripe produce

    • Draw Variants

      • Watering: trace shapes to fill a watering can

      • Pollinating: guide a bee across flowers

      • Planting (Draw): seeds fall along traced paths

    • Match Game

      • Match symbols to corresponding numbers

    • Unity (engine)

    • Figma, Illustrator, Aseprite (UI + art)

    • Google Workspace

    • Git

    • Xcode (iOS builds)

      • iOS builds require TestFlight, Xcode configuration, and manual compiler flag adjustments

      • Manually resolved build discrepancies with Unity → Xcode transition is not automatic

    • Amplitude (analytics)

    • Bitwig Studio (music/sound design)

    • The project evolved into three separate game builds using one Unity repository with three branches

    • O4 built a shared core codebase, then branched into three distinct styles and variations

    • This allowed rapid iteration and prevented technical drift

    • Automated iOS multi-device testing

    • Broad Android testing via APK distribution

    • Manual accessibility testing

    • Device-generation analysis to ensure consistency

    • Test elements had to appear at exact identical physical sizes across all devices

      • O4 designed a unified minimum-size “bounding box” to ensure data integrity

      • Content centered on larger screens to maintain measurement fidelity

      • Utilized parametric equations provided by the client’s engineering guidelines to implement consistent shapes and swipe paths

    • Ensured consistent interaction fidelity across screen sizes

    • Complete accessibility compliance

    • Optimized for common, older hardware rather than premium devices in consideration of core user demographic (older population)

6 // Production & Feedback Process

    • Weekly sprints with tight deadlines were essential to timely project delivery

    • Communication occurred through Discord, using a red/yellow/green emoji system to track feature readiness

    • Consistent Friday review cycles

    • Delivered weekly playable builds for evaluation

    • Discord for communication

    • Trello for task management

    • Lean, tightly coordinated team

    • Large review calls (12 individual stakeholders) required careful filtering of actionable feedback

    • O4 consistently provided clarity on design intent and rationale

    • Iteration cycles focused on polish, stability, and consistency

7 // Final Experience

Delivered Experiences

Outpost4 delivered:

  • The Control App

  • Three full game prototypes

    • Multiple variants of Pinch, Draw, Match including varied theming

    • In-app settings, notifications, authentication, and analytics

Results

  • Engagement goals were exceeded significantly

  • Retention improved by 15–20% over expectations

  • The prototypes validated the effectiveness of gamified reinforcement loops

  • Performance outpaced efforts with far larger budgets and teams

  • The project demonstrated that high-quality gamified systems can meaningfully enhance activity participation

Visuals and gameplay details remain confidential.

(*Future clarification pending regarding what can be publicly shown.*)

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