Summary
White Rabbit Holes was a 10-day interactive system launched at AFM (American Film Market).
With no PM and no defined architecture, I defined the flow, state logic, and scoring gate to stabilize execution.
Product Type:
Interactive System
Context:
AFM Live Showcase
Role:
Product Designer
Architecture · System Logic · Scope Control
Constraint:
10 Days · No PM · Undefined States
Stabilizing the System Under Constraint
Launched live at AFM
0 demo failures
40% faster simplified flow
Clear scoring + allowlist logic defined
Team aligned within 3 days
Decision 01
Define the Architecture
The concept was cinematic.
The system had no defined sequence.
Without a clear sequence, engineering couldn’t build confidently, and the experience risked collapsing during live demo.
I gathered the team and mapped the full architecture before refining any visuals.
Flow architecture defined before UI refinement.
This turned a drifting idea into a buildable system.
Decision 02
Protect the Decision Gate
The most critical moment in the experience was not the teaser.
It was the scoring check.
Small human inputs determined:
– Access to reward
– Eligibility for allowlist
– Perceived legitimacy of the studio
I defined how the system:
– Evaluates correctness
– Assigns system state
– Triggers downstream logic
Decision 03
Reduce Risk Through Scope Control
With 10 days left, I cut non-core ideas to protect stability.
I removed:
Extra gamified layers
Decorative interaction loops
Late-stage feature ideas
I focused on:
Defined states
Stable scoring
Clear reward trigger
Scope control protected launch stability.
Prototype Snapshot
Design as Risk Management
Live systems don’t fail because they look bad.
They fail because logic is unclear.
I defined states and decision logic to protect execution.
Preventing System Drift
When direction keeps shifting,
nothing solidifies.
I fixed the structure first.
The rest followed.
