Pipeline Protocol: Framing the Production Pipeline as a Playable System through the Logic of Visual Hierarchy

This project reconceptualises the game production pipeline as a playable system structured through the logic of visual hierarchy. While industry and academic discourse commonly describe development as a sequence of stages, including pre-production, alpha, beta, polish, launch, and post-launch, these terms often remain abstract for students without lived production experience. Static description alone is often insufficient to communicate the iterative and layered nature of production processes. Drawing on principles of visual hierarchy, such as scale, contrast, colour, motion, and detail, the framework maps perceptual design logics onto distinct phases of game development. The creative work operationalises this approach through a playable model in which production phases are made legible through shifts in visual and mechanical state. By aligning perceptual design principles with development stages, the project demonstrates how production knowledge can be structured, clarified, and experienced rather than merely defined, positioning play as a methodological approach to understanding the structure of game development.