INTERACTIVE GAME DESIGN
Floss Boss
ASSET CREATION
UI/UX
INTERACTION DESIGN
Floss Boss is a interactive game and Alt Ctrl Finalist at GDC 2026 involving a comically oversized Toothbrush and Flosser to help combat bacteria from destroying the teeth.
Timeline
8 Months
Software
Figma, Rive
Created
Aug 2025
Project Overview
Overview
This project began as a senior capstone for Imagine RIT, bringing together six designers and four developers to create an interactive game using an alternative controller. In Floss Boss, players take the role of a shrimp cleaning a monster’s teeth with a giant toothbrush and flosser, creating a fun and engaging experience for all.
My Role
As Lead UI/UX Designer for Floss Boss, I crafted an intuitive, accessible interface that guided players through the game with clarity. I also developed the branding, visual style, created key assets, ensuring a consistent and engaging aesthetic across both the UI and gameplay.
Problems
A key challenge in this project was developing a visual style that would appeal to a broad audience. The game needed to feel fun and engaging for children without appearing overly playful or juvenile to adult users. Additionally, the experience required a strong sense of immersion users needed to feel as though they were actively inside the monster’s mouth rather than simply viewing the game from the outside.
Solutions
To address these challenges, we implemented a vector based visual style using vibrant colors that contrast with the background, creating an engaging yet balanced aesthetic. The characters were designed with a monster like appearance, but has a storybook inspired style to ensure they felt approachable and not intimidating. To enhance this we look the environment was created using simple shapes layered to create depth, giving the illusion that the user is inside the monster’s mouth.
Problems
A key challenge in this project was developing a visual style that would appeal to a broad audience. The game needed to feel fun and engaging for children without appearing overly playful or juvenile to adult users. Additionally, the experience required a strong sense of immersion users needed to feel as though they were actively inside the monster’s mouth rather than simply viewing the game from the outside.
Solutions
To address these challenges, we implemented a vector based visual style using vibrant colors that contrast with the background, creating an engaging yet balanced aesthetic. The characters were designed with a monster like appearance, but has a storybook inspired style to ensure they felt approachable and not intimidating. To enhance this we look the environment was created using simple shapes layered to create depth, giving the illusion that the user is inside the monster’s mouth.
View Site
ALT CRTL GDC
GDC Submission Video
Our submission video for Floss Boss earned the game a spot in ALT CTRL at GDC 2026. Out of all entries, we were selected as one of 20 finalists, giving us the opportunity to showcase our interactive game and unique controller design to industry professionals at the conference.
Initial Ideation
Creating the Idea
For this project, we wanted to create an immersive experience that people of all ages could enjoy. Early ideas included placing the player inside a giant mouth, exploring concepts from human to monster to alien. We ultimately settled on a lake monster, with the player taking on the role of a shrimp cleaning its teeth a concept inspired by real life crustaceans that clean fish teeth.
MoodBoard
We aimed for a playful, storybook-like feel to set the tone. The environment was designed to feel immersive, as if the player is underwater in a lake, using a green-yellow tint to reinforce the atmosphere. We also created simple vector art and playful characters to ensure the experience was engaging and accessible for all age groups.
Style Guide
Sketches
Wireframe
Wireframe
Initial Variations
Initial Logo Design
We aimed to create a logo that directly connected to the game and reflected its name. I began by iterating on multiple concepts and ultimately developed a design that transforms the “F” into a flosser, visually tying it to the gameplay.
Initial Character Design
While designing the characters for this project, I focused on maintaining a simple, vector-based style while exploring different ways to portray each creature. This process involved significant trial and error, experimenting with form and expression before refining and solidifying the final character designs.
Initial UI Designs
I was responsible for designing three main screens: the start, gameplay, and end screens. These initial designs established the overall layout and visual direction of the game, including key UI elements such as the points system, timer, and a final score screen.
Final Designs
Final Logo Design
To enhance the original logo, I focused on making it more visually striking and immersive. I introduced a backdrop to help it stand out more, and refined the “F” to feel more dynamic and visually engaging.
Final Character Design
The final character set includes four bacteria “scuds” that attack the teeth, Shrimply the shrimp as the game’s mascot who “cleans” the monster’s teeth, and the lake monster whose mouth serves as the main environment. Each character uses vibrant colors and a playful style to stand out and engage players of all ages.
Final UI Designs
To refine the original designs, I focused on making the experience feel more immersive within the mouth environment. I enhanced the teeth by adjusting their color and positioning to appear more rounded, and integrated the gums into the background to strengthen that sense of depth. In this iteration, we also added a leaderboard to create an incentive for replayability and increase user engagement.
The start and end game screens were also refined to improve UI consistency. The start screen received a new background to better match the game’s progression from the surface into the lake creating a stronger sense of continuity. Both screens were updated with the new logo, along with refinements to assets like the flosser and toothbrush for a more cohesive look.
Social Media Assets
Instagram Post Covers
Leading up to Alt Ctrl GDC, I was responsible for designing Instagram post covers. I ensured all key content remained visible within Instagram’s varying crop and padding constraints, while also making the designs fun and engaging to encourage users to click through.
Initial Variations
Initial Character Design
While designing the characters for this project, I focused on maintaining a simple, vector-based style while exploring different ways to portray each creature. This process involved significant trial and error, experimenting with form and expression before refining and solidifying the final character designs.
Initial UI Designs
While designing the characters for this project, I focused on maintaining a simple, vector-based style while exploring different ways to portray each creature. This process involved significant trial and error, experimenting with form and expression before refining and solidifying the final character designs.
Initial Logo Design
We aimed to create a logo that directly connected to the game and reflected its name. I began by iterating on multiple concepts and ultimately developed a design that transforms the “F” into a flosser, visually tying it to the gameplay.
Initial Ideation
MoodBoard
We aimed for a playful, storybook-like feel to set the tone. The environment was designed to feel immersive, as if the player is underwater in a lake, using a green-yellow tint to reinforce the atmosphere. We also created simple vector art and playful characters to ensure the experience was engaging and accessible for all age groups.
Style Guide
Sketches
Creating the Idea
For this project, we wanted to create an immersive experience that people of all ages could enjoy. Early ideas included placing the player inside a giant mouth, exploring concepts from human to monster to alien. We ultimately settled on a lake monster, with the player taking on the role of a shrimp cleaning its teeth a concept inspired by real life crustaceans that clean fish teeth.
Wireframe
View Site
ALT CRTL GDC
GDC Submission Video
Our submission video for Floss Boss earned the game a spot in ALT CTRL at GDC 2026. Out of all entries, we were selected as one of 20 finalists, giving us the opportunity to showcase our interactive game and unique controller design to industry professionals at the conference.
Initial Ideation
MoodBoard
We aimed for a playful, storybook-like feel to set the tone. The environment was designed to feel immersive, as if the player is underwater in a lake, using a green-yellow tint to reinforce the atmosphere. We also created simple vector art and playful characters to ensure the experience was engaging and accessible for all age groups.
Style Guide
Sketches
Creating the Idea
For this project, we wanted to create an immersive experience that people of all ages could enjoy. Early ideas included placing the player inside a giant mouth, exploring concepts from human to monster to alien. We ultimately settled on a lake monster, with the player taking on the role of a shrimp cleaning its teeth a concept inspired by real life crustaceans that clean fish teeth.
Wireframe
Final Designs
Final Logo Design
To enhance the original logo, I focused on making it more visually striking and immersive. I introduced a backdrop to help it stand out more, and refined the “F” to feel more dynamic and visually engaging.
Final Character Design
The final character set includes four bacteria “scuds” that attack the teeth, Shrimply the shrimp as the game’s mascot who “cleans” the monster’s teeth, and the lake monster whose mouth serves as the main environment. Each character uses vibrant colors and a playful style to stand out and engage players of all ages.
Final UI Designs
To refine the original designs, I focused on making the experience feel more immersive within the mouth environment. I enhanced the teeth by adjusting their color and positioning to appear more rounded, and integrated the gums into the background to strengthen that sense of depth. In this iteration, we also added a leaderboard to create an incentive for replayability and increase user engagement.
The start and end game screens were also refined to improve UI consistency. The start screen received a new background to better match the game’s progression from the surface into the lake creating a stronger sense of continuity. Both screens were updated with the new logo, along with refinements to assets like the flosser and toothbrush for a more cohesive look.
Initial Variations
Initial Logo Design
We aimed to create a logo that directly connected to the game and reflected its name. I began by iterating on multiple concepts and ultimately developed a design that transforms the “F” into a flosser, visually tying it to the gameplay.
Initial Character Design
While designing the characters for this project, I focused on maintaining a simple, vector-based style while exploring different ways to portray each creature. This process involved significant trial and error, experimenting with form and expression before refining and solidifying the final character designs.
Initial UI Designs
I was responsible for designing three main screens: the start, gameplay, and end screens. These initial designs established the overall layout and visual direction of the game, including key UI elements such as the points system, timer, and a final score screen.
Initial Variations
Initial Logo Design
We aimed to create a logo that directly connected to the game and reflected its name. I began by iterating on multiple concepts and ultimately developed a design that transforms the “F” into a flosser, visually tying it to the gameplay.
Initial Character Design
While designing the characters for this project, I focused on maintaining a simple, vector-based style while exploring different ways to portray each creature. This process involved significant trial and error, experimenting with form and expression before refining and solidifying the final character designs.
Initial UI Designs
I was responsible for designing three main screens: the start, gameplay, and end screens. These initial designs established the overall layout and visual direction of the game, including key UI elements such as the points system, timer, and a final score screen.
Final Designs
Final Logo Design
To enhance the original logo, I focused on making it more visually striking and immersive. I introduced a backdrop to help it stand out more, and refined the “F” to feel more dynamic and visually engaging.
Final Character Design
The final character set includes four bacteria “scuds” that attack the teeth, Shrimply the shrimp as the game’s mascot who “cleans” the monster’s teeth, and the lake monster whose mouth serves as the main environment. Each character uses vibrant colors and a playful style to stand out and engage players of all ages.
Final UI Designs
To refine the original designs, I focused on making the experience feel more immersive within the mouth environment. I enhanced the teeth by adjusting their color and positioning to appear more rounded, and integrated the gums into the background to strengthen that sense of depth. In this iteration, we also added a leaderboard to create an incentive for replayability and increase user engagement.
The start and end game screens were also refined to improve UI consistency. The start screen received a new background to better match the game’s progression from the surface into the lake creating a stronger sense of continuity. Both screens were updated with the new logo, along with refinements to assets like the flosser and toothbrush for a more cohesive look.
Social Media Assets
Instagram Post Covers
Leading up to Alt Ctrl GDC, I was responsible for designing Instagram post covers. I ensured all key content remained visible within Instagram’s varying crop and padding constraints, while also making the designs fun and engaging to encourage users to click through.
Social Media Assets
Instagram Post Covers
Leading up to Alt Ctrl GDC, I was responsible for designing Instagram post covers. I ensured all key content remained visible within Instagram’s varying crop and padding constraints, while also making the designs fun and engaging to encourage users to click through.
Final Designs
Final Logo Design
To enhance the original logo, I focused on making it more visually striking and immersive. I introduced a backdrop to help it stand out more, and refined the “F” to feel more dynamic and visually engaging.
Final Character Design
The final character set includes four bacteria “scuds” that attack the teeth, Shrimply the shrimp as the game’s mascot who “cleans” the monster’s teeth, and the lake monster whose mouth serves as the main environment. Each character uses vibrant colors and a playful style to stand out and engage players of all ages.
Final UI Designs
To refine the original designs, I focused on making the experience feel more immersive within the mouth environment. I enhanced the teeth by adjusting their color and positioning to appear more rounded, and integrated the gums into the background to strengthen that sense of depth. In this iteration, we also added a leaderboard to create an incentive for replayability and increase user engagement.
The start and end game screens were also refined to improve UI consistency. The start screen received a new background to better match the game’s progression from the surface into the lake creating a stronger sense of continuity. Both screens were updated with the new logo, along with refinements to assets like the flosser and toothbrush for a more cohesive look.
Social Media Assets
Instagram Post Covers
Leading up to Alt Ctrl GDC, I was responsible for designing Instagram post covers. I ensured all key content remained visible within Instagram’s varying crop and padding constraints, while also making the designs fun and engaging to encourage users to click through.