Gates Foundation & The Brain Architecture Game: Digital Transformation of a Hands-On Learning Tool

The Brain Architecture Game is a team-based, hands-on experience that helps people appreciate the impact of early childhood experiences on outcomes across the lifespan. The game is a 75-90 minute experience optimized for groups of 4-6 people per table. It can be played in small workshops, conferences, and large events, with as few as 8 or as many as 300 participants. The goal is to build a brain that is as tall and sturdy as possible, which represents functionality and the ability to withstand stress. Participants draw Life Experience cards to gain materials for brain building.

Positive experiences earn a pipe cleaner and a straw for support. Negative experiences? Pipe cleaner, but no straw. Weights must be hung from the structure of the brain when life hands out stressors. Will the foundation be able to withstand these weights, or will it collapse? Afterward, groups use the notes in their Life Journals to discuss the experiences that strengthened or weakened the architecture of their developing brains.

“It wasn’t a fair game,” said one legislator after watching his brain collapse. “I got a lot of unlucky cards.”

“Isn’t that the way it happens in real life?” replied the game facilitator.

Although the in-person experience offered powerful insights, it was limited in reach and accessibility. Our team was brought in to reimagine the game as a scalable digital platform that could retain the tactile, brain-building component. We needed to support gameplay and scorekeeping on a mobile device without compromising the discussion-driven, reflective nature that made the physical game impactful. Additionally, we needed to support the setup and facilitation of remote games through a web app for admins. 

My role

UX lead

Tools used

  • Sketch

  • Axure RP 8

  • InVision

  • Photoshop

  • Jira

  • Confluence

  • TopCoder

  • Basecamp

Skills applied

  • UX Strategy

  • Wireframing

  • Ecosystem Design

  • Cross-platform Design

  • Service Design

  • Team & Stakeholder Management

Photo of two multi-colored pipe-cleaner brains placed on a tabletop. In the background is a blurry backdrop of conference participants seated at tables.

Two “brains” that were built and tested for resiliency during one game.

Goals

  • Replace physical tools with intuitive digital interactions

  • Support in-person and remote gameplay

  • Simplify setup and scoring to promote discussion

  • Enable multilingual play and content customization

  • Capture gameplay data to support ongoing research

  • Complete the project within a 12-week timeline

A photo of the physical Brain Game materials, which include colorful pipe-cleaners, printed instructions and score sheet/journals, and playing cards on a black surface.

Before: Game materials including pipe cleaners, instructions, score sheet/journals, and playing cards.

A photo of a score sheet/journal page filled out with handwritten notes and a tally of points earned. To the right of it is a pipe-cleaner "brain" in progress.

Before: Keeping score and journaling was a manual process as participants built their “brains.”

A photo of a pipe-cleaner brain being constructed during a game by a participant in a black and white long-sleeved shirt. The photo is cropped so you only see their arms and hands working with the pipe-cleaners on a table.

Before and After: the component that didn’t change in the digital transformation was the supply kit needed to construct the “brain.” This was something that could be purchased or sourced using a DIY checklist.

Process

This

I led UX design across three platforms:

  1. Android app for participants [view app wireframes]

  2. Web app for moderators [view moderator wireframes]

  3. Web admin tool for setup and customization [view admin wireframes]

In this role, I:

  • Oversaw design direction, stakeholder alignment, and team coordination

  • Managed UI and development contractors and facilitated cross-functional collaboration 

  • Conducted discovery sessions with creators and stakeholders

  • Analyzed the physical game to understand flow and engagement

  • Defined user stories for Participants, Moderators, and Admins

  • Delivered interactive wireframes across three platforms in two weeks

  • Managed contractors and oversaw visual design, specifications, and QA

  • Conducted UI design challenges on TopCoder, a crowdsourcing platform that enables capacity

  • Partnered with developers to ensure design integrity and flow across environments

Photo of hand-sketched diagrams on large white paper taped to the windows of a conference room.

Taking inventory of all the components needed for game facilitators and admins.

A close-up photo of hand-sketched diagrams on large white paper taped to the windows of a conference room.

Evaluating requirements vs. logistics vs. participant expectations for seamless gameplay.

Photo of a printed set of mobile wireframes on white paper, taped to the window of a conference room.

Exploring mobile app user flows using low-fidelity wireframes.

Screenshot of an interactive wireframe depicting an edit screen for Brain Bases Master configurations. There are multiple cards depicted that offer different combinations of pipe cleaner and straws in various quantities.

Interactive wireframe for admin website.

A screenshot of a moderator wireframe screen depicting a session that's underway. It details the location, date, moderator name, number of teams, and language. There are controls that let the moderator run the session, view progress, and assist teams

Interactive wireframe for moderator website.

Screenshot of a mobile wireframe that lets participants roll a virtual die.
Screenshot of a mobile wireframe that shows card selection in progress.

Interactive wireframe for participant mobile app.

Result

  • Our team launched all three platforms on time and on budget

  • Received client praised the platform's ease of use and adaptability

  • Increased participation and lowered barriers to access for facilitators and players

  • Helped enable remote and hybrid gameplay during the pandemic, though changes were made along the way since its launch

Highlights

  • Preserved the game’s collaborative and reflective nature in a digital format

  • Designed flexible systems for teams ranging from 4 to 300 players

  • Developed tools for live moderator support and customizable content

  • Delivered a multilingual-ready platform used in research and training worldwide

Image of three finished mobile app screens depicting joining a session, choosing dice settings, and learning the rules.

Finished mobile app screens: Joining a session, choosing dice settings, and learning the rules.

Image of three finished mobile app screens depicting selecting a card, following the prompts for building the “brain” and taking a photo to record and share progress.

Finished mobile app screens: Selecting a card, following the prompts for building the “brain” and taking a photo to record and share progress.

Image of three finished mobile app screens depicting the facilitator view of teams’ status and progress details.

Finished mobile app screens: Facilitator view of teams’ status and progress details.

Image of an Apple display/iMac with finished desktop moderator screen depicting managing digital game materials.

Finished desktop moderator screens: managing digital game materials.

Image of an Apple display/iMac with a finished desktop moderator screen depicting managing digital game materials.

Finished desktop moderator screens: managing the discussion cards library.

Image of an iMac/Apple display with a finished desktop moderator screen depicting adding training videos.

Finished desktop moderator screens: adding training videos.