Circular Game Asset Platform Design
Background
Game development produces vast volumes of digital assets—models, textures, animations, sound files—many of which are used once and then forgotten. Through LootCycle, I explored how circular economy principles can be applied to digital production by designing a platform that enables affordable storage, reuse, and monetization of unused game assets.
My contribution focused on concept development, system design, user flows, and interface design, translating sustainability theory into a practical, scalable digital product for game studios.
Problem Statement
Goals
Make asset storage affordable and accessible, especially for indie studios
Enable creators to reuse, share, or monetize unused assets
Reduce redundancy and digital waste through a circular system
Deliver a seamless user experience for uploading, organizing, and purchasing assets
Circular Economy Overview
The circular economy moves away from the traditional make → use → discard model and focuses on keeping resources in circulation through reuse, redistribution, and regeneration. While commonly applied to physical goods, these principles are rarely explored in digital ecosystems.
Applying circular thinking to game development means ensuring that once assets are created, they continue to generate value—financially and functionally—instead of being abandoned.
Research & References
Research into industry practices revealed several gaps:
Asset Reuse Practices: Assets are typically stored on private servers or cloud drives with minimal reuse
Indie Studio Constraints: High recurring storage costs lead to scattered local archives and data loss
Circular Economy Models: Proven in physical industries but underutilized in digital production
Existing Marketplaces: Platforms like asset stores focus on selling assets, not on long-term storage, reuse, or cost recovery
These insights shaped LootCycle into a hybrid platform combining storage, marketplace functionality, and circular design logic.
System Opportunity
LootCycle reframes asset storage from a cost center into a value-generating system. Instead of paying for unused files indefinitely, creators can offset storage costs by selectively sharing or monetizing assets—turning archives into active resources.
Moodboard
The moodboard explores a playful yet professional visual direction. Inspired by gaming culture (loot, coins, chests) and digital marketplaces, it balances personality with clarity, ensuring the interface feels approachable without compromising usability.
Style Guide
The style guide defines a visual system that supports both clarity and character. Bold headings establish hierarchy, while clean body typography ensures readability across dense interfaces. Color choices subtly reference gaming metaphors without overwhelming the experience.
Lootcycle’s Core Features
Key Screens
LootCycle’s key screens support the complete asset journey, from uploading and organizing files to purchasing assets and tracking revenue. The interface prioritizes minimal steps, clarity, and feedback, ensuring usability even for complex workflows.
Reflection
LootCycle allowed me to apply circular economy principles to a digital ecosystem often excluded from sustainability conversations. The project challenged me to balance systems thinking with user-centered design, ensuring the concept remained practical, scalable, and grounded in real studio constraints.
Explore the Full Case Study
This overview introduces the core idea behind LootCycle. The full case study expands into the revenue model, technical considerations, and extended design decisions that bring the system together.
