Replacing technical documentation with interactive play to scale Womp's activation to 500k users.
Womp is a browser-based 3D tool designed for non-3D people. But when new users opened the viewport, they froze.
"How do I rotate?" "Where is zoom?"
Within 2 minutes, most bounced. We had thousands of users hitting the same wall. Traditional solutions failed: human-led walkthroughs were unscalable, and users simply ignored written tutorials.
In 50+ user testing calls, we observed that users naturally wanted to click and drag. They treated the tool like a toy, not a manual.
Users hesitated because they feared making a mistake. They needed a "safe mode" where no action was wrong.
Instead of a "Tutorial", we built a Mini-Game. We asked users to create a simple Avatar. This wasn't just for fun—it was a Trojan horse for the curriculum.
New users often got lost in infinite 3D space. By locking the focus to the object, we forced them to learn Orbiting naturally just to see the back of the head.
Forcing interaction with camera controls to reveal hidden details
Aligning objects is the steepest learning curve. We simplified this into a low-stakes "hat placement" task, giving users a clear reason to master the gizmo axes (X/Y/Z).
Teaching translation tools through simple object assembly
We used "Make it yours" as the hook. While users focused on creative expression with materials, they were silently mastering object selection and property editing.
Material and color customization to foster ownership
Users could set their creation as their profile picture or enter the editor. By the time they hit "Finish", the tool wasn't scary anymore.
Seamless transition from learning to using the product
Tutorials ask users to memorize abstract rules. Games force them to use those rules to solve immediate problems.
Result: Engagement jumped from <10s to 3+ mins
The "fear of breaking" freezes new users. By providing a sandbox where mistakes were impossible, we turned anxiety into curiosity.
Result: "Freeze" behavior effectively vanished
Users value things they build themselves. Creating an avatar gave them a personal stake in the platform before they even entered the main editor.
Result: Higher retention for game completers
You don't learn to ride a bike by reading a manual. We prioritized "feeling" the controls (Orbit, Pan, Zoom) over intellectually "explaining" them.
Result: Frictionless transition to complex tools
500k
Activated Users
Scaled with zero increase in support staff
~0%
"How to Move"
Basic navigation questions virtually disappeared
3 min
Time to Competence
From "frozen" to "builder" in one session
The community discord shifted overnight. The conversation changed from "How do I move the camera?" to "Look what I made!". We didn't just teach tools; we broke the fear of 3D.