Tropical Island (2023)
Fear, Secrets, and Games: Redesigning Rhino3D Education for Struggling CADers Through Play
I reimagined Rhino3D education as a discovery-driven process, through a plug-in game.
Role
Designer (Thesis Project, NUS DID)
Design Research
Prototyping and Iteration
Concept Development
Supervisor
Dr. Clement Zheng
Duration
August 2022–May 2023
Context
Rhino is a clubhouse, and is not inclusive to struggling CADers.
Clubhouses are created when practices are built and perpetuated to be one-dimensional. They are concretely defined and enforced by their community, instead of being defined fluidly… People who do not match these definitions are thus reluctant to join.
How could learning NURBS-based modelling programme Rhino3D be more accessible for students?
Research
I conducted research in 3 stages: Observing, Asking, and Analysing
Observing
Protocol Analysis (3 Participants)
Digital Modelling (20mins)
Physical Modelling (20min)
Reflection Interview
Asking
Long Form Interviews (6 Participants)
Card Sort
Creating Personas
Sacrificial Concepts
Surveys (45 Responses)
Analysing
Interview & Survey Analysis
Downloading, clustering, tagging, insight creation
Analysis of Rhino UX
Prototype Exploration & Testing
Both physical and digital prototypes
Direction
Using games to facilitate discovery: Rhino as a game engine
The Rhino clubhouse is currently outcome-driven—focused on what you make, how well you made it, how nice the model looks. The process of learning is treated as something you simply need to endure to get to the goal.
My investigation revealed that struggling CADers' biggest fear and frustration in Rhino is its abundant secrets. In an outcome-driven Rhino, secrets are just something that need to be known to CAD. However, I argue that the process of uncovering secrets is a valuable experience in and of itself—a discovery-driven Rhino asks users to stop and smell the flowers.
So what could a discovery-driven Rhino look like?
Outcome
A prototype of a Rhino3D plugin, which reimagines Rhino education as a discovery-driven process.
The Tropical Island plug-in game reimagines Rhino3D education as a discovery-driven journey, where novice designers explore and uncover its ‘secrets’. Rhino could (1) introduce virtual navigation skills at any pace, (2) reward mastery over a single tool, or (3) be a social network where designers learn and create mistakes together. A discovery-driven Rhino lets designers enjoy learning at their own pace. In doing so, it lowers the barrier of entry into the Rhino Club.
Navigation
Solution 1/3
The House Hunter: Unnavigable Virtual Space
STATUS QUO
We found that…
The Rhino clubhouse demands learners to be already proficient in navigating three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional screen while modelling their ideas.
DESIGN RESPONSE
So, we proposed…
The House Hunter challenges users to create shapes by manipulating three dimensional virtual space—without having to build anything.
The House Hunter is a near homeless hermit crab, looking for a new home among a trash-ridden beach. Users can help the hermit crab by using Pan, Zoom, and Orbit to find homes hidden in the mess.
The Rhino virtual environment is transformed from a dull, grey, and overtly serious workspace, to a bright and colourful perspective puzzle. Using distorted models with purposeful layer materials, and a dedicated backdrop, Struggling CADers are able to focus solely on navigating the virtual space.
IMPACT
This means that…
Rhino could introduce skills at any pace.
The House Hunter was identified as most effective for absolute beginners, giving them time to acclimatise to the interface without the pressure of building anything. However, designers at a slightly higher level were most intrigued by the level design itself—surprised by its unconventional appearance and mechanics, they were tempted to find out how it was made in Rhino. The use of Rhino as a game engine probes designers about the capabilities of the software: if this game can be made on Rhino, can't I make it too?
• User Test, 4 participants
Commands
Solution 2/3
The Coffee Maker: Overabundant Commands
DESIGN RESPONSE
So, we proposed…
The Coffee Maker challenges users to thoroughly exploit and familiarise themselves with basic commands.
The Coffee Maker is a coffee-obsessed civet cat which serves luxury coffee in exchange for custom made kettles of its choosing. Users can taste the coveted coffee by recreating each kettle using only the prescribed tool and template.
With each level, users are tasked to create designer kettles using only one prescribed tool, and the “skeleton” template made of curves. Users are given a Master Kettle as a reference, but receive no further instruction. To create the entire kettle— the body, spout, lid, and handle—users are forced to stretch the capabilities of the prescribed tool, and explore the intricacies of its function.
IMPACT
This means that…
For struggling CADers, each tool is a whole world to explore. Rhino could reward mastery over a single tool.
The Coffee Maker helped struggling CADers to closely study and broaden their understanding of basic commands, which are often typified to limited applications. Aside from the commands, players felt like they learned how to approach modelling. The master kettle and prescribed curves acted as case studies for them to investigate.
• User Test, 4 participants
Errors 🤖
Solution 3/3
The Bug Catcher: Incomprehensible Errors
PART 1 OF 2
STATUS QUO
We found that…
The Rhino clubhouse demands designers to model without mistakes.
Error messages are obtuse and often phrased as a computational failure, rather than helping the designer “debug” what went wrong. Struggling CADers often fear mistakes and errors, and when they encounter them are often faced with the predicament of not knowing how to solve them.
DESIGN RESPONSE
So, we proposed…
The Bug Catcher iconifies errors and embraces mistakes, and lets users compare journeys with their friends
The Coffee Maker is a coffee-obsessed civet cat which serves luxury coffee in exchange for custom made kettles of its choosing. Users can taste the coveted coffee by recreating each kettle using only the prescribed tool and template.
With each level, users are tasked to create designer kettles using only one prescribed tool, and the “skeleton” template made of curves. Users are given a Master Kettle as a reference, but receive no further instruction. To create the entire kettle— the body, spout, lid, and handle—users are forced to stretch the capabilities of the prescribed tool, and explore the intricacies of its function.
IMPACT
This means that…
For struggling CADers, errors are markers of exploration. Rhino could document the discovery of errors as the progress that one is making in their learning journey.
Iconifying errors made them memorable. Rather than fleeting frustrations, each error became a collectable with a name and a story—something players could recall, revisit, and learn from.
• User Test, 4 participants
PART 2 OF 2
STATUS QUO
We found that…
The Rhino clubhouse is isolating. Struggling CADers’ fear of not improving is exacerbated by the fact that they often struggle alone.
DESIGN RESPONSE
So, we proposed…
Users can compare journeys with their friends.
Users can add friends to keep track of their growing collections.
IMPACT
This means that…
Rhino could be a social network where people make mistakes together.
Shared struggle removes shame. Knowing others encounter the same errors made players more open to asking for help—initially reluctant to share their collections ('I don't want them to know I have like 3000 errors'), adding a leaderboard ironically turned that embarrassment into a lighthearted competition they could take pride in.
• User Test, 4 participants
Reflections 🤔
A warmer, more lighthearted Rhino
Weaving stories and friendly imagery into Rhino changes its cold, grey, overtly practical tone into something warmer and more flexible. This encouraged users to enjoy the process and learn at their own pace—'It's nice without the pressure.' The most common overall comment: "I wish I had this in Year 1."
Rhino as a game engine is a provocation in itself
Knowing that a game could be built in Rhino prompted users to question—and explore—the software's capabilities. The game acted as a template that alluded to how views, layers, and commands could be creatively applied.
Shared struggle reduces shame
A Rhino game brings people together through a common goal. Knowing that others encounter the same errors helped players feel less ashamed of their mistakes and more open to asking for help. Adding a competitive element like a leaderboard ironically removed the embarrassment and turned it into a lighthearted competition.
Future potential: The Tropical Island framework could invite entirely new subcultures into Rhino—from game enthusiasts to crafters—and give rise to a communal learning ecosystem: playthroughs, shared errorpedias, peer-built levels, and communities that learn by making mistakes together.
Rhino as a documentation process
The game format shows potential as a way to document struggling CADers' learning process with Rhino. Rather than treating progress as invisible or purely outcome-based, the game creates tangible records of a designer's journey—championing the hermit crab's found homes, saving past attempts at kettles, or collecting a growing errorpedia. Designers can revisit these artefacts to reflect on how far they've come, turning what was once a source of frustration into a visible, personal learning archive.
Want to try Tropical Island out? Downloadable activities are available here.
