raceway usa
A road trip-themed mini-golf adventure
Main Role: Art Director | Scope: Lighting & Set Fabrication | Project: Immersive Experience
Roles: Art Director, Creative Designer, & Team Coordinator
Focus: Gameplay Experience, Emotional Impact, & Environment Flow
Outcome: A fully playable 9-hole mini-golf course that taught me to collaborate with a team on a large-scale project, adapt to unexpected roadblocks, and deliver under pressure.
Raceway USA transforms American into an interactive racing adventure where guests become drivers competing across a miniature cross-country journey. The experience blends competitive gameplay, environmental storytelling, and playful world-building to create a memorable attraction for families and racing enthusiasts.
Our class designed this mini-golf course through blue sky ideation, fabrication, and installation for our school’s Games Expo.
Team: Theresa Varga, Cassandra Chu, & Aiden Lim
Created for USC CTIN-395 & CTIN-396 (Mini-golf Design).
2025–2026
my role
Project Scope
9 destinations with my team focusing on Las Vegas and Miami
Core Responsibilities
Guided the project lifecycle from early ideation through final construction.
Art Direction & Technical Contributions
Concept Development & 3D Layout Design
Fabrication, Scenic Painting, & Final On-Site Installation
Cross-Disciplinary Project Management
blue sky & pre-production
Research & Ideation
Investigated historical contexts and iconic regional landmarks to generate initial rough sketches and refined final concept art.
Interactive Game Mechanics
Pitched, designed, and engineered a custom "Roulette Wheel" feature to add risk and unpredictability to the gameplay.
Thematic Integration
Maintained strict aesthetic cohesion by directly translating Las Vegas casino culture into an active, physics-based hole-in-one or reset hazard.
Miami Final Concept Art
Las Vegas Final Concept Art
Sketches
Art Deco Hotel Designs
3d models
3D Modeling & CAD:
Acquired proficiency in Rhino 3D to develop detailed, dimensionally accurate environmental models in collaboration with design partners.
Digital Fabrication Pipeline:
Modeled precise spatial curves and technical dimensions specifically optimized for Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining.
Precision Construction:
Produced production-ready fabrication files to ensure the exact physical translation of complex structural course elements.
fabrication
During fabrication, I coordinated the production schedule and delegated tasks based on each team member's strengths to keep the project on track.
I contributed to the hands-on construction process by measuring, cutting, and assembling wooden components, while also collaborating with my team to hot-wire foam into a curved ramp for our Miami racetrack. Through iterative playtesting and refinement of the ramp to our roulette wheel, we ensured consistent ball movement and reliable gameplay.
lights & mechanics
I planned and implemented the lighting design for several of our mini-golf holes, collaborating with the budgeting team to source and order LED light strips, power adapters, and other necessary materials. To create a custom faux neon sign reading "Take a Gamble," I learned and applied soldering techniques.
I also contributed to the mechanical development of our course, particularly by fine-tuning the roulette wheel ramp through iterative testing and adjustments to ensure smooth, reliable gameplay throughout production.
Las Vegas Roulette Wheel & Sign
Miami Lights
Las Vegas Welcome Sign
finishing & install
I collaborated with the art team and our professor, Gordon Meier, to refine and establish the color palette for the course. I hand-painted the majority of the buildings, signage, and scenic elements for both the Las Vegas and Miami holes, using reflective film and paper to create the illusion of illuminated windows.
For the Miami hole, I also cast and finished the ocean using epoxy resin, adding depth and realism to the environment.
During installation, I played an active role in transporting scenic elements to the soundstage and assembling the course according to our production plan. I worked closely with our lighting designer and installation crew to position, adjust, and refine the lighting and scenic details, ensuring the final environment achieved the intended visual impact.
Filmed & Edited by Charlie Blumling