- Client
- DeskVerse
- Role
- Lead Designer & Full-Stack Developer
- Timeline
- Ongoing product
- Year
- 2026
- Category
- Interactive Experience
Overview
DeskVerse is a 2D digital desk/room: Expo 54, Firebase `deskverse-app`, Three.js/R3F in the package, coming-soon gate, admin flags, Room2D screens. Package 1.5.21. Hosting: deskverse-app.web.app (case study also lists deskverse.site).
Why
DeskVerse wanted a living room, not a landing page: a 2D digital desk you can explore and customize in the browser. Customization (desk studio, environment) had to stay performant. Launch needed a gate and admin flags so the room could ship in stages.
Relevant to playful web products that are actually software. Coming-soon plus flags are how you ship a room without pretending it is finished.
The challenge
DeskVerse wanted a digital playground — a room you can explore and customize — that still performs in a browser.
What made it hard
- The brief was a living room, not a landing page.
- Customization (desk studio, environment) had to stay performant in the browser.
- Launch needed a gate and admin flags so the room could ship in stages.
Approach
Coming-soon + auth + admin, then a 2D room shell with interior interactions (lamp, weather, time-of-day in the product design) and a desk design studio. Firebase Hosting for the web app.
Process
- Gate: Coming soon + feature flags.
- Room: 2D entry and room screen as the playground.
- Studio: Desk customization and object interactions.
What we built
- 2D room: Explorable desk environment — the product, not a hero illustration.
- Desk studio: Customization of the desk and objects.
- Environment controls: Interior interactions (lighting, scene, weather/time concepts).
- Admin flags: Staged launch without rewriting the room.
How it was built
Expo 54, Firebase `deskverse-app`, package 1.5.21. Three.js / R3F and dnd-kit in the web package. Coming-soon gate, auth, admin flags, Room2D screens, desk design studio, fake PC boot. Interior interactions in the product design: lamp, weather, time-of-day.
Hosting: deskverse-app.web.app (case study also lists deskverse.site — confirm DNS separately). The room is the product, not a hero illustration.
Stack
- Expo 54: 1.5.21 web app
- Firebase: deskverse-app
- Three / R3F: In the web package
Outcomes
- v1.5.21: Package version
- 2D room: Playable desk environment
- Studio: Desk customization
- Live: deskverse-app.web.app
Wins
- Playable 2D desk room (v1.5.21) instead of a marketing illustration.
- Desk studio for customization.
- Environment / interior interactions (lighting, scene, weather/time concepts).
- Coming-soon gate and admin feature flags for staged launch.
Hard parts
- A room, not a page: The brief was an explorable desk. A landing page would have been the wrong product.
- Browser performance: Customization and environment had to stay smooth. R3F/Three in the package is the bet.
- Staged launch: Flags and a coming-soon gate so the room can ship in pieces without a rewrite.
Services
- Expo Web + React Native
- Firebase Auth, Firestore & Hosting
- 2D Room & Interior Scene Design
- Environmental Controls Dashboard
- Desk Design Studio & Object Customization
- Interactive Click Effects & Sound Design