Donkerson joined Mighty Coconut in 2021, the place he and different design groups created a spot for Stroll -about mini golf. From his expertise as a Disney Imaginia, their processes embrace brainstorming and pencil sketches on paper and blocking new house layouts with gravity sketches. For about 15 to 18 months, “Coconut” passes a mannequin between lighting, sound, animation, and sport play groups and is launched as the ultimate vacation spot of $ 3.99 gamers. It is a abstract of the studio’s repetitive course of, which outlines the precept of making a spot.
When making a stroll -about mini golf course, we’re creating extra than simply playable areas. We’re fostering a singular thriller and connection that gamers usually describe as “one thing particular.” This isn’t a coincidence. Our design, which is rooted within the precept of theme park, theater, film, literature, and visible artwork, is deliberately created to stimulate A Kei Ah, curiosity, and promote memorable experiences. I’m.
Place making with intentional design
The inspiration of our success lies in Place Making expertise. This creates an immersive, engaging and significant setting. On the core, place making is led to some easy however profound ideas.
1. Know the viewers: All designs are made with the participant in thoughts. By understanding who the viewers are, you’ll be able to modify the resonance expertise and assure that the setting is private and engaging.
2. Reply the core query: The environment is designed to reply two essential questions.
- “The place am I?”
- “How is it associated to this setting?”
These solutions present orientation and connection.
expertise.
3. In response to expectations, transcend that: The primary impression is essential. Set a shot tone and match what you anticipate when the participant steps into a brand new course. However our objectives will not be simply to fulfill these expectations. We’re aiming to transcend them. We’re aiming for a tremendous participant with sudden twist and wealthy particulars.
4. Over distribution: Magic is intimately. The design layer enriches the setting and makes it extra vibrant and rewarding for gamers who spend time looking.
5. Comply with easy guidelines: Consistency is essential. By distilling the design in a transparent and easy rule, we preserve the world’s faith Capability. To interrupt these guidelines, there’s a threat that gamers will likely be separated from immersed in immersion.
6. Intentional design doc: Design intention paperwork make clear information frameworks, objectives, and go away room for dialogue and evolution. Because of this, the environment is trustworthy to their imaginative and prescient and advantages shared sophistication.
Engagement trick

Creating an interesting setting is past the precept. It contains varied strategies designed to be concerned in, stunning and related by gamers.
- Vistas and AWE: While you begin with a wide ranging surroundings, an amazing second is born, inviting gamers to discover and discover extra.
- The story of the story: Discuss in regards to the story by means of a small, stimulating second scattered all through the setting. These “bread powder” encourages gamers to attach the story and nurture discoveries and private connections. It is very important belief your viewers to summarize what occurred/what occurred when navigating your designed setting.
- Humor, trigger and impact: Attention-grabbing interplay and playful causal relationships, gamers share joke and deepen engagement and enjoyable.
- Storytelling simplicity: By holding the story extensively and intuitive, gamers can interpret the expertise and personalize. The duplicated story has the chance of alienating or complicated the viewers.
- Story Beat: As within the e-book chapter, we create a transparent second within the course and encourage them to focus on every scene earlier than the gamers transfer ahead.
- Vital detailed spotlights: Lighting, coloration, and composition to concentrate to crucial elements in order that the story is clearly targeted.
- Celebration of small particulars: Small contact -unexpected prosperity, hidden clues -a everlasting impression and be a take -out participant.
Design for connection

Ultimately, the setting we create is just not solely the house itself, but in addition the connection they develop. Just like the theme park, our programs are the background of the shared expertise, and gamers collect, snicker, discover, and create recollections.
This philosophy drives all the choices we make, from making a view that causes A Kei, to convey the smallest particulars to the richness of the setting. By compliance with these ideas and strategies, mini golf is transformed into an artwork kind.
Within the Walkabout Mini Golf world, every course is greater than only a sport. It’s a journey to a considerate world the place each element has a goal, all of the surprises have pleasure, all gamers are a part of the story, all particulars.
Donkerson is an idea designer and senior artwork director Highly effective coconutThe studio behind Walkabout Mini Golf. He has labored within the theme park and laptop sport trade. Particularly, as a senior present designer of the artwork director’s Wald Dizney Imaginal Ring, which supervises tasks equivalent to Splash Mountain, Mickey’s Toon City, Brizzard Seashore, and different tasks.